Don't Forget To Research Your Travel Luggage Too

By Frank Cucino


For the modern family, an ultimately desired and desperately feared event is the noble vacation. From the outset, it is a complex scheduling issue, a difficult decision as to location, and then there is the journey itself, with concerns over security and even the travel luggage. But the reward is the ability to spend a week or so with the family away from the stresses of everyday life.

Great vacations often include a trip by aircraft, one can go farther for that away from it all feeling. Taking an aircraft, however, complicates the event a bit more due to security concerns. With all that has changed, the least considered item has become the center of attention; the baggage.

One can surmise many things about people by their suitcases. Many are adorned with personalized stickers and they come in all types. Some are color coordinated for style, others exhibit a decidedly functional look. But now there is an overriding concern, how much they weigh.

Airline companies have had to make some difficult decisions of late. The cost to fly an aircraft is higher for every pound more it weighs. Where the size of customer bags used to be a concern only for baggage handlers backs, it is now an operational cost issue. Some companies now charge for every bag, others allow one free, but charge for each additional.

Thus the corporations have waffled back and forth over appropriate size and weight restrictions. For inside the cabin, the primary driver for carry on has been the space available in overhead bins. For checked gear, the primary driver has been the ergonomic impact of lifting and handling weight for baggage handlers, estimated at 66 pounds maximum.

The new realities have affected the overall aircraft experience. Savvy families plan ahead for the known and are flexible enough for the unknown. Newer, lighter yet sturdy materials are finding their way into travel luggage manufacturing to keep up with the times.




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