Brits’ suitcase secrets revealed
Ever wondered what’s going on inside the lone lime green wheelie case with polka dot handkerchief that’s been left unclaimed on the arrivals baggage carousel? Probably a pile of unworn holiday clothes thrown in, with some tea bags, kitchen utensils and potentially a garden gnome.
A new survey of 2,400 adults by Monarch Airlines, the leading airline to leisure destinations, into Britain’s packing secrets has revealed a nation with some very specific packing quirks.
We are a nation of last-minute packers, with 45% of holidaymakers only packing their bags the night before, but British travellers are still relatively organised when it comes to the manner in which they fill their cases with 80% folding and rolling items – or a combination of the two – on their outbound flight.
However, good intentions seem to disappear for the return flight with over a third of Brits (36%) admitting to a more laissez-faire attitude for the journey home and just chucking their prized possessions into their bags.
When it comes to deciding what makes it into our holiday luggage, over a quarter of Brits (27%) are proud owners of dedicated, holiday-specific clothing. One in five (21%) plans an outfit for every day of their trip and a hefty quarter of travellers prefer to be safe rather than sorry and packs for every eventuality – although a third (32%) of those surveyed admitted that they wore no more than half of the items packed.
British cases are filled with far more than the usual shorts, hat and sun cream too – 12% of Brits have packed kitchen utensils, 8% have taken cleaning products on holiday and 5% a screwdriver. 16 respondents had packed a dartboard, and a garden gnome and artificial leg had also made their way into the hold.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, teabags topped the list of home items that Brits simply can’t live without on their travels, with over a third of respondent citing the nation’s favourite drink as their “must-pack”.
With the average piece of British luggage being a new wheelie suitcase and 44% of bags being under 2 years old, the nation takes a creative approach to easy suitcase identification to prevent another traveller mistakenly collecting their pride and joy from the baggage carousel. A huge 78% of travellers personalise their bag in some way and although the most popular method is the use of coloured ribbons (37%), other solutions include crocheted tags, nail varnish and plastic bags tied to the handle.
A spokesperson from Monarch Airlines said: “As a nation, the British like to be prepared for every eventuality and nothing demonstrates this better than the select items we take with us when we’re off on holiday and away from home comforts.
“Monarch’s Airpacks, which along with extras such as allocated seating and online check-in, boost our already healthy 20kg baggage allowance to a hefty 26kg. This allows our customers to bring more of these essentials – however unusual – on their travels without fretting; making sure that their holiday is stress free before they’ve even left home.”
For more information, visit monarch.co.uk/offers/flights/new-monarch-airpacks
