Worrying about airplane luggage.

January 11, 2009

I’m just wrapping up a productive and fun trip to Las Vegas with the abject worry that comes from knowing I got too much schwag from vendors on the trade-show floor.

I have three additional laptop bags, about 83 thumb-drive press kits, a pile of plastic crap that I still have to write about and a stuffed dog with a make-believe GPS on its collar.

That means I have to rush out to Target before my flight and buy a suitcase in which to cart this crap home.

But that’s not the epitome of my plight. It’s that I hate to check baggage and now I have to make the choice between putting my clothes (with tuxedo jammed into the suitcase) and other belongings into the belly of the plane or put the schwag there…or both.

The worry comes from playing worst-case scenario mentally. If I lose my clothes, that’s fine. But I’ll also lose some personal gadgets (not THAT personal) I have stowed in the bag. Stuff like a camera cord that would be difficult to replace, a card-reader that probably could have stayed home this trip, and some underwear that is just the right fit and softness.

If the other bag goes AWOL, I lose data about companies I spoke to, I lose lots of neat toys and some purely heinous examples of rush-to-market crap, and some momentos I purchased as gifts for all my loved ones back home.

I’m thinking about checking both bags. Not to tempt fate (if there’s a chance of losing one, isn’t the chance of losing one of two even greater?), but I guess I might as well travel light.

The flight’s seven hours and my body is wracked with pain after walking 1.8Million feet of exhibition space this week. I’ll carry my laptop and essentials on board and let my luggage fate belong to the Southwest Airlines gods.

Not sure why I’m so worried already, my pants are still in the dryer and my flight isn’t until 4PM.

Maybe it’s who I am…Airport Boy!

The worriest traveling mediocre hero that ever packed a carry-on.

More to come…