Do the pros of sticking to hand luggage outweigh the cons?

That's the big question we're raising this week.

When it comes to airline luggage, it's a matter of the good, the bad and the ugly. The good is flying with hand luggage only - just a small carry-on you can slip under your seat. The bad is checked luggage that is in danger of going missing in action. The ugly? Have you watched passengers arm wrestling over luggage space as they try to squash bulging multiple bags into overhead lockers, or late arrivals rushing from one end of the plane to the other in search of somewhere to cram their carry-on?

These days, airlines are more stringent with weight and size as carry-on luggage becomes the new norm. Some, such as America Airlines, Delta and United, have also increased luggage bin dimensions on new planes and weight allowances along with them.

As well as less worry about checked luggage going MIA, carry-on can save you dollars - Australia's newest airline Bonza allows eight kilograms in total for carry-on luggage while you pay for checked bags. Jetstar allows seven kilograms before it starts charging extra. Heading overseas? British Airways allows a whopping 23 kilograms on board and American Airlines has no weight limit, just bag size.

If you have to pay for checked luggage, ensure you weigh your carry-on before you head to the airport. If it's overweight, checked prices are dearer than if you've booked them online. Carry-on also eliminates extensive waits at airport carousels, which, in an International Air Transport Association survey, more than 67 per cent of travellers identified as one of three most stressful things about flying today. Unlike international travel, flights within Australia are not subject to restrictions on how much powder, liquid, aerosols and gels you can carry onboard. The forbidden list for carry-ons under the dangerous goods act includes insect spray and fireworks. Any items with sharp edges or points that are capable of injuring a person are also prohibited

Sydney-based stylist Ann Vodicka of Image Confidence, who is a former Qantas in-cabin service manager, always travels with carry-on and shares her trick of creating 90 different looks from three different bottoms, either pants or skirts, five tops, two jackets and three pairs of shoes, plus accessories such as a little bling and scarves.

"No one wants to look like Tommy Tourist ... and by mix and matching you can create different looks - start with the bottoms and add to it and resist the urge to throw extras in 'just in case'." She also follows Japanese organising guru Marie Kondo's folding technique of creating neat rectangles, and decants toiletries into small containers or buys miniatures.