To Check or Not to Check

You are overly concerned. I have experience processing delayed and loss luggage at Chicago O'hare airport for Virgin Atlantic. Most bags were delayed or lost when there was a short connecting time (you have a 4 hour layover for your connection) or when the passenger arrived late at checkin for the first flight causing the bag to not get loaded. I have flown Wow 3 times but I always carry a bag on . The only time I checked a bag with Wow was on the way back from Belgium in 2017 as it had six bottles of rare beer in it. It made it unscathed

As long as you are staying in London in case your luggage is delayed. I only worry about checking bags when we are moving on from the city we land in, i.e., if you were taking a train to Bath immediately. Then it would be more difficult should your bags be delayed.

What Laurel said...If you are staying at a hotel in London for a few days, then the most common worst case would be that your bag would catch up with you in a day or so. Easy if you are in London, harder if you are on the move. Just be careful, sometimes checking a bag lulls one into sticking in a few more things, still pack like a carry-on.

We are going to be in London for 4 days before going via train to Belgium.

I'm sorry, however I no longer check baggage. I have been stuck a couple of times for a.couple of days waiting on.my luggage to arrive--at my.expense.I
I am strong and have no problem handling both my carry on luggage and my wife's luggage on and off trains and airplanes.

I check my bags. As you have, I leave about 3 hours for a transfer. My bags arrive fine. You are also staying in London for a few days so if they are delayed they should be delivered to you. Just make sure you: 1. photo your bag so you can show them if it is delayed 2. Put some identifying mark on the bag so it is visible in a sea of luggage (I wrap colorful fabric tightly around a handle) 3. Make sure it is tagged with the correct destination when you check it in 4. Put your itinerary in the bag. Help the airlines, in other words.

I do what I can not to check bags as airlines can lose them regardless if it's WOW or KLM. Only if I have an injury will I check a bag but only if I fly directly.

On some airlines you self tag your checked bag. (Not sure if one is one of them). I check the tag to make sure it has the correct info. Some tags also have little bar codes that you can peel off and stick on your bag. I put one on the back of my name tag and one on the bag itself.

Personally I think the whole business of checking or not checking is overrated and over discussed. While it is motto of Rick Steves and traveling light, it is not the end all. The vast, vast majority of luggage gets to its destination on time. Over the years, we always check our bags on the return flight and are about 50, 50 on the outbound flight. Only once have had problems with luggage -- and that was on a puddle jumper from Chicago to western Nebraska when they were still flying airplanes in Nebraska. We have no reservations about checking bags on direct flights. The probability of your bags making it to London is in the range of 99.9%. I think you are overly concerned. Lost bags happen. Both our sons and their family travel extensively and have never had a problem. But it doesn't mean that your bag could not be routed to London, KY. It is just in our experience we have never had a problem with European flights.

From Harry Callahan: "Uh uh. I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?"

But it doesn't mean that your bag could not be routed to London, KY.

Or more likely, Frankfort, KY.

If having your bags delayed would seriously disrupt your trip or cause you angst - then I'd suggest you carry them on. If having your luggage delayed would only be minor inconvenience, then check them.

Since you shared in yr other post that yr wife is having some back issues, id say check at least one bag out bound so she doesn't have to monkey w a bag. You could carry two sets of clothes for each of you and all meds, etc

We are going to be in London for 4 days before going via train to Belgium.

Do whatever makes you comfortable check or carryon? If you check them, you have 4 days in London for your bags to reach you in the event they are delayed.

If you are flying Icelandair, you should be very concerned about checking your bags.

The people are very nice, but it can take weeks before they even find your bags.

My husband and I went through KEF in early June and it was extremely crowded. We almost missed our connecting flight. I would keep my luggage with me if you can. If you decide to check, consider splitting 50/50: one carryon and one checked bag, each with clothes for both of you, as backup.

You'll hear stories both good and bad for checking luggage.

What we do now is check a bag or bags (quantity depends on destination and length of stay), but in the carry on bag we pack a few items in case luggage is delayed. If you're staying in London for several days, the odds are in your favor that any delayed bags will reach you.

In my carry on now, I always pack all of my underwear. I pack some socks. I pack at least two spare shirts. And I have learned that I need my pajamas to be comfortable in another country, even if the rest of my things don't make it. So my jammies go into my carry on now as well. YMMV.

I always carry a change of clothes and my toiletries in a backpack, one that will go under the seat. I rarely check a bag, and have only had three checked bags “lost” in over four decades, all showing up a day later.

Personally, I think the fear of lost luggage is overblown, but having an emergency clothing change isn’t a bad idea, and with a packing cube, pretty easy to deploy in a carryon “personal item”.

Now, if I’m taking an odyssey with stopovers or changes of planes/airlines, the “emergency pack” becomes a little more elaborate, but I rarely take that kind of trip anymore.