Not long ago, a plane operated by Delta Air Lines encountered a mishap on its way to Detroit, causing the plane to return to its point of departure—the reason being a sudden fall of a large number of maggots in the luggage compartment.
Just 1 hour after takeoff, a passenger who carried rotten fish disregarded the regulations and placed it in the luggage compartment. The accidentally damaged packaging led to the maggots scattering and falling, creating a shocking scene. As a result, the plane had to return to the departure location, the airline had to arrange accommodations for the passengers, and provided them with compensation. Moreover, the entire cabin had to undergo thorough cleaning, and the suitcase containing the rotten fish was incinerated.
In fact, incidents of items falling in the luggage compartment are not uncommon. Carry-on luggage often leads to issues with insufficient space. Passengers frequently have to squeeze and rearrange their personal items while loading, and sometimes even need to arrive at the gate early just to ensure there is enough space to accommodate their belongings.
Research by Boeing shows that carry-on luggage has extended the boarding time for passengers in the United States by 30 to 40 minutes. To reduce boarding time, airlines have tried various measures including charging for carry-on luggage, boarding in batches, and selling priority boarding services. Despite this, boarding times remain high, to the extent that United Airlines even attempted to let passengers with window seats board first in 2023, trying to reduce the waiting time.
To tackle the constantly growing demand, aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus have initiated projects to design larger luggage compartments. However, this represents another form of challenge; due to the management and fees associated with carry-on luggage, airlines’ luggage revenue reached an astonishing $29 billion in 2022.
In the face of such a situation, there seems to be no consensus within the industry on whether luggage compartments should be enlarged or reduced. Nonetheless, reducing the amount of carry-on luggage can bring additional revenue to the airlines and potentially save on fuel and time.
In air travel, luggage handling is an important topic of common concern for passengers and airlines. While low-cost airlines may restrict passengers’ luggage allowance to gain more revenue, the aviation industry has also been continuously improving to enhance the passenger experience. For example, in 2023, Airbus optimized the luggage compartments for its A320 series of aircraft, expanding the storage space by 60%. As early as 2015, Boeing equipped its 737 airplanes with Space Bins, claiming to increase the space for carry-on luggage by 50%. With these upgrades, luggage can be retrieved almost as easily as pulling out a book.
Still, the new luggage compartments have certain requirements for luggage size. In everyday flights, many passengers carry luggage of various shapes and sizes, and some even carry several packages of different sizes, adding extra complexity.
Besides accommodating luggage, the design of overhead compartments also involves complex considerations. According to design engineer David Young, the design must ensure that luggage can be stably and easily handled, and the materials used for the compartments must be sturdy, yet not hinder the passengers’ space, ensuring everyone can easily open and close them. However, no matter how perfect the design, it’s hard to meet every different passenger’s needs, and sometimes unexpected situations can occur in the overhead compartments.
For instance, in 2023, a traveler exerted too much force while stowing luggage, damaging the overhead compartment door, resulting in the airplane being delayed for hours. In 2017, a lady suffered permanent nerve damage when a bottle of wine fell from the overhead bin and struck her head.
Electronic devices catching fire are also a safety hazard on planes. During a flight in March 2023, a battery in an overhead bin suddenly ignited, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing with 10 people sent to the hospital. Similarly, luggage containing electronic cigarettes has also caused fires, affecting flight punctuality.
Unfortunately, in 2019, on a South American airline, the entire overhead compartment collapsed due to either excessive weight or turbulence, which was shocking.
Given these incidents, air passengers should remain extra cautious when using overhead bins. According to reports, more than 4,500 passengers per year suffer head or neck injuries due to luggage falling from overhead, a safety issue that cannot be neglected.
