Have you considered the difference between travellers using hand luggage only or paying for a bag in hold?

Calculating the time-related costs and money saved from those that choose to travel with hand luggage only is relatively new at a strategic corporate level. However it is one that can increase the bottom line.

There are intangible benefits of taking the stress out of any overnight travel by avoiding baggage drop-off and collection. Flying hand luggage-only can also increase the environmentally-friendly aspect of a business.

The low-cost carrier industry is aggressively pursuing the business traveller with new commercial city routes, flexible ticketing options, priority boarding and seat allocation. Legacy airlines are also making their own moves to keep their share of the short-haul market, with some offering flexible fares that charge more to have a bag in hold. The challenge for the business traveller to own the ‘perfect’ piece of hand luggage compliant across all the airlines is increasingly more difficult. Even aircraft manufacturers are looking at ways to store more hand luggage.

I have studied the costs associated with baggage check-in through personal experiences and conversations with large corporates and environmental agencies. From these calculations it was found an average return trip per employee can cost a minimum of £60 in baggage fees. In addition the average hand luggage-only journey saves approximately 30 minutes in comparison to a journey with baggage check-in, not to mention reducing the stress as you have your belongings with you ready to race to the taxi queue.

There are environmental benefits too. An air passenger using only hand luggage uses approximately 2.5% fewer Co2 emissions than a comparable journey of entirely heavier checked-in luggage.

Selecting the correct tools such as a bag or an alert within your self-booking tool for travelling staff offers companies an exceptional way of showing their teams that both the small and the big things contribute towards overall success. Efficiency and effectiveness count and companies that demonstrate attention to detail will make more profit.

Alistair Callender is founder of GATE8 Luggage

Oh now MartynSinclair, I think that’s a bit harsh!

I’m not quite sure that starting a thread with what some might consider advertising spam (Including me) is appropriate however, but the actual product isn’t that bad!

A rather ham fisted attempt to promote what could be an otherwise good product.

I’m surprised BT allows such blatant unpaid advertising.

I think it’s all flogging a dead horse anyway, with the volume of hand luggage it’s a matter of time before there is a crackdown.

I find some of the maths a bit questionable as well, coming back from Budapest on a loco last week at least 50 passengers had their hand baggage checked into the hold due to the lockers being full.

If you really are in the stressful position of racing for the taxi queue and saving 30 mins I would recommend an earlier flight.

Further to my earlier, rather direct post… I will describe the features I am looking for in my ideal case.. If Gate8 can provide, I will thank them for creating this self advertising thread:

** hard shell
** brightly coloured so it stands out on the baggage belt(ideally orange or yellow)
** 1 bag must be cabin bag approved the second larger case for check in
** in built GPS tracking
** in built mobile phone charging
** good wheels

Samsonite are advertising one but it is not available in the UK and I received a couple of facebook postings from firms looking for crowd funding to launch such a product.

So gate8, if you have such a product, I will be first in line to buy..

Sorry, dull black canvas bags look boring….

MartynS:

Another point of importance is how much this super-bag weighs – a 3 kilo bag will leave almost no scope as you can have limits as low as 8 kilos.

If you are unlucky enough to have it put in the hold you can’t even unload all those heavy items you have stuffed in your overcoat pocket.

if you check out the baggage belt 90% of bags are coloured black or a darkish colour. At least an orange or yellow will make the bag stand out and hopefully less chance of somebody else taking it in error.

I also do not need to tie a yellow ribbon around the handle or place one of those silly bands around the outside to ID the case.

@PeterCoultas – an 8kg hand baggage allowance, must be with a LCC… if I knew in advance, I would pay in advance….. (who has an 8kg allowance??)….

Martyn, what about? https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barracuda/barracuda-collapsible-luggage-tray-gps-usb-charger/

ticks most of your boxes, not so sure about EU size tho.

on the subject of USB charging, luggage producers are going to have to make the battery packs removable as more airlines refuse to put anything with batteries in the hold