Heathrow Express research reveals passengers’ luggage anxiety
Any queer traveler knows that their luggage is practically worth its weight in gold. A carefully curated wardrobe is essential for the perfect vacation because, let’s face it, whether heading out on a gay cruise or to dance the night away at Velvet Ibiza, we queers love a good theme party. Costuming and proper attire are absolute essentials which is why a lot of us have such anxiety around losing our luggage, or worse having someone steal it; a very common fear apparently, as revealed by recent research from Heathrow Express.
The Heathrow Express, in case you didn’t know, is a premium non-stop train service between London Paddington to Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 (with an extra six minutes to Terminal 5 and a free transfer available to Terminal 4). With its electric trains taking 15 minutes, it provides the fastest, most reliable and sustainable way to travel to and from Britain’s hub airport. As a dedicated airport service, it also offers passengers a calm and comfortable way to travel with spacious cabins designed to provide extra capacity for all that luggage we are so afraid to let out of our sight.
Besides being fearful of losing their luggage, Heathrow Express’ research also revealed that the average passenger travels with one piece of hold luggage and one piece of hand luggage. The most commonly carried items are food and drink (33%), followed by souvenirs (25%), occasion wear (14%- hello theme parties!!) and sports equipment (12% which can either be for actual sports-or theme parties, especially if you’re a bear).The top items Heathrow Express passengers say they can’t travel without are their phone (71%), chargers and adaptors (54%), toiletries (46%) and their laptop (43%).
In addition to compiling this bit of research, the Heathrow Express also launched a series of short films – all to mark 25 years of transporting an estimated 100 million people – and their luggage – to and from the UK’s biggest airport. The series – titled The Luggage Diaries – celebrates its many diverse passengers and their valuable and often unique cargo.
The Luggage Diaries consists of the following three episodes:
Episode 1: The Cellist
A day in the life of Chris Humphrys, cellist extraordinaire who has toured with stars including Madonna, where he travels around the world with his precious cello.
Episode 2: The Watch Lover
Horologist Justin Hast reveals why the Heathrow Express is the only method of transport he chooses when taking his valuable watches to the airport.
Episode 3: The Surfer
International surfer Clare James embarks on a surf adventure with a couple of friends, taking her board and sports luggage on board the Heathrow Express.
Daniel Edwards, Business Lead at Heathrow Express, said: “Twenty five years is a landmark milestone for us. We’re thrilled to celebrate the hundreds of millions of passengers we’ve transported since launch, and the interesting cargo that they often bring with them. They know that when they hop on board the fastest, non-stop link to the airport, they avoid that “luggage anxiety” factor. Heathrow Express’s spacious, tranquil train carriages allow passengers to instantly relax – and if they need help, there are customer service colleagues onboard to assist. We look forward to transporting many more people and their cargo for years to come.”
The Luggage Diaries is available to view here.
