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I work at an airport and have done so for 12 years now, (as an airline dispatcher). What aircraft were you working on that had holds 50m in length? I'd be surprised if anyone could slide a 30kg bag 50m!! Especially when pax wrap their bags in plastic so they won't slide at all. Perhaps that could be a new challenge for the worlds strongest man competition? 
A Ryanair B737-800 is 40m in length and the hold is split in 2. The distance a bag will be slid will be around 10-15m max.
I do concur that 4 wheel bags are far easier to roll down the hold and will potentially suffer less force than a standard 2 wheel bag. As a general piece of advice I would always tell people never to put fragile items in hold luggage. The time constraints during a turnaround mean speed is the primary concern and a 'fragile' sticker will not make one iota of difference when you have 10 mins to load 100-150 bags! I was quite shocked/naieve by how forcefully luggage is thrown down the holds when I started, but how else do you get them from one end of the hold to the other!?
Given the choice I would always go with a 2 wheeled bag as they can be used in all situations. 4 wheel bags are great in crowded areas but are only any good on smooth or perfectly flat ground. On rough ground they are useless and end up being pulled from the front on 2 wheels for which they are not designed. The wheels then quickly wear out and most likely the owner will have to buy a new bag. 2 Wheeled bags are easier to pull in all situations with the only disadvantage being that they are akward to manoeuvre in crowded areas.
I have come across bags that have 4 wheels but also 2 more that pull out so you have the best of both worlds. Although I guess there will be a weight penalty. |
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Author: petrolhead
2-12-2019 22:36:32