Luggage (like in Drew Coffman’s stylish image, above) is nothing more than the container you stuff your swimsuit and sunscreen into, right? Wrong! According to research done by Virgin Atlantic the luggage a traveller uses reveals a lot about their personality.
The study shows that one in five can’t remember the last time they bought new luggage, while more than half of people questioned would only upgrade if their baggage was worn out or broken.
Judging by the number of bags we’ve seen dragged, screeching along the floor with a broken wheel, we guess a fair few of those wouldn’t upgrade unless their bag hadn’t a giant hole in it.
At the other end of the scale, one in ten of the people admitted they buy luggage to outdo their travel companions in the style stakes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a quarter of the 16-24 year-olds said they’d buy luggage to copy a celebrity. The survey didn’t say, but we suspect the number who could afford their designer cases was much lower.
Here’s what different types of luggage say about their owners according to behavioural expert Judi James:
Designer trunks
“For these passengers, luggage defines their achievements and their status in life and they believe all Economy-Class passengers should stand aside in respect as they sweep through the airport in true A list style.
“This is the Greta Garbo of travellers, someone who is outwardly saying ‘I want to be alone’ although with all the matching designer gear and huge, blackout designer shades what they’re really saying is ‘Look at me! Aren’t I rich and famous?'”
The Crazy Coloured set
“Attention-seeking and slightly scatty, this is the noisy, dramatic traveller who will hold up the queue while they hunt for their passport or dash off to get duty free just as boarding has been announced.
“They’re the zany friend you take on holiday only to wish you could tip them off the pier on day two of your break, although by the end of the first week you’ve probably given up fighting it and bought the same sombrero and fluorescent bikini and started to join in the fun.”
The Holdall
“This is the Mary Poppins of travellers, the one who manages to pack everything they need into one piece of luggage, finding space for things the rest of us forget like adaptor plugs and baby wipes, and yet still has room for a different bikini for every day of the holiday.
“Frighteningly practical and terrifyingly confident this optimist will tend to be the most seasoned traveller of the lot because for them it’s all about low drama planning rather than last-minute panics.”
The Corporate case
“These passengers know they’ve made it so there’s no need to be flashy, especially during the financial crisis when they believe it might seem crass to flaunt their wealth.
“There’s a very practical side to this rather focused and determined person, too, meaning a time-managed flight that includes working on the laptop or catching up on some well-earned power-napping.”
The Rucksack
“Still living in the glory days of their gap year, this traveller is unashamedly the eternal teen, loving to imagine that they can lead the free-wheeling, commitment-free lifestyle forever.
“They hate being pinned down or pressured into any form or responsibility and they like to think they can go anywhere the wind decides to blow them. They cherish their good causes but they can also have a tendency to be tactless or unfeeling at times, usually with the excuse that ‘I was just being honest’ or ‘I was just being myself’.”
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
