Not only will you need to part with your bag, but you'll need to figure out where to pick it up after you land. In most cases, gate checked bags will be sent to the baggage claim along with all the paid, checked luggage. Meaning you'll have to say goodbye to that speedy exit at your destination.

When you "gate check" a bag, your carry-on luggage is taken from you at the boarding gate or on the jet bridge and placed in the aircraft's cargo hold. This typically happens if the overhead bins are full or if the aircraft is a small regional jet with tiny bins. There are two types: "Valet/Planeside" check, where you leave the bag at the aircraft door and pick it up on the jet bridge immediately after landing, and "Standard Gate Check," where the bag is tagged with a destination label and sent to the airport's main baggage carousel. If you are forced to gate check because the bins are full, there is usually no fee. However, you must remove lithium batteries, power banks, spare laptop batteries, and essential medications before handing over the bag, as these items are fire hazards in the cargo hold. Always clarify with the gate agent whether you should pick up the bag "on the jet bridge" or "at the carousel" to avoid leaving it behind.