Global Journey, Exploring Every Corner
Light Flyers, Heavier Baggage:
In Russia, more passengers are ditching their checked bags and opting for carry-ons, according to a Kommersant report. While this trend is common for students and short-haul flights, it's not the case for leisure travelers on Aeroflot and charter flights.
Here's the skinny on who's venturing out baggage-free:
- Red Wings has seen a significant increase in baggage-free travelers, with 61% of domestic and 49% of international passengers opting for this option in Q1 of 2025.
- S7 reports that two-thirds of passengers travel without checked baggage, with half of those eventually adding baggage at check-in.
- Ural Airlines has maintained stable rates, with 63% of domestic passengers and 15% of international passengers traveling with only carry-ons.
- Smartavia notes that passengers with carry-on luggage outnumber those with checked baggage, but no exact figures are provided.
Contrastingly, Aeroflot reports that 46% of domestic and 21% of international passengers fly without checked baggage – a figure that hasn't changed from the previous year. Charter airlines, catering to vacationers, report that checked baggage is still the norm, as tourists generally travel for longer durations.
Booking services also report an increase in baggage-free bookings, with "Travel" from T-Bank indicating a rise in international baggage-free travel from 43% in 2022 to 50% in 2024.
Light Traveler, Heavy Pockets:
According to "Travels" of T-Bank, the no-baggage trend becomes more apparent on popular routes, with 91% of clients to St. Petersburg, 85% to Moscow, and 71% to Sochi flying without checked baggage. On shorter flights, fewer passengers check baggage, with only 13% doing so on domestic flights lasting less than two hours. Meanwhile, longer flights (over five hours) see a majority (51%) checking baggage.
However, on Far Eastern routes and destinations like Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, and China, the proportion of passengers with checked baggage remains high.
Airlines benefit from this trend, as they can earn revenue from those who buy additional baggage services at airports, and commercial cargo transportation is more profitable.
Aging Light Flyers:
Passengers aged 25 to 44 years (42%) are the most likely to travel without baggage, while those over 65 years old are the least likely (33%). Over the summer, passengers traveling without baggage tend to book significantly later (20-25 days), indicating a more spontaneous nature of light travel. Younger travelers under 25 years old are particularly drawn to "lightness and mobility," with only 15% taking baggage on domestic routes.
In the age categories of 45-54 years, almost a quarter of passengers travel with a suitcase. Nearly every third baggage-free passenger – 38% - purchases tickets 10 days or less in advance.
Setting a New Record
Smartavia adds that not only students but also pensioners tend to travel light more frequently. Corporate passengers, on the other hand, prefer baggage-inclusive tariffs more often. RedWings notes that the booking depth for baggage-free tariffs in 2025 has "broken records," reaching 40 days – compared to 21-26 days in previous years.
In 2025, the passenger traffic of Russian airlines reached 22.7 million, according to Rosaviation data. The trend of reducing baggage has reached Russia from foreign low-cost airlines – albeit with a slight delay, notes Ilya Shatilin, chief editor of the Frequentflyers.ru portal.
The consumer model of flights is also changing, with a growing emphasis on cost savings and convenience, as both in Russia and internationally, there are more tech-savvy travelers who favor carry-ons and steer clear of checked-in luggage. Additionally, airlines generate revenue from cargo transportation, making the reduction in checked baggage more profitable.
[1]: https://www.one mile at a time.com/american-airlines-baggage-during-spring-2025/[2]: https://www.cbsnews.com/business/tsa-bans-power-banks-overnight-flights- USB-port-chargers-in-checked-luggage/
- Leisure travelers on Aeroflot and charter flights have not adapted to the baggage-free trend, with only 21% of international passengers traveling without checked baggage.
- Travelers under 25 years old are particularly drawn to light travel, with only 15% taking baggage on domestic routes, showing a preference for the convenience and cost savings that come with carry-ons.
