Placing .Ai files with imbedded images into indesign

Of course!

You just have to unembed the links and you can choose where they want to go. It's not a big deal.

I don't embed either - but if someone does - it's not going to affect InDesign files.

Which is the question here.

I don't ever embed images in illustrator. If you want to edit the images you can't.  I keep vector files in illustrator, images ad .jpg or as photoshop files and place in indesign my layout. I like this way of working because you can, from indesign, select the edit pencil icon in the links panel and adjust files as you need for color, or client requested edits.

I have worked with package design where the agency did that, and later the printing company (AEROMED), kicked it back since they wanted the images placed in the layout, ( they asked for the source files for every job going to print). So i have had to redo layouts in indesign from scratch because of that choice another designer made.

Now working for a big publisher house i have seen layouts made by other designers that were made that way, i am been asked to edit the image, so i end up redoing things. However, the previous design got away with it and it went to print.. so that did not seemed an issue than, just when it came to working on the image.

I think is better for you and future people who work on the file if things are kept within their medium. Vector in illustrator, photos in photoshop, layout in Indesign.

Nah - the AI files will be large - but won't affect InDesign - as far as I know.

If you send them the AI files they can unembed the images themselves and link them if they want to.

First I've heard of it though.

Sounds like a misunderstanding. Embedding them in AI has nothing to do with linking to those AI (you’re really placing a PDF) files in InDesign.