When flying home from Istanbul, one of my travelling companions decided to shrink-wrap her newly purchased bag. Given that her bag was destined for the hold, she figured shrink-wrapping would provide additional protection and greater peace of mind that it would arrive undamaged.
This got me thinking about the different reasons to shrink-wrap luggage , the disadvantages of shrink-wrapping a bag, and when it might make sense to use a shrink-wrapping service.
Why do travellers use them to wrap their luggage in plastic? What are the advantages? I think there are six main reasons people use these services. Baggage handlers and equipment can be rough on luggage. Shrink-wrap offers protection against scratches, scuffs, splits, and stains as a bag moves through the system.
It keeps cardboard boxes from falling apart. For oddly shaped items such as wheelchairs and bicycles, or items with protruding parts or dangling straps, several layers of wrap insulate them from damage. Depending on the airport and the aircraft, checked luggage might spend time on the tarmac.
It could be exposed to the elements while being transported to and from planes, and during loading and unloading. Plastic wrap saves a checked soft-sided bag or cardboard box from getting soaked in a downpour. It keeps them free of snow and partly frozen winter gunk in cold climates.
