What your luggage says about you

While waiting at the airline check-in counter, have you ever wondered what kind of guy would carry a scruffy hold-all? Or tried to fathom what’s in the mind of the woman carrying a piece of designer luggage? Or wondered about the girl with animal-print luggage, screaming for attention?

Well, now you can find out more about these strangers just by looking at their bags. Research reveals that the luggage we carry says a lot not only about the type of traveller we are but also about our personality.

The study, conducted by Virgin Atlantic, shows that 20 per cent of respondents can’t remember the last time they bought new luggage, and only upgrade their suitcase if it’s worn-out or broken. One in ten people admit to buying luggage in a bid to look smarter than others, and 25 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds say they buy new luggage to copy a celebrity.

Joe Thompson, general manager of Virgin’s airport operations says: “We carry over six million bags around the world each year and we’ve seen a lot of changes since our first flight in 1984. Gone is the standard suitcase. Luggage is now seen as a fashion statement with many passengers checking in a variety of designs including leather holdalls, leopard-print cases and designer trunks.”

So what does your luggage say about you? Leading behavioural expert Judi James puts your suitcase under the microscope.

Designer trunks

You’re a competitive perfectionist who aspires to old-style, first-class grandeur and loves to flaunt your success, but in what you perceive as a tasteful and non-tacky way.

“To you, your luggage is a sign of status and achievements and you virtually expect all economy-class passengers to stand aside as you sweep through the airport,” says Judi.

“While you outwardly give the impression that you don’t want to be disturbed by other passengers, you certainly want to be noticed with your designer suitcase set and designer shades.”

As you like your creature comforts, the journey is as important to you as the destination, so your holiday starts the minute you put on the eye mask and you regard your seat as a private sanctuary for the duration of the trip. Woe betide anyone who tries to crowd you or has an unruly child kicking the back of your seat.

The corporate case

You probably once embraced the on-trend designer look but have now swapped it for something you see as more practical, understated and ‘real’.

“You’re confident that you’ve achieved, and believe that in the current challenging economic times it looks crass to flaunt your wealth,” says Judi.

There’s a practical side to your focused and determined personality, too, so you’re likely to make use of your time on a flight and work on your laptop or power-nap rather than chill in front of a movie.

“Impatience is a problem for you, so delays en-route can cause outbreaks of panic and even anger, and even if you do holiday with the family, you’ll usually mix business with pleasure,” she adds.

Your destination preference is to visit cities or somewhere where you can park the family on a sandy beach while you’re busy making business deals.

Bright luggage

Leopard-print, zebra stripes, ladybird spots or fluorescent-coloured cases usually belong to an attention-seeking and slightly scatty traveller.

“You’re the noisy, dramatic traveller who’s not embarrassed to hold up queues while you frantically hunt for your passport or dash off to get a burger just as boarding is announced,” says Judi.

“Generally, because you’re not skilled at forward-planning and don’t fret about likely consequences, your life has a tendency to be chaotic but fun.”

As an extrovert, your mates can be exasperated by you and sometimes wish they could tip you off the pier by day two of a break, although by the end of the first week they’ve been swept up by your joie de vivre and start to join in the fun.
You’re flirty, funny and surprisingly resilient when it comes to going on an adventure holiday because your easy-going nature allows you to fit in with the crowd, no matter where you are, and relish spontaneity.

The holdall

You’re the Secret Squirrel of travellers, who manages to pack everything into one piece of hand luggage, even finding space for things many of us forget, such as adapter plugs and baby wipes.

“Practical and confident, travel for you is about low-drama planning rather than last-minute panics, and the need to stay in control,” says Judi.

“Even if you travel with a brood of kids, you’ll effortlessly handle any minor crisis, and will have a timetable, which allows for alterations in plans, so that you can effortlessly work around any minor crisis.”

You’re happy with conventional beach spots but also like unusual, hard-to-reach destinations as you’re optimistic and fearless even under pressure and like to show off your organisational skills.

The rucksack

You’re loyal to the travelling style you enjoyed during your gap year and music festival days, are unashamed to be an eternal teen, and secretly like to imagine that you could continue leading a freewheeling, commitment-free lifestyle forever.

“Generally, you hate being pinned down or pressured, and although you’re a strong supporter of good causes and charities, you have a tendency to be tactless or unfeeling at times, which you usually excuse by saying, ‘I was just being honest’,” says Judi.

“On a good day you’ll be a true explorer and a stout-hearted adventurer who’ll make the best of any situation, but when things go wrong your tendency is to blame the rest of the world rather than taking responsibility yourself.”

Multiple suitcases

You’re less of a tourist and more like an invader, harking back to Victorian times when trips abroad were planned more like a military campaign.

You take most of your worldly goods along with you to ensure you’re never in any risk of compromising your home comforts or lifestyle.

“Your over-large or two suitcase haul is also partly because you’re decision adverse and you make huge lists when doing your packing and then you always add more last-minute items,” Judi points out.

“It would ruin your holiday to try to whittle down what you’re taking as you want to have multiple choices of what to wear, not simply enough items for a break.”

You can be deeply egocentric even though your main aim is to be liked and admired by as many people as possible because you lack self-esteem and seek reassurance and approval from others.

Well-known destinations are popular with you because you like to know what to expect, or cruises where there’s less luggage limitation.