Key facts
- Airport
- Canberra Airport (CBR)
- Passengers per year
- About 3 million
- Comparison airport
- Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta: more than 100 million annually
- Kicker force
- Strong enough to move a 30-kilogram suitcase
- Writer's luggage
- Hard-sided suitcase by Delsey, used for six or seven years
Background
A travel writer for The Sydney Morning Herald has described how a behind-the-scenes tour of Canberra Airport's baggage-handling area changed his view on luggage. The writer, who had long preferred soft backpacks, now uses a hard-sided suitcase with wheels, a choice he says has been vindicated by what he saw.
The writer explained that he had resisted wheeled hard suitcases for years, seeing them as a sign of having 'aged out of backpacking.' However, he eventually concluded that 'stuff is just stuff' and that a wheeled suitcase is more convenient for most travel. His current suitcase, made by French brand Delsey, has been in use for 'six or seven years now with barely a scratch.'
Current situation
During a tour of Canberra Airport, the writer was shown the baggage-sorting area, where checked luggage is scanned, processed, and loaded onto trolleys. He described the global baggage-handling systems as 'incredible,' noting that Canberra Airport handles about 3 million passengers a year, compared with more than 100 million at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
The tour included a demonstration of a 'kicker,' a pneumatic device that diverts luggage from one conveyor belt to another. The writer witnessed a metal block swing out and smash a suitcase, sending it onto a different belt. Airport staff told him that kickers are standard in airports worldwide and that each kick must be strong enough to move a 30-kilogram suitcase, meaning even small soft bags receive significant force.
Canberra Airport has only a few kickers because it is small, but staff said that in larger airports, bags may be kicked many times before being loaded onto an aircraft. Some airports use gentler gate-type diverters, but travellers cannot know which system their bag will encounter.
| Airport | Annual passengers |
|---|---|
| Canberra Airport | About 3 million |
| Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta | More than 100 million |
Impacts
The writer says the experience has reinforced his decision to use a hard-sided suitcase, particularly when carrying fragile items. He advises that soft backpacks are fine for clothes but risky for breakables such as souvenirs or bottles of whisky from Japan or wine from France.
He described his own packing method: wrapping bottles tightly and placing them in the centre of his hard-sided suitcase, surrounded by clothing. He says he has never had a breakage despite the kicking his bags receive. The writer's account suggests that travellers who use soft luggage and carry fragile items may face a higher risk of damage.
Future outlook
Scenario analysis: The possibilities below are not certain predictions.
The writer's experience suggests that travellers who frequently check fragile items may want to consider hard-sided luggage. If airports continue to use kickers, soft bags could remain vulnerable to damage. However, if more airports adopt gentler gate-type diverters, the risk could decrease.
For now, the writer says he is 'pretty glad' he no longer uses a backpack. Travellers who prefer soft luggage may need to pack fragile items with extra care or carry them in cabin baggage, though the article does not specify whether such options are always available.
Source: smh.com.au
