November 11, 2024, 5:04 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Their colloquial name reveals their purpose. So-called vomit bags were introduced back in the 1950s, when passenger flights were much bumpier. To this day, air travelers can still find the tear-proof paper bags in the back pocket of the seat in front of them – but they are no longer as reliable as they were a few years ago. Find out everything you need to know about barf bags at TRAVELBOOK.
Vomit bags (air sickness bags) are always part of the emergency equipment on airplanes. They are kept within easy reach of passengers so that they can act quickly if they suddenly need to vomit. Admittedly, this is not new information. But imagine you really do need the services of a barf bag at some point – but there isn’t one! That could sometimes happen.
Overview
Air sickness bags are no longer necessarily standard aircraft equipment
For instance, on Ryanair flights, those feeling nauseous might find themselves grasping at thin air. While the British budget carrier hasn’t outright eliminated barf bags, they’ve removed the seat back pockets that would typically house one, along with items like the in-flight magazine and safety instructions. This move saves the airline both time and money since there’s no longer a need to clean these pockets.
There is no official statement as to why Ryanair would no longer offer barf bags. A response to a TRAVELBOOK inquiry is still pending. It can be assumed that vomit bags will continue to be handed out if required. But naturally, for someone caught in the grips of a sudden urge to retch, it might be too little, too late.
This is apparently not the case with Condor. As a spokeswoman for the airline explains to TRAVELBOOK, it is an integral part of cabin preparation before every flight to check that the air sickness bags are complete. These are located in the seat pocket on each seat. The goal is to guarantee that a bag is at hand for any passenger who starts to feel queasy.
Airlines cut back on vomit bags to curb waste
Many airlines have reduced the number of barf bags they provide in recent years. Cost reasons are likely to have played a role in this, but “sustainability aspects” are also often involved. An Eurowings spokeswoman stated this when asked by the travel portal “Aerotelegraph“. The bags coated with plastic on the inside are rarely used for their actual purpose. Instead, it is often observed that passengers use them to dispose of chewing gum, for example. Eurowings wants to reduce waste, but of course it also issues vomit bags if required. In the “Airlines” forum, one user on the subject claims to know that Eurowings has been providing one vomit bag per row of three seats for several years now – to share, so to speak.
Easyjet is also striving to reduce its impact on the environment, TRAVELBOOK was told by a spokesperson for the company. As part of a corresponding program, the airline is investigating where waste can be minimized or recycled material used in flight operations. With this in mind, the vomit bags – called spit bags at Easyjet – have been made from recycled paper since 2022. Passengers can judge for themselves if there’s a noticeable difference, as each one is provided with their own bag, the spokeswoman notes. And by the way, Easyjet even recommends a special type of reuse – provided that users return their intact “vomit bag” (or improvised smartphone holder) after use. The following Instagram video will help you understand.
Lufthansa seats were sometimes “sporadically equipped” with air sickness bags
TRAVELBOOK also asked a flight attendant who works for Lufthansa. The higher-priced Eurowings parent company, of all airlines, had only sporadically equipped its seats with barf bags for a while. “Cost-cutting measures,” reveals the insider. It is clear that every seat should actually have one, but it is also clear that the bags are actually misused, for example, for disposing of garbage. In summary, the flight attendant is nevertheless of the opinion that the benefits of air sickness bags outweigh the disadvantages.
Did you know that? Why dying during a flight is often not technically possible
Hygiene check Can you guess the location of the most germs on an airplane?
New trend Is Premium Economy Class worth it?
Vomit bags are now valuable collector’s items
It’s a well-known fact that scarcity can drive up desirability. Yet, you might be surprised to learn that these increasingly scarce air sickness bags have turned into sought-after collectibles beyond the skies. In Germany alone, a growing number of enthusiasts, like Hamburg’s Rainer Schwartz, with his collection of over 3,000, are passionate about gathering these bags.
International enthusiasts get their money’s worth on the “Baghecht” website. And by the way, the sums involved are quite considerable. In one remarkable instance, a collector shelled out a hefty sum of approximately 461 euros for a single vintage vomit bag from the defunct French carrier Farman Airways.