Travel: Is there any senior friendly luggage available for air travel?

Travelling as a senior can be challenging to navigate. Before you consider purchasing luggage you might also want to explore articles on the travelling process, such as Senior Travel Tips: How to Have Great Adventures as an Older Adult, Travelling with disabilities, 10 exercises you can do on an airplane without looking weird, and Flying With A Rollator.

If you are registered as disabled, you are entitled to certain accommodations and services under the "Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations" (SOR/2019-244External site which may not meet accessibility guidelines). Many airlines offer assistance for travelling, such as early on boarding and wheelchair rentals. Contact your airline or travel agent to see what services you might be eligible for.

Please see below products that may make your travels easier:

Neck pillows

• Samsonite Neck Pillow (at The Bay) is ergonomically designed to provide neck support. It easily inflates and deflates in seconds and the cover is removeable and washable. The product costs around $15 to $20 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees.
• Eddie Bauer 2-in-1 Travel Pillow is a compact and lightweight pillow that configures into a U-shaped neck support or a standard rectangle shape. The product costs around $25 to $40 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees.

Lightweight luggage

• It luggage's 22" Lightweight Carry On Suitcase weighs only about four pounds thanks to its tough but lightweight fiberglass structure. The interior has no pipes, which means more space to pack, and the luggage has an easy to grip and wide handle. The product costs around $70 to $100 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees.
• Air Canada 28 Inch Expandable Spinner Luggage weighs around nine pounds and has four multi-directional easy glide spinner wheels. The luggage is expandable by two inches for added packing capacity. The product costs around $170 to $200 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees.

For more lightweight luggage options, you can read RetiredLife’s article on The Best Travel Backpacks and Lightweight Luggage for Seniors.

Specialty luggage

• MICRO Luggage Scooter 3.0  is a trolley and scooter all in one. It has a 33-litre capacity with padded laptop compartment and fits in most standard overhead compartments. It weighs around 12 pounds and accommodates riders up to 220 pounds. The product costs around $440 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees. A similar product by iubest is also available at amazon.ca. 
• Modobag is a revolutionary piece of motorized carry-on luggage, it can accommodate riders up to 260 pounds. The bag can travel up to six miles on a single charge, at eight miles an hour. It weighs around 20 pounds and can easily convert from motor to pull-behind use. The product costs around $1,495 (CDN), plus additional shipping fees.

You might also want to contact Canada’s Arthritis Society to get support for your specific situation. The BC & Yukon Office can be reached by phone 604-714-5550 or email info@arthritis.ca.