It isn’t rocket science to suggest that the best way to guarantee an airline won’t lose your luggage is not to give it to the airline in the first place. On most business trips to most places, most of us should be able to make do with the luggage we’re permitted to carry onboard.

Unfortunately, carry-on rules remain maddeningly inconsistent. The government says we “are allowed one carry-on in addition to one personal item such as a laptop computer, purse, small backpack, and briefcase or camera case.” But this so-called “one plus one” rule leaves a lot to the discretion of carriers. They determine the size and weight of the bags you’re permitted to carry on and, on the increasingly ubiquitous small planes known as regional jets, airlines reserve the right to limit you to one carry-on bag.

Read “Luggage Limbo” from Conde Nast’s portfolio.com.