Questions and Answers

Hi Lucky

Given the dreadful accident in Russia this week and photos showing people carrying backpacks, etc as they left the plane, I’m hoping you can clarify what, if anything, can be taken when evacuating.

I always travel with a small satchel bag that holds my passport, wallet, glasses and a small tablet (larger than a kindle but a lot smaller than an iPad). It sits at my feet, or is on my chair with me so can I take it if I need to leave the plane in a hurry? It is soft, small and is held in front of me against my body?

Happy if the answer is “no” as I don’t want to do the wrong thing. But if it means I can save my passport then I’d be crazy not to.
Thanks
Jo145

If you have to carry it with your hands, don’t take it. If it can be strapped to your body like a neck wallet or a fanny pack I think you can get away with it. Or wear cargo pants and keep your passport in a side pocket.

Well, the “rule” is to leave all carry-ons behind. You’d probably want your hands free, as MidSouth says, and you 100% do not want to mess around with opening the overhead bins.

If your satchel can be thrown on your back without impeding other passengers and it keeps your hands free, I wouldn’t see an issue.

But, I’m also not a flight attendant or safety expert…

As a female, who doesn’t have pockets for a wallet, phone, and passport like a man, I always have a small cross body “bag” which is about 5” x 7” that holds all the essentials and doesn’t impede me or anyone else. I also keep my shoes on (which are ones I could easily run in if necessary) during take off and landing. Everything else can stay behind.

I understand where youre coming from, in an evacuation, NEVER open the overhead bins, as in the Aeroflot crash, this definitely caused more deaths. But on average, they say a plane should be evacuated within 80 seconds. If everybody grabs their backpack or briefcase underneath the seat infront of them, even if it just takes an extra second, you are delaying people from your row to evacuate, and if everybody does this, it can cause a delay in evacuation. A passport is replaceable, somebody’s life is not.

Piggybacking on the other answers, those two free hands are important for things like:
-entering and exiting the slide safely
-helping other passengers in the aircraft or on the ground
-crawling or covering your face in case of heavy smoke