Tired of waiting in long queues just to pay the airport security for messing up all your luggage? This “Airport Jacket” may have the potential to alleviate your woes, as it is specifically designed to help you bypass the tiresome airport baggage queues and cut down your baggage fees. The modular Airport Jacket has 14 pockets and two detachable “pocket panels,” which as claimed by the company, can fit in over 15 kilograms of luggage. The product’s designer, Claire Murphy, explains:
“With airlines beginning to charge for overhead carry-on baggage as well as severely restricting baggage allowances for the low fare economy traveler, my partner and I have designed a modular jacket that allows you to wear your laptop, tablet, two pairs of shoes, a pair of jeans, five t-shirts, a jumper and an SLR camera. It totals 14 deep pockets, including eight pockets at hip length, 11 pockets at three-quarter length and 14 pockets at full length. It includes two detachable pocket panels, and a carry-on size duffle bag.”
Claire and her husband Benke Murphy felt the need for the Airport Jacket as they were traveling back home through an airport with their newborn child. They already had a lot of extra carry-on luggage, and the airport tried to slip a trick in and use the baby to charge them extra luggage cost of $140, which was more than even their tickets’ expenses.
Obviously paying that much was not an option, so they stuffed the clothes, gadget chargers, diapers, toys, etc. into their pockets until the luggage was just over the weight limit.
While this makeshift improvisation spelled a very uncomfortable plane ride, they did, however, manage to dodge the luggage tax. And that’s where the inspiration struck them for the product.
Claire and Benke’s company, Juice Promotions Australia, claims on their website,
“Wearers need simply slide their luggage into the jacket pockets when checking in and boarding the flight, and once safely off the plane the jacket can easily be unzipped and transformed into a duffle bag capable of holding both the jacket plus all items in the pockets.”
The jacket is designed such that it doesn’t look bulky at all and seems like a regular one even when it is stocked full. People, however, have been critical about the utility of the Airport Jacket, particularly at the prospect of taking out everything at the security checkpoint and then putting them back in, instead of spending a few tens of dollars on luggage overweight. But, Benke Murphy says that they haven’t had this problem at all,
“Walking though airport security is not an issue. The Airport Jacket only needs to be worn when checking in and at the boarding gate,” he said. “When passing airport security, items that need to be taken out of the Airport Jacket are usually a laptop and electronics, which you can easily pull out. Airport security are not looking at how you store your luggage, they are checking the contents of your luggage so we have not experienced an issue as long as you follow guidelines for carry-on luggage.”
The Airport Jacket is currently part of a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, where the company is trying to raise $AU100,000. Here’s a video on how the jacket works.
Only time will tell whether the product becomes a success or a failure, but kudos to the creative and resourceful thinking to solve a very common problem.
Do you also plan to buy the Airport Jacket? Comment below!
