Too Much Cabin Luggage? Survey Reveals Growing Concerns Among Travel Professionals
The issue of carry-on baggage is becoming a hot topic in air travel discussions, with growing frustration among passengers and travel agencies alike. As more airlines revise their hand luggage policies, confusion and challenges around boarding procedures have only intensified.
To better understand the impact, TRAVEL INSIDE conducted an online survey among Swiss travel professionals, asking how they perceive the situation and whether excess cabin luggage is affecting the travel experience.
The results present a clear consensus: 92% of respondents believe that the increasing volume of carry-on baggage has a negative effect on both the boarding process and onboard comfort. Among them, 29% consider the impact to be significant, while a further 63% describe it as very significant. Only 6% feel the effect is minimal, and a mere 2% see no impact at all.
When asked what measures they would support to improve the hand luggage situation, the top responses included stricter checks during boarding (34%), clearer and more standardised size and weight guidelines (24.5%), and more affordable checked luggage options (19%).
Some 16% of respondents also supported introducing fees for larger cabin bags, while 6% advocated for more lenient policies for specific groups, such as families or elderly travellers. Just 0.5% of participants felt no additional measures were necessary.
The findings suggest that while hand luggage is intended to make travel more convenient, the current trends may be having the opposite effect—adding stress for travellers, delaying boarding, and reducing overall comfort on board. As airlines continue to fine-tune their policies, clearer rules and better enforcement might be key to restoring a smoother experience for everyone.
