Airline passengers will have to purchase new hand luggage bags when flying if the industry has its way again.
New smaller baggage standards are being suggested by the airline industry body the International Air Transport Association, with the great idea that the standard size of baggage will make boarding and exiting a plane a smoother experience for traveling passengers, with the added bonus of there will always being enough room in overhead bins for all passenger baggage regardless of what plane you fly in.
The new suggested standard bag measurements are 55 x 35 x 20 cm (or 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches),
That might not look too bad, but the new bags would be subtly smaller than the specifications for almost all airlines, not least Ryanair and Aer Lingus. The International Air Transport Association have also come up with an “IATA Cabin OK” logo on newer baggage to let airline staff know that your bag meets the smaller guidelines.
Tom Windmuller, vice president of the International Air Transport Association stated,
“The development of an agreed optimal cabin bag size will bring common sense and order to the problem of differing sizes for carry-on bags,”
“We know the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This work will help to iron out inconsistencies and lead to an improved passenger experience.”
The International Air Transport Association has no authority to make airlines comply with the new smaller guidelines but most airlines will put it into practice, its claimed that a few baggage manufacturers have already,
“developed products in line with the optimum size guidelines”.
The new luggage carrying the label is expected to hit the shops later this year 2015.
