Scott McCartney‘s Middle Seat column is on frequent flyers whose other halves aren’t as adept at the airport.
Allow me to emphasize: Checked bags are evil. Not only do they get lost, but they mean you need to get to the airport earlier and you waste time on arrival at baggage claim. Multiply an extra hour per direction out over the course of 30 years worth of trips and you’re talking about a month of your life waiting on checked luggage.