YOUR luggage reveals much more about you than you might think it does.
The bags you have, the amount of stuff you pack and what you deem to be a “cabin essential” lets us know exactly who you are as a person.
We can tell a lot about you based only on the bags you’re bringing on board the plane
In this, my latest weekly blog for Sun Online Travel, I’ll explain exactly what your luggage says about you and how we know who will cause us the most problems, based on their bags alone.
First of all, there’s my favourite passengers, the average holidaymakers. They’re not usually very fussy and still respect the cabin crew, much more than some other people tend to do.
You can spot these people a mile off in the airport – one big wheeled suitcase to check in, one small piece of hand luggage, and nothing else.
They tend to be people who don’t fly too often and are keen to stick to the baggage allowance rules. They also listen to their flight attendants and tend to be very respectful.
They basically just want to have a good time on their holiday, and they’re not going to let squabbles over baggage stop them and I commend them for it.
However, not everyone is quite so friendly and polite. For instance, the people I like to call the ‘fashionistas’ who are very particular about what they bring on board – and very fussy if you dare to touch it.
These people will often have a suit or dress, or several garments in a separate bag as part of their cabin luggage. They will usually spend a good five to 10 minutes trying to find the best place to put it once they’ve boarded.
If you dare ask them to move it or, heaven forbid, move it yourself, prepare for an argument because they will do everything they can to prevent wrinkles and creases.
These people will often wear half of their wardrobe with them too as they’re desperate to take as much as they can on their trip with them, which can lead to problems – with layer upon layer of their clothes taking up space in the overhead lockers.
They’re not the only ones who stuff the overhead bins either – with the ‘duty free hoarders’ another breed of passenger known for hogging the space.
These people load up on duty free items and come on board with bags and bags full of booze, cigarettes, chocolate, perfume…if it’s in there, the’ve bought it.
They’re entitled to do it, obviously, and can save money doing it, but I always dread seeing them getting on board the plane, knowing that there’s likely going to be some arguments about how much space they’re taking up.
I’d urge people to be a bit more considerate when loading up at duty free, and to think about how small the cabins are, because your bags are going to be an issue if you’ve got loads of them.
However, there is often an upside to these people and it’s that they will very frequently leave things behind.
I’ve found fragrances, big bottles of expensive alcohol and all sorts in the cabin at the end of the flight and the rule for that tends to be finders keepers.
Something else that gets left behind a lot is toys and general kids’ stuff from parents who also get on board with far too many things.
I understand you want to be prepared for all eventualities, but you also need to be prepared for arguments over space on board the aircraft because you can’t have all of it.
Anyone coming on board with fancy chairs, prams or baby gadgets tend to be a nightmare and I know that at some point, I’ll be going back and forth between the galley trying to get their milk the perfect temperature.
Fortunately for us there are some other much less complicated passengers, including working passengers and surprisingly VIP guests.
The working passengers tend to travel as light as possible, often with just a small overnight bag and their laptop, which they will be on for pretty much the whole flight, asking very little from us.
These guys are perfect passengers and rarely even ask us for anything and it’s the same with VIPs or A-list celebrities.
Flying for them, especially long-haul, can be a break from their busy schedules and very often they’ll just want to turn their phones off, sit and watch their TVs, or go to sleep.
They come with very little luggage as well – often they’ll have a small hand bag with their essentials inside, which will sometimes be carried by a handler, or an assistant.
Between the two of them, they never tend to ask for much and will have everything they need in their own personal bags.
What’s funny is that these people are often the ones who are portrayed as being divas or high maintenance, which is often so far from the truth.
In fact, looking at their luggage is usually a much better indication of how difficult they’re going to be than anything you might see or read online.
It works for most passengers too – so consider this next time you pack for a flight. What type of person do you want us to think you are?
Meanwhile, this travel expert revealed why you should never fly with a wheeled suitcase.
And a baggage handler revealed the bag you should never check in.
AlamyThe worst passengers are those who bring loads on board and hog all the overhead space[/caption] Read More