Why suffer the inconvenience of carrying a heavy suitcase ten thousand miles around the world burning precious and irreplaceable aviation fuel if you are visiting a third world country? Clothes like T-shirts and shorts are very cheap in some of these places and many locals make their living from selling them to tourists. So what if you could order them online from the hotel you plan to stay at or a local vendor who would deliver them to your hotel room just before you arrive. The airline could offer a discount to people who did this. You would benefit the local economy and save yourself some hassle.All you would need to take on board would be hand luggage with your ipod, camera, books, toothbrush etc. At the end of the vacation you could hand them into the hotel who could wash the clothes and distribute them to needy locals.Perhaps the hotel could rent you some clothes for the duration of your stay.
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Worth considering. The airlines need to first offer discounts to people who don't fly with luggage, in order to provide the incentive for this behavior.
There are already a few services that ship your luggage FEDEX or DHL. Seems like the airlines could partner with these cargo shipers to reduce their fuel costs. Obviously this could be a larger potential savings on routes with smaller aircraft.
I like the part about airlines offering discounts for no luggage, but I think buying your clothes on arrival is more of a hassle than taking your suitcase along. Modern suitcases with wheels are easy to carry along, while it can easily take you more than a day to find clothes in a country you don't know well and nothing really fits.
You have misunderstood my idea, the point of it is not to buy the luggage on arrival which is hassle, but to order it online before you go and have it waiting in your hotel room when you arrive. Whether you buy it online from the hotel or from a local vendor is irrelevant it will be there when you arrive and you wo'nt have to wander around the stores looking for something that fits.
The good thing is: atacking an assumption that we should bring our luggage. the bad thing is : ignoring why people bring their clothes to holiday. Especially styling, fit and emotional needs. Propably the clothes people submit from web will not satisfy them. But I liked the the modification on using a courier service. I would like to refine this approach more.1-Well, it is obvious that when travelling for long distance people need to brign lots of luggage. Especially, people like students travelling overseas or retired people travelling to their holiday homes. 2-Consider the concept of budget airlines. People, exchange some benefits of traditional airlines with cheaper flights. Such as using secondary airports, no business class etc.3-courier service costs to carry luggage is significantly lower than an airline.4-People buy their long haul tickets very very early. They also pack things earlier.
So;For long haul flights, people just bring their hand luggage (max.5-6 kg.per person, laptops, camera, coat etc.)A courier sevice with global reach (fedex, UPS) take your luggage from your home or office 2 days before your flight and deliver to your hotel or to the airport you will arrive. (Probably the aircourier uses the same airport as a distribution center).On return passenger will submit the luggage on the date of flight. It will be delivered to home 1-2 days after the flight. (Imagine, your luggage will first be sent to a laundry, and your clothes will be delivered clean and ironed! )Side benefits (additional to costs):1-save luggage processing time and costs2-save security control time for luggage3-Increased security4-Freedom from carrying luggage to and from airport. also you don't need to carry the heavy luggages within the airport.5-Passenger airplane could be redesigned with less cargo space (thinhner airplanes) saving manufacturing costs and decreasing air resistance.6-Couriers and airlines could make a nice trade: air courier's flights are scheduled late night. If you send somthing it is delivered to thie airport at night. air couriers can exchange the empty cargo space of the passenger airlines to send very urgent cargo. This makes same day deliveries possible.
>>the bad thing is : ignoring why people bring their clothes to holiday. >>Especially styling, fit and emotional needs
I think people need to learn to break out of this emotionally dependent and restrictive mindset, they need to open their minds and try something different.I know this is difficult as most people in this world would sooner crucify you than listen to a new idea which meant they had to get out of their comfort zone.
What if the hotel or vendor at the destination supplied you with a selection of stylish holiday 'uniforms' for instance if you were going for one week they supply 5 T-shirts, 1 pair shorts, I swim suit, 1 pair dress pants for evening wear, 5 pairs underwear, 1 pair sandals ? The problem of getting a fit and style you like is not insurmountable and can be solved easily. If you show up and no clothing is available you get compensated by the tour operator, you can write this stuff into the contract for the deal.
You would then not need a second aircraft to carry the luggage and waste fuel and pollute the atmosphere by doing this. As I see it the key benefits of this idea are
1. You save yourself the hassle of carrying heavy suitcases in a hot country2. The airline saves fuel3. The airline reduces its carbon footprint and cuts down on pollution4. The hotel/local vendors have an opportunity to diversify their business by supplying clothing5. If you donate the clothing after the vacation you are helping needy locals in a poor country6. You are contributing to the economy of a developing country7. The airline offers you a discount for travelling luggage free so cheaper flights.
Even better, hotels could have a tailor that makes clothes that fit you perfectly. I love tailored clothes, and in many countries it's relatively inexpensive for the quality you get.
My wife spends weeks packing for a trip to a distant country, making sure she will have just the right clothes in which she will feel comfortable and confident. I pack for versatility so I can have good choices no matter the weather and the occasion. The only way I could order new clothes ahead is from a reliable supplier, one that is likely to be expensive and domestically based. I love new ideas but I'm happier in my own clothes.
How many fewer kilograms of luggage would it take to make much of a fuel difference given the tremendous weight of a fully loaded airplane? If there were fewer suitcases might the carrier simply welcome extra cargo?
I end up with excess luggage when I travel between locations that have very different weather. It would be handy if airports or hotels offered raincoats, topcoats, parkas, boots, mittens, etc. for short-term use by guests.