Excess baggage charges can weigh on many travellers’ minds as they try to squeeze those last extra items into an already crammed suitcase.
But one innovative designer may have come up with the ultimate solution to pack more and avoid being charged.
The Airport Jacket is a new coat designed to allow passengers to wear up to 15kg of luggage.
With 14 deep pockets, the coat can fit, among other things, a laptop, jumper, camera and a pair of shoes.
It was designed by Andy Benke, who said: “Essentially this coat would allow you to carry onboard everything you would need for an overnight or long weekend stay without worrying about your luggage getting lost or paying excessive baggage fees.
“It also saves time in that there is no need to collect checked-in baggage. Perfect for the business executive, mums on the go or anyone in a rush.”
A diagram shows how the Airport Jacket could potentially fit in t-shirts, flip-flops, trainers, a charger, a jumper, head phones, a smart phone and tablet, jeans, a camera, socks, a laptop, keys, a passport, a wallet and sunglasses.
The jacket can be worn three ways depending on how much carry-on space a traveller needs.
Worn at hip length, the coat features eight pockets; worn at thee-quarter length it has 11; and worn full length the jacket boasts 14 pockets.
It also has two detachable pocket panels, plus the jacket transforms into a hand luggage sized duffel bag once off the flight.
Andy, along with his partner Claire Murphy, had the idea for the coat when they were flying with a newborn baby.
“We had so much extra carry-on luggage because of our baby that the airline tried to charge us $ 140 – more than the cost of our flight!” said Claire.
“We started jamming clothes, computer chargers, nappies and toys into my pockets until we were right on the weight limit, but everything was spilling out of my pockets and the journey was pretty uncomfortable.
“We thought – wow, there is definitely a massive need for a better solution than this. And so The Airport Jacket concept was born.”
Andy told the Mail Online: “With airlines beginning to charge for overhead carry-on baggage and other low fare airlines severely restricting baggage allowances for the low fare economy traveller, we feel this is a stylish solution for frustrated travellers who cannot pay for all the additional costs. The experience of travelling with an Airport Jacket has saved us a lot of money.”
The Airport Jacket is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter.
