Skift Podcast: How Modern Luggage Got Smarter and Better Looking

Packing rarely is front and center when it comes to travel. It is seen as a necessary but burdensome process that includes more caricatures — from women’s exploding suitcases to businessmen’s smart carry-ons — than truth.

But it is an integral part of the travel experience, one that we all experience no matter where we are going or how we get there. And it’s become a much more fraught issue in the past few years as airlines increase checked bag fees, encouraging travelers to fit as much as possible in carry ons that overwhelm overhead bins.

To talk about the evolution of luggage, and the art of packing, we’re speaking with Diego Saez-Gil, CEO of Bluesmart, which has created the first crowd-funded carryon. This tech-forward suitcase that includes location tracking, battery charging, and an internal scale.

We’re also joined by Brad John, co-founder of travel retailer Flight 001. This boutique travel shop creates its own products — including luggage — as well as curates those of others that cover every element of the packing experience. It has shops in New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Tokyo.

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The Skift Podcast is underwritten by the FutureCities initiative from MasterCard. Find out more at futurecities.skift.com.