Bags of fun

During a long career in inflight service George Banks GATHERED A LIFETIMEʼS COLLECTION OF aviation memorabilia. Here he looks back at the changing face of hand luggage

Prepare to board almost any flight these days and you’ll be surrounded by a mountain of wheelie bags and backpacks jostling for stowage space in the aircraft cabin. This seems normal now but it wasn’t always so. Before airline lockers were created for hand luggage, passengers’ carry-on allowances were minimal, no matter where they sat on the plane.

The IATA code stipulated that only the following items were allowed: a wrap, a camera, a walking stick, reading material, a fully collapsible wheelchair and/or a pair of crutches, an infant’s carrying basket and baby food for the flight.

A small carry-on bag, part of a passenger’s

20kg total allowance, was permitted but had to fit under the seat. The overhead racks were only for soft items, such as an overcoat, blankets and pillows.

Today, wheelie bags are lugged onto aircraft and jammed into ever-larger overhead bins. Jackets and coats have to be screwed up to fit between bags that once went in the hold. The bags are now often so heavy they can hardly be lifted into the bins.

Passengers bring them onboard largely to save money or to speed up their progress on landing but hand luggage this size and weight can injure passengers if it falls and adds new risks of obstacles if evacuation is needed.

The iconic airline shoulder bags given to passengers on long-haul flights in the past were small enough to fit under the airline seat, advertised the airline brand and were popular with passengers. Perhaps their revival could help inspire a turnaround in the trend towards ever-more cumbersome onboard baggage as well as providing a good quality passenger gift. •