35% of Passengers Say They Would Grab Their Bags in an Emergency
Flight attendants and aviation officials repeatedly warn passengers to leave their carry-on bags behind in the event of an emergency. Bags can slow down an evacuation, and while passengers fiddle with overhead bins, fellow flyers can be left in harm's way.
Still, it happens time and time again: Passengers grab for their luggage in an urgent evacuation. Now, a new survey shows that 35% of passengers say they would take their luggage off a plane in an emergency situation — even if they are specifically told not to by the flight crew.
In an airplane emergency evacuation, the crew only has 90 seconds to get everyone off the aircraft unscathed. In a true evacuation, stopping for a bag could be the difference between life and death. After an investigation of a 2016 aircraft fire at Chicago O'Hare (ORD) in which passengers stopping for bags hampered the plane's evacuation, the US National Transportation Safety Board said in March that it was in favor of fining passengers who bring their luggage with them in the event of an emergency evacuation.
The new passenger survey, done by UK company ComRes for the Royal Aeronautical Society, found that if the emergency posed an immediate threat to passengers, 61% of flyers wouldn't take anything with them but the contents of their pockets, while 23% said they would take valuables within easy reach and 6% would take all of their valuables with them.
Meanwhile, if the situation did not pose an immediate threat to passengers, 75% of respondents in the study said they would take at least some of their belongings with them.
Bringing baggage in an evacuation can not only risk the lives of passengers and crew, but it can also damage the inflatable evacuation slides on an aircraft. The Royal Aeronautical Society report mentioned one dramatic example at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) in 2008 when a passenger climbed back up an emergency slide on a Boeing 777 to retrieve his luggage after it crash-landed upon arrival from China.
H/T: The Daily Mail
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app