Big‑Bag Energy - Why Travellers are Packing More
- Julia Labedz
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
This summer’s suitcases are supersized & what that says about post‑pandemic travel psychology…
In Google’s annual summer‑travel pulse check, one chart leapt off the screen. For the first time since records began in 2004, global searches for “checked bags” have overtaken those for “carry‑on bags.” Queries for “compression packing cubes” are up 90 % and “vacuum luggage bags” 75 % year‑on‑year (blog.google).
In a decade that preached one‑bag minimalism, travellers (me) are suddenly Googling how to squeeze more into a 23‑kilo hold allowance. Something has shifted, and it’s not just in packing routines, but in the collective travel hivemind.
Long Trips
The most obvious culprit is trip length. Industry dashboards that track hotel stays show the average Length of Stay for “bleisure” travel (bleisure = business + leisure) stretching again in 2025; analytics firm Lighthouse pegs the increase at almost a day and a half longer than 2019 norms (Lighthouse).
After three years of cancellations and calculus, Irish holiday‑makers are bolting destinations together, Paris and Provence, Phuket and Penang, on the logic that if you’ve already bought the long‑haul ticket you might as well max it out. Two weeks on the road demands more than a roll‑top backpack - it calls for a portable wardrobe, hiking boots and that emergency wool jumper mom insists you’ll need (she’s right, too.)
Remote Work Culture Impact
Remote‑work culture sharpens the point. One‑fifth of the US workforce is now fully remote, similarly to much of Europe (Flowlu). Slack laptops, noise‑cancelling headsets and ring‑lights don’t fit beside bikinis, so travellers who once bragged about “personal‑item only” (ahem, me) now treat their checked bag as a roaming office drawer. Airlines have also noticed - from the 28th of May, even Southwest (the last angel carrier of free baggage) will charge for hold luggage, effectively normalising paid checked bags across every major US carrier.
Souvenir Syndrome
Psychologists talk of “affective forecasting” - we pack what we imagine future‑us will crave, an action I’m extremely guilty of in my own travels. In a world suddenly aware of supply‑chain fragility, we stuff local olive oil, Kyoto ceramics or Carolina hot‑sauce into the Samsonite, physical reassurance that the trip happened and that comfort items will be on hand should plans go sideways.
Real Simple magazine’s spring roundup of suitcase organisers, from jewellery folders to tech‑cord cocoons, sold out half its featured products within 48 hours of publication, proof that the urge to bring everything now meets the retail urge to compartmentalise everything (Real Simple).
The TikTok Effect
On TikTok, the hashtag #packwithme tops half a million clips, many shot in ASMR‑style silence broken only by the hiss of a USB mini‑pump sucking air from vacuum bags. Compression cubes reviewed in Town & Country and Travel + Leisure sell out on Amazon within days (Town & Country, Travel + Leisure).
The aesthetic is seriously paradoxical - neatly zipped pouches inside freight‑size cases. We want the security blanket of more stuff without the chaos it traditionally brings, but that all goes sideways once we reach our destination and start to unpack. You don’t see those videos under the hashtag…
Paying to Haul
Airlines have responded by nudging fees upward. €35 is now the floor for a first bag on most North‑Atlantic carriers, with peak‑season surcharges reaching €50 on JetBlue, and don’t even get us started on Ryanair (Condé Nast Traveler).
Yet Google’s data suggest travellers are not deterred by these prices; they are calculating that an extra €40 amortised over a 17‑day itinerary is cheaper than the dry‑cleaning bill for the capsule wardrobe they left at home. The equation has become emotional rather than purely financial.
What It Means
Beneath the zips and straps lies a post‑pandemic mindset that can be summed up in three words: Prepare, Prolong, Preserve.
Prepare for uncertainty: Pack the just‑in‑case shoes.
Prolong the journey: Stay longer, see more, work on the road.
Preserve memories and micro‑comforts: Souvenirs, speciality snacks, the pillow spray that smells like home.
In other words, Big‑Bag Energy isn’t a relapse into wasteful over‑consumption - it’s a coping strategy. The checked suitcase is a mobile survival kit for the modern day traveller.
How to Embrace Big‑Bag Energy Without Busting the Budget
Book baggage online, early. Most airlines knock €5‑€10 off if you pre‑pay at least 24 hours ahead.
Invest in dual‑zip compression cubes. They halve volume without the faff of vacuum pumps.
Weigh before you go. A €12 digital luggage scale is cheaper than a €100 airport overweight fee.
Know your rail options. EU high‑speed trains often allow two 23 kg bags gratis, handy for multi‑city hops after a trans‑atlantic flight (or 2).
Minimalism had its moment. But in 2025 the mood is maximalist‑practical. Pack big, pack smart, and may your souvenirs survive the carousel…
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