Generation Why? – 1.04 Baggage

Insofar as gadgetry and geekery are concerned, this particular post is slightly off the mark. When we kicked off this particular section of J’accuse we were genuinely concerned with understanging the cultural context of the new generation that seems to be developing stronger thumbs thanks to their obsession with <txtmsgng>.

Which is why talking about baggage might seem a little out of the norm until you stop and think for just a little second. Mr O’Leary, a bigwig in Ryanair has started to speak of outpricing luggage on Ryanair. Mr Gates had dreamt of a PC on every desktop (was it Gates? the seventies seem so far away). Now Mr O’Leary dreams of luggage free travel. Which is why Ryanair has started its own crusade against anyone who insists on carrying anything but his own person past check-in.

Presumably we are still far away from travelling nude (although a German airline has already “been there, done that”) but the next closest thing is travelling ultra-light with just your iPod and wallet in your pocket. O’Leary’s Ryanair already slapped exporbitant prices on the first suitcase, additional suitcases, hand-luggage and even wheelchairs. Ryanair will soon try to wean passengers off check-in and check-in desks preferring the internet check in business. Obviously internet check-in is much easier sans bags and suitcase.

There’s no denying that beyond all the bullshit claims of efficient flying, Ryanair’s “bus-in-the-sky” idea is really aimed at cutting costs involving ground staff from check-in attendants to luggage handlers. Hell if they could they’d get robots to fly the darn planes. Ryanair already show a customer-unfriendly aversion to ground staff in general which is why they can get off with claiming that a flight that flies 37 hours late is “delayed”.

But back to Generation Why. The norm of travelling with some form of suitcase is being challenged. Some experimental online sites even offer a packed bag at your next destination. As with most such experiments it is the rich executives who get to try it out first. We would not be surprised however to see some new marketing campaign with a baggage to fit at your destination – first ones that come to mind are the seaside bags with the bare essentials like trunks, sunglasses and towel with hawaiian shirt and havaianas to boot!

On the other hand we might stop trying to let our imagination run wild and remember that Ryanair is a choice among many. We might speculate that rather than change our travel habits and form a Generation Why of light Travelers, all that Ryanair is doing is pushing away further consumers once they have… to put it in a weak pun… seen the light.