One aspect of flying most people don’t enjoy is waiting for their luggage at the baggage carousel.
As a result, more and more of us are trying to fit the lot into cabin baggage in bulky carry on bags with wheels that just scrape through the size and weight restrictions.
There is then the fear of not being able to get them inside the overhead lockers as everyone vies for a space, laying them flat of course, and leaving plenty of waste space above.
Now, Airbus, the French aircraft manufacturer has developed new “L Bins,” which can be retrofitted into any plane within three to five days.
They have been designed to allow the luggage to stand on their sides, rather than lay flat, increasing the amount that can fit in overhead lockers and using almost all of the space.
In fact, Airbus says the adaption creates 60 per cent more space within the overhead lockers.
They can hold bags of 61 centimeters height by 38 centimeters width and 25 centimeters depth.
It is not even a complete change as the retrofit, made of Made of ultra-lightweight composite products, re-uses many parts of the original bin, including the sidewall, ceiling and lighting to reduce waste.
German airline Lufthansa plans to start retrofitting its 38 A320 aircraft with the new Airspace L Bins, from the start of 2025.
The new bins are made by German-based Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), a subsidiary of ST Engineering and Airbus.
Charbel Youzkatli, Airbus head of commercial services for Europe, said: “We know from talking with airline customers that bigger bins are a clear need to enhance the passenger experience.”
The debate over baggage fees is likely to rumble on regardless of the changes.
The Bureau of Transportation said US airlines made more than $6.7 billion (£5.1 million) in baggage fee revenue in 2022.
However, this month, the European Union voted to support a resolution calling for airlines to stop charging passengers for “reasonable” sized carry-on bags.
The airline industry claims the fees help create lighter aircraft, as people seek to travel lighter, making them more fuel-efficient, and environmentally friendly.
