When i was touring in Iceland, I met a couple that rode Ritchey Break Away bikes with bike packing gear, no racks. With Break Away bikes (the frame splits to pack the bike in a smaller case) and by packing light they only checked their bike cases, they carried the rest of their gear for a two week tour in their carry on bags on the plane.
I did not ask their permission to post photos on internet, so I cropped out their faces from photos.
There is no way that I would have wanted to pack that light for a two week trip in a place where it rains and gets windy cold, but it worked for them. I was carrying a lot more stuff on my slow bike.