What Luggage Do Pilots and Flight Attendants Use?

Pilots and flight attendants are among those who travel the most because they spend most of their time with their luggage. That’s why they ensure to choose luggage that is not only the most durable but also long-lasting, with a preferably lifetime warranty.

They are much better than a normal traveler at choosing the best luggage for international travel. For pilots and flight attendants, the perfect luggage is not the only durable one; it must be championed in every aspect: durability, maneuverability, and organization.

So if you want to simply use the same luggage that pilots or flight attendants use or if you’re about to be one of them, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What luggage do pilots and flight attendants use?
• Which luggage brands do they mostly recommend?
• The actual process of how they choose their luggage
• The most popular suitcases that flight crews use.

What luggage do pilots use?

Pilots mainly use two bags; the first bag that pilots use is commonly known as a pilot’s bag. There is not a specific size or type of pilot’s bag. This bag usually falls between 10 × 8 × 6 and 18 × 14 × 12, and it can either be a small backpack, duffel bag, or a small wheeled suitcase that fits beside the pilot’s chair within the cockpit.

The uniqueness of this bag is that it comes with various pockets because a pilot travels with various items, including headsets, paperwork or documents, flashlights, iPads, and much more. This bag is designed in such a way that everything can be organized properly within this small bag.

To make everything easily accessible, the bag is opened from the top so pilots don’t have to struggle to find anything.

Besides this bag, they also use another piece of luggage that is not different from what the general public uses, it’s usually equipped with wheels and used for longer flights.

What luggage do flight attendants use?

Just like pilots, flight attendants also use two bags. One for all essential items that they need during a flight, like electronics, documents, make-up, and other essential items, and another for longer overnight flights.

Similar to pilots’ bags, flight attendants’ flight bags can be of various types and shapes. It can either be a duffel bag, a backpack, or a tote bag. It totally depends on what flight attendants prefer.

Differences between flight bag and pilot’s bag

You might wonder what the differences are between a pilot’s bag and a flight bag or if both bags are the same.

Let us tell you, both of them don’t have any major differences, and they’re used as synonyms. These bags are used by both flight attendants and pilots. But when we compare it side by side, we find that there is little difference in terms of organization.

A pilot’s bag is more geared toward better organization than a flight bag. It usually has more pockets for small items so that a pilot can organize each item properly and access everything wherever he needs it.

Also read: Do Airlines Prefer Hard or Soft Luggage?

What brand of luggage do pilots and flight attendants recommend?

Brands mostly vary from pilot to pilot; these brands include many popular ones and also those that are not as popular among travelers. But the brands we could find the most common among most pilots and flight attendants are Briggs & Riley and Travelpro.

Briggs and Riley

Briggs & Riley is an expensive luggage brand that falls into the premium category. Their suitcases are not as popular as Samsonite or Travelpro among people. But with regards to pilots and crews, this is the most loved luggage brand, especially because of its ultimate durability, reliability, and lifetime worry-free warranty.

Travelpro

Travelpro is the next most recommended luggage brand, especially by pilots and flight attendants. They are extremely durable; they mostly use polycarbonate material in their hardside luggage, which is the most durable plastic material.

For softside luggage, they mostly use polyester and nylon. Travelpro is also similarly durable and offers a lifetime warranty. However, the warranty offered by Travelpro is not as good as that of Briggs & Riley.

Other Popular Brands

As we explained above, Briggs & Riley and Travelpro are the most popular luggage brands among pilots and flight attendants. Apart from these two luggage brands, there are various other luggage brands that pilots and crews use.

These luggage brands include Samsonite and Delsey. Sometimes pilots also use Rimova or Tumi luggage, these two brands are the most expensive luggage brands.

The most popular luggage brand among pilots and flight attendants is Briggs & Riley.

Also Read: Rollaboard vs. Spinner Luggage

5 Most Popular Suitcases: Pilot’s and Flight Attendant Picks

Briggs & Riley Baseline

Briggs & Riley Baseline is one of the most recommended suitcases for various reasons. No doubt, it’s an expensive choice for a traveler but it’s worth it. The things that make this suitcase different from others are its incredible durability, better organization, and its lifetime warranty that covers every type of damage.

Pilots and flight attendants always prefer to have something that is not only incredibly durable but also long-lasting because they don’t want to replace it every few years. Organization is something that cannot be ignored, especially for pilots and flight attendants.

They want to always be ready for quick meetings; for this purpose, the Briggs & Riley Baseline offers a built-in suiter that can fit 1–2 suits and prevents any wrinkles for quick meetings. It also has various pockets for small items.

The best thing about the Briggs & Riley Baseline suitcase is that the retractable handle is fitted outside the suitcase, which gives additional space inside the main compartment. Their unique CX compression system makes it unique and different from other suitcases on the market. This CX compression system makes you able to compress the suitcase from the outside even after you’ve completely filled it.

Travelpro Platinum Elite

Travelpro is the second most popular brand among pilots, crews, and flight attendants. This brand is popular because of the same reason that Briggs & Riley is popular. Travelpro luggage is also extremely durable, somewhat similar to Briggs & Riley.

You can also consider it a cheaper variant of Briggs & Riley. Travelpro is less expensive than Briggs & Riley, it also offers a lifetime warranty but the warranty is not as good as that of Briggs & Riley.

Travelpro Platinum Elite is one of the most popular suitcases. The best thing is that it’s made from nylon, which is the second most durable material after ballistic nylon, which Briggs & Riley is made from. The Travelpro Platinum Elite is probably the most expensive suitcase from Travelpro but it’s worth it.

It’s so durable that it’ll last for a longer period of your life. The warranty on this model is lifetime and covers major defects, but still, it’s not as good as that of the Briggs & Riley Baseline model. Similarly, it also comes with a built-in suiter system that can fit 1–2 suits without any wrinkles.

Apart from durability, it comes with many other useful features that you might need during travel. So if you prefer to have a perfect companion for your travel and don’t have any issues spending around $300, it’s worth checking out for a one-time investment in your travel.

Travelpro Maxlite 5

Travelpro Maxlite 5 is another product from the same Travelpro luggage brand. This model of Travelpro is also quite popular among pilots and flight attendants. Compared to Travelpro Platinum Elite, it’s less durable because it’s made from polyester fabric instead of nylon.

But it’s never meant that polyester is not durable, it’s also durable but compared to nylon, it’s less. It can withstand even if you frequently travel with proper care. This model of Travelpro is also good, especially for those with a limited budget.

The Travelpro Maxlite 5 offers excellent maneuverability, whether it’s on a plain, rough surface or even cobblestone street. The wheels, handle, and other elements are very durable. But compared to Travelpro Platinum Elite, it doesn’t offer a built-in suiter system and offers limited features.

If you’re someone who doesn’t want to spend more than $150 on carry-on luggage but still wants something more durable, lightweight, and affordable, this Travelpro Maxlite 5 is the perfect choice for you.

Samsonite Winfield 2

Samsonite luggage is not as popular as Briggs & Riley and Travelpro among flight attendants and crews. Instead, it’s the most popular luggage brand among the general public and the biggest brand in terms of luggage sales.

This is because they’re quite durable and affordable as well. But when compared to Travelpro and Briggs & Riley, Samsonite suitcases are less durable but, at the same time, more affordable.

Samsonite Winfield 2 is one of the most popular Samsonite suitcases. It’s extremely durable because it’s made from polycarbonate material, which is the most durable plastic. It’s a spinner luggage with single wheels; it could be a dual spinner but the maneuverability is excellent for this luggage.

Apart from all these things, the luggage is equipped with a TSA-approved lock, which ensures the safety of your luggage and helps TSA officers inspect your luggage without damaging it.

When it comes to organization, the Winfield 2 doesn’t score well, but considering the price point, it’s quite durable and has essential features. You can consider getting it, especially if you’re looking for hardside luggage in an affordable range.

Also Read: Samsonite Omni PC vs. Omni 2 (Most Popular Luggage Comparison)

Travelpro Crew Versapack

Travelpro Crew Versapack is another piece of luggage that is specially designed, as the name itself suggests, for crews and pilots. Similar to the TravelPro Platinum Elite, it’s also made from ballistic nylon, which is the most durable fabric used in suitcases.

The material is highly water resistant and the best part is that, despite being made from ballistic nylon, it’s not as expensive as Platinum Elite. This Travelpro Crew Versapack is the best fit, especially for frequent travelers.

The main factors for pilots, as we already explained, are durability, organization, weight, and warranty. Fortunately, the luggage stands up to expectations with its incredible durability, organization, lightweight property, and lifetime warranty.

In addition to that, the Travelpro Crew Versapack also offers excellent features like a TSA-approved lock, an adjustable handle, and dual spinner wheels. The performance of wheels is excellent; they easily maneuver, no matter what type of surface it is.

Closing Thoughts: What Luggage Do Pilots and Flight Attendants Use?

Both pilots and flight attendants usually use two bags; one is the one that stays next to the pilot’s chair in the cockpit and the other is the one that they use for longer flights. There is no such difference between what they choose and what a regular traveler uses, except the one that fits next to the pilot’s chair.

They focus mainly on four things: durability, organization, lightweight, and lifetime warranty. That’s the main reason why they mostly recommend Briggs & Riley and Travelpro. They sometimes also use Rimova and Tumi for exceptional build quality.

As we mentioned above, item organization is one of the main concerns for them; for this, they go with a pilot’s bag that’s specially designed for pilots. It comes with better organization or packing features and is usually open from the top for easy accessibility.

Official Websites

• Travelpro
• Briggs & Riley
• Samsonite

Looking to explore more Luggage Brands?  Check out our Huge A-Z List of EVERY Luggage Brand to find the perfect luggage set for your upcoming travels!

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