Originally Posted by
Hachi Ko
I did consider this, and tested my own bag using this handicap. Yes, it is a bit more difficult, in some situations, to move and especially to lift the bag in certain situations.
There are drawbacks to any design, or course, and I do appreciate that such a bag would not be for everyone. But for someone who is packing a carry-on to maximum volume, without a preponderance of heavy items, I found that this idea works great. In most situations, the bag is on its wheels and works wonderfully. Lifting into the bin requires one hand on the handle, one hand on the bottom of the bag -- slide in and "snap" the handle in. Reverse procedure to get it out. Yes, I do have a working mock-up. Astounds the hell out of CRJ flight attendants.
having thought about the handle positioning a bit more...using the tow handle as the grip has another shortcoming. because the handle/grip is not centered in the middle of the bag and due to the [longer] vertical axis, picking up a fully loaded bag up will cause it to pivot around the handle point and the bottom inside edge of the bag would swing inward toward your body (if you were holding the bag at your side).
this would force you to either hold the bag further away from your body if you wanted to move quickly or keep the bag in contact with your leg (and having an awkward gait). not a good thing...