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Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a
travel Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel c ...
er's personal articles while the traveler is in
transit Transit may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Transit'' (1979 film), a 1979 Israeli film * ''Transit'' (2005 film), a film produced by MTV and Staying-Alive about four people in countries in the world * ''Transit'' (2006 film), a 2006 ...
. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing
clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...
, toiletries, small possessions, trip necessities. On the return trip, travelers may have
souvenir A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...
s and gifts. For some people, luggage and the
style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...
thereof is representative of the owner's
wealth Wealth is the abundance of Value (economics), valuable financial assets or property, physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for financial transaction, transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the ...
and status. Luggage is constructed to protect the items during travel either with a hard shell or a durable soft material. Luggage often has internal subdivisions or sections to aid in securing items. Handles are typically provided to facilitate carrying, and some luggage may have wheels and/or telescoping handles or leashes to make moving them easier. Baggage (not luggage), or ''baggage train'', can also refer to the train of people and goods, both military and of a personal nature, which commonly followed pre-modern armies on campaign.


Overview

Luggage has changed over time. Historically the most common types of luggage were
chest The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the crea ...
s or
trunk Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Computing * Trunk (software), in rev ...
s made of wood or other heavy materials. These would be shipped by professional movers. Since the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
smaller and more lightweight
suitcase A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popularity of ma ...
s and bags that can be carried by an individual have become the main form of luggage.


Etymology

According to the
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
, the word ''baggage'' comes from the
Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...
(from 'tie up') or from 'bundles'. It may also be related to the word '' bag''. Also according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ''luggage'' originally meant inconveniently heavy baggage and comes from the verb ''lug'' and the suffix ''-age''.


Types

*
Trunk Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Computing * Trunk (software), in rev ...
- A wooden box, generally much larger than other kinds of luggage. Trunks come in smaller sizes as in the case of footlockers and larger ones called steamers. These days trunks are more commonly used for storage than transportation. Items large enough to require a trunk are now usually shipped in transport cases. Some of the better known trunk makers are
Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its produc ...
,
Goyard Maison Goyard, or simply Goyard, is a French Trunk (luggage), trunk and leather goods maker established in 1792 as Maison Martin in Paris; the company also operated as Maison Morel, before becoming Maison Goyard in 1853. The brand is known for a ...
,
Moynat Moynat is one of the oldest Parisian trunkmakers. Their first studio was opened in Paris in 1849 founded by Octavie and François Coulembier. They joined forces with a specialist in travel goods named Pauline Moynat, to open the first store of ...
,
M. M. Secor Martin Mathias Secor (February 4, 1841January 5, 1911) was a Bohemian American immigrant and businessman. He was the founder and proprietor of the Northwestern Trunk and Traveling Bag Manufactory and the M. M. Secor Trunk Company, and was the 28t ...
and
Leatheroid Leatheroid is cellulose material very similar to vulcanized fibre in physical properties and uses. It is prepared using unsized cotton rag paper (as is vulcanized fibre) and mineral acid. Manufacturer Leatheroid was made by the Leatheroid Manufac ...
. In the late 1600’s trunks were constructed in America. These trunks were assembled out of different kinds of wood and often covered with animal hides from horses, cows and deer. American made hide covered trunks grew in popularity in the 1700’s and started to become more adorned to enhance the appearance. This included adding leather trim, iron locks, brass tacks as well as handles to the trunks. *
Suitcase A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popularity of ma ...
- A wheeled or non-wheeled luggage, as well as soft or hard side luggage. *
Train case A train case is a piece of luggage, used especially for personal grooming articles, usually smaller and boxlike. ''Nécessaire de voyage'' (fr) predate train cases but contain similar tools, such as brushes, and consumables, such as cosmetics. ...
- A smaller, box-like, handled case for personal grooming articles. *
Garment bag A garment bag or suit bag is a container of flexible material, usually used to ease transporting suits, jackets or clothing in general, and also to protect clothes from dust by hanging them inside with their hangers and then in the closet bar. Th ...
- A style of luggage that folds over on itself to allow long garments such as suits or dresses to be packed flat to avoid creasing. Garment bags come in both wheeled and non-wheeled models and are usually one of the largest pieces in any set of luggage * Tote - A small bag, usually worn on the shoulder * Duffle bag - A barrel-shaped bag, almost exclusively soft side, is well suited to casual travel, with little organization inside. *
Carpet bag A carpet bag is a top-opening travelling bag made of carpet, commonly from an oriental rug. It was a popular form of luggage in the United States and Europe in the 19th century, featuring simple handles and only an upper frame, which served ...
- Travel luggage traditionally made from carpets. *
Packing cube A packing cube (or packing square, packing pouch) is a small bag designed to organize and compartmentalize clothes inside luggage, as well as to compress clothing to ensure optimum use of space. Packing cubes are used by backpackers, business ...
s - Small rectangular bags of different sizes and different colors created to keep the contents of other baggage organized and compact *
Gate check bags Gate check bags are travel bags specially designed for the transportation and storage of car seats and strollers or pushchairs. Generally used for airline travel, they also provide protection from dust when in storage for the occasional user. When ...
- Bags specially designed to protect frequent
gate checking Gate checking refers to the practice that allows passengers to check in their bags directly at the gate. Gate checking is mostly used on small planes when there isn't enough space to take on board the cabin bags of all passengers. Some companies o ...
items, such as strollers and car seats.


Features

* Locks - locks serve multiple purposes; a deterrent to dishonest airport workers and locks also help keep baggage closed during handling. Since 2003 most locks integrated into luggage use the TSA Lock standard developed by
Travel Sentry Travel Sentry is a company that develops and licenses standards used in travel security, including a standard for luggage locks that can be opened by aviation security agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). History Tr ...
to allow opening by the US
Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
. * Expandable luggage - suitcases that can be unzipped to expand for more packing space.


Wheels

Luggage carriers – light-weight wheeled carts on which luggage could be temporarily placed or that can be temporarily attached to luggage – date at least to the 1930s, such as in US patent 2,132,316 "Luggage carrier" by Anne W. Newton (filed 1937, published 1938). These were refined over the following decades, as reflected in patents such as a 1948 US patent by Herbert Ernest Mingo, for a "device for the handling of trunks, suitcases, and the like". A US patent for a "luggage carriage" filed in 1949 (and published 1953), and another for a "luggage carriage harness", were both made by Kent R. Costikyan. However, the wheels were ''external'' to the suitcases. Patents had been published for wheeled luggage – a wheeled trunk in 1887, and a wheeled suitcase in 1945 – but these were not successfully commercialized. Bernard D. Sadow invented the first commercial rolling suitcase. Sadow first applied for the rolling luggage patent, which was officially known as; United States patent 3,653,474 for “Rolling Luggage”, in 1970. Two years later in 1972 Bernard D. Sadow was given the wheeled suitcases patent, which became successful. The patent application cited the increase in air travel, and "baggage handling avingbecome perhaps the single biggest difficulty encountered by an air passenger", as background of the invention. Sadow's four-wheeled suitcases, pulled using a loose strap, were later surpassed in popularity by suitcases that feature two wheels and are pulled in an upright position using a long handle. These were invented in 1987 by US pilot Robert Plath, and initially sold to crew members. Plath later commercialized them, after travelers became interested after seeing them in use by crew members, and founded the Travelpro company, which marketing the suitcases under the trademark "Rollaboard". The terms '' rollaboard'' and '' roll-aboard'' are used generically, however. While initially designed for carry-on use (to navigate through a large terminal), as implied by the analogous name, similar designs are also used for
checked baggage Checked baggage is luggage delivered to an airline or train for transportation in the hold of an aircraft or baggage car of a passenger train. Checked baggage is inaccessible to the passenger during the flight or ride, as opposed to carry-on bagga ...
. More recently, four-wheeled luggage with
caster A caster (or castor) is an undriven wheel that is designed to be attached to the bottom of a larger object (the "vehicle") to enable that object to be moved. Casters are used in numerous applications, including shopping carts, office chairs, t ...
s has become popular, notably since their use by
Samsonite Samsonite International S.A. () is an American premium luggage manufacturer and retailer, with products ranging from large suitcases to small toiletries bags and briefcases. The company was founded in Denver, Colorado, United States. Its regis ...
in the 2004 version of their signature ''Silhouette'' line. These are otherwise similar in design to two-wheel roll-aboards, with a vertical orientation and a retracting handle, but are designed to be pushed beside or in front of the traveler, rather than pulled behind them. These are often referred to as "spinner" luggage, since they can spin about their
vertical axis A Cartesian coordinate system (, ) in a plane (geometry), plane is a coordinate system that specifies each point (geometry), point uniquely by a pair of number, numerical coordinates, which are the positive and negative numbers, signed distance ...
. Sadow attributes the late invention of luggage on wheels to a "macho thing" where "men would not accept suitcases with wheels". Others attribute the late invention to "the abundance of luggage porters with carts in the 1960s, the ease of curbside drop-offs at much smaller airports and the heavy iron casters then available."


Hand/carry-on

Passengers are allowed to carry a limited number of smaller bags with them in the vehicle, these are known as hand luggage (more commonly referred to as carry-on in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
), and contain valuables and items needed during the journey. There is normally storage space provided for hand luggage, either under seating, or in overhead lockers. Trains often have luggage racks at the ends of the
carriage A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping an ...
near the doors, or above the seats if there are compartments. On aircraft, the size and weight of hand luggage is regulated, along with the number of bags. Some airlines charge for carry-on over a certain number.


Smart

Smart luggage is baggage that has a built-in or a removable battery within. It often includes features designed to help with travel, including GPS tracking and USB ports to charge electronics. Some bags include a WiFi hotspot and electric wheels for personal transportation. Several smart luggage companies have shut down as a result of a ban which came into effect in January 2018 on smart luggage with non-removable batteries being carried as check-in luggage on flights.


Claim and reclaim

In airport terminals, a
baggage claim 200px, Baggage carousel In airport terminals, a baggage reclaim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage claim is used at airports in the US and ...
or reclaim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. At most airports and many train stations, baggage is delivered to the passenger on a
baggage carousel A baggage carousel is a device, generally at an airport, that delivers checked luggage to the passengers at the baggage reclaim area at their final destination. Not all airports use these devices. Airports without carousels generally deliver bagg ...
.


Storage

Left luggage, also luggage storage or bag storage, is a place where one can temporarily store one's luggage so as to not have to carry it. Left luggage is not synonymous with
lost luggage Lost luggage is luggage conveyed by a public carrier such as an airline, seafaring cruise ship, shipping company, or railway which fails to arrive at the correct destination with the passenger. In the United States, an average of 1 in 150 peo ...
. Often at an airport or train station there may be a staffed 'left luggage counter' or simply a coin-operated or automated locker system. While threats of terrorism all around the globe have caused this type of public storage to decrease over the past few decades, the sharing economy is causing a revival of the industry. Driven in part by the rapid growth of Airbnb and
homestay Homestay (also home stay and home-stay) is a form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the area (host) to which they are traveling. The length of stay can vary from one night to over a year and can be pr ...
traveling in general, a number of services offering short-term luggage storage by utilizing unused space at local businesses such as hotels, restaurants and retail shops have emerged.


Military

Baggage can also refer to the train of people and goods, both military and of a personal nature, which commonly followed pre-modern armies on campaign. The baggage was considered a strategic resource and guarded by a
rear guard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...
. Its loss was considered to weaken and demoralize an army, leading to
rearguard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...
attacks such as that at the
Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
.


See also

*
Airport check-in Airport check-in is the process whereby an airline approves airplane passengers to board an airplane for a flight. Airlines typically use service counters found at airports for this process, and the check-in is normally handled by an airline ...
*
Emotional baggage Emotional baggage is an everyday expression that correlates with many varied but similar concepts within social sciences, self-help movements, and other fields: its general concern is with unresolved issues of an emotional nature, often with an impl ...
, colloquialism referring to unresolved psychological issues *
Gate check bags Gate check bags are travel bags specially designed for the transportation and storage of car seats and strollers or pushchairs. Generally used for airline travel, they also provide protection from dust when in storage for the occasional user. When ...
*
Gate checking Gate checking refers to the practice that allows passengers to check in their bags directly at the gate. Gate checking is mostly used on small planes when there isn't enough space to take on board the cabin bags of all passengers. Some companies o ...
*
Luggage scale 26 September 2021 A luggage scale, also called a baggage scale or a suitcase A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first ...
*
Luggage lock A luggage lock is a Lock (security device), lock used to prevent luggage from opening by accident, usually with little or no security in mind, although the lock may serve as a deterrent to potential thieves. Luggage locks may be built into lugga ...
*
Okoban Okoban is a system that allows individuals to register property with pre-assigned unique identification codes in an online database so that, if the property is lost then found, the finder can notify the registrant. Okoban manages its tracking syst ...
*
Suitcase A suitcase is a form of luggage. It is a rectangular container with a handle typically used to carry one's clothes and other belongings while traveling. The first suitcases appeared in the late 19th century due to the increased popularity of ma ...
*
Travel pack A travel pack is a specialized type of rucksack developed for adventurers, and popular with backpackers. Much like ordinary rucksacks in appearance, travel packs have the added benefit of being able to zip shoulder straps, hip belts and shoulder ...
* Transportation Security Administration (TSA)


References


External links

* {{Authority control