Was asked to check my carry on under the plane

Challenge what?? Next time you probably need to look up policies on the airline's website or contact them if you have questions. If there's a need to move luggage then they will. They're in charge of the flight and make the decisions. 


I suppose I'd figure out what to wrap a guitar in to protect it and stuff socks etc. in the guitar case! It's probably going to bang around inside a case...

This happened to me last year.  As much as I wasn't excited about this.  My gear was taken care of and was stored near the door down below.  Nothing happened to my gear at all.  

This happened to me on a flight from Trenton, NJ to South Carolina. The plane was one of those smaller ones, and the carry-on into which I had placed all of my photo gear simply would not fit in the overhead bins. I find the airline faulty in not advising me that my carry-on would not fit the bins before being confronted with this issue as I attempted to board the flight.

Instead of letting anger get the better of me, I explained to the 'head' flight attendant that my bag contained some 10k worth of delicate photo equipment.

She was considerate and took charge of my bag, storing it in her personal 'closet'. I was effusive in displaying my thanks to her. As a result, we spent more than a few minutes during the flight in friendly conversation about things not related to airlines/photography.

Determined not to have to face a similar situation in the future, I ordered Pelican's flight approved hard carrying case when I reached my SC destination, had it shipped there, configured it to accommodate my gear, and, from now on, I will be much less worried about checking my gear at the gate.

I still would never check my photo gear at check-in.

My son, a professional musician, once checked his 50k cello which was in a metal case. It apparently was run over by a ground crew vehicle, and one end was totally mangled. The case did its job in protecting the more valuable instrument inside, but my son had no recourse with respect to the value of the case, for which the replacement value was some $2000. You can bet that my son will never check an instrument at check-in in the future. He typically purchases two tickets, one for him and one for his cello, and still often faces challenges from airline employees that his cello should not be in the cabin.

Checking baggage at check-in also exposes one to theft. I have never experienced a problem, but, then again, I never check anything more valuable than my underwear.

I suppose the opportunity for theft from checked baggage always existed, but I feel it is more of a problem in modern times due to the fact that the TSA has the right to open and inspect any bag, whether locked or not.

My Pelican case includes a padlock, but it can be opened by TSA. If gate-checking, you have already had the contents examined, and I doubt there is much chance of ground crew opening your baggage on the tarmac.

My thoughts are not a proclamation that theft is widespread within ground-crew ranks, but theft does occur.

I agree with other posters that you are, for the most part, at the mercy of the airline employees when it comes to most any issues that occur as you board a plane. My advice is to prepare in advance for worst case scenarios with respect to your photo gear, and to keep your cool when confronted with challenging situations.

Other than possible rough handling (which you can prepare for by carrying your gear in cases that protect it), gate checking exposes you least to damage and theft other than use of overhead bins, as there really is little opportunity for damage or theft at that point.

Of course, YMMV.

Caruso