Insight · Travel Bags

What Is a Flight Bag?

Today, a flight bag can mean any bag you carry onto a plane. Originally it meant something specific: the document bag a pilot and flight crew carried to work. We have made pilot bags for years, and the question we hear most is simple. What is it, and how is it different from a briefcase or a messenger bag? This guide covers where the flight bag came from, what makes one, how it compares to other bags, whether it fits under the seat, and how our own pilot bags stack up so you can choose the right one.

Where the flight bag came from

Before tablets, a pilot flew with paper. Aeronautical charts, approach plates, the aircraft operating manual, checklists, a logbook, a license, a headset, and a flashlight. That load was heavy and it had to be organized, because nobody wants to dig for an approach chart at 3,000 feet. The answer was the pilot case: a stiff, deep leather case, usually with a hinged or zippered top, that stood upright beside the seat and opened wide so a pilot could reach in with one hand.

Military aviators carried their own version, the flyer's kit bag, a big open tote with handles made to swallow a helmet, gloves, and flight gear. Airline crews carried branded leather flight bags through terminals for decades, and travelers noticed. The bag looked capable because it was.

In the 2010s, airlines began swapping paper for tablets, which the industry calls electronic flight bags. The documents went digital. The bag stayed. The same traits that made it work in a cockpit, a wide mouth, a structured body, and pockets you can reach without opening the main compartment, make it work in an airport.

What makes a bag a flight bag

Plenty of bags get called flight bags. A true one has most of these five traits:

• A structured, boxy body. It holds its shape and stands up on its own, so it does not slump in the overhead bin or on the floor under the seat.
• Real depth. Most briefcases are 3 to 4 inches deep. A flight bag runs 5 inches or more, enough for a change of clothes and a dopp kit next to a laptop.
• A wide opening. The top opens wide so you can see everything inside, the way a doctor's bag does.
• Outside pockets. Several of them, for a phone, passport, charger, and boarding pass, so you never have to open the main compartment in the security line.
• Two ways to carry. Top handles for the hand and a shoulder strap for long walks between gates.

Flight bag vs. briefcase vs. messenger bag vs. duffle

These four bags overlap. The differences come down to depth, structure, and what each one was built to carry.

Put simply: a briefcase is for the office, a duffle is for the weekend, and a flight bag lives between them. If most of your carry is a laptop and papers, see our briefcase buying guide. If you walk or bike to work, read satchel vs. messenger bag. If you travel for work, the flight bag is the one that does both jobs.

Will a flight bag fit under an airplane seat?

Usually, yes. That is part of the point. Most U.S. airlines cap a carry-on at about 22 x 14 x 9 inches and set a smaller limit for the personal item that rides under the seat in front of you. Personal item limits vary more from airline to airline, and basic economy fares are the strictest, so check your airline before you fly. Here is how our pilot bags measure.

For more on sizing, see what size bag you can carry on a plane.

Buffalo Jackson pilot bags compared

We make two families of pilot bag. The Roosevelt is water buffalo leather, heavy and rugged, with four buckled pockets on the front. The Walker is full-grain cowhide, built lighter, with a canvas strap and a trolley sleeve on the back. Both carry a 15-inch laptop in the standard size.

Which one should you get?

• Get the Roosevelt if you want the classic look, the most organization on the outside, and leather that will outlast the airline you fly. It is the heavier bag, and that weight is the leather.
• Get the Limited Edition Roosevelt for the same build in a pebbled buffalo grain that hides scuffs and reads a little dressier.
• Get the Roosevelt Large if you carry a 16 or 17-inch laptop, or want room for two or three days of clothes. It is a carry-on, not an under-seat bag.
• Get the Walker if weight matters most. At under three pounds with a trolley sleeve, it is the one for the man who flies every week.

The lineup

Shop Pilot Bags

The Roosevelt, the Limited Edition Roosevelt, the Roosevelt Large, and the Walker, in full-grain buffalo and cow leather.

From $284.95

Shop Travel Bags

What owners say

The Roosevelt Pilot Bag holds a 4.8 out of 5 rating from 174 reviews, the Roosevelt Large a 4.8 from 136, and the Walker Pilot a 4.9 from 70.

The most useful criticism is about the laptop sleeve. Andrew S. liked his Roosevelt but wrote that "it is an extremely tight fit to get a 15" laptop into the internal sleeve." That matches the numbers. The sleeve measures 13.5 x 8 inches, so a 13 or 14-inch laptop slides in easily and a thin 15-inch fits snug. Measure your laptop's body, not the screen, before you buy. If it runs large, go to the Roosevelt Large, whose sleeve is 15.5 x 8.5 inches.

How to pack a flight bag for a one or two day trip

1. Laptop in the sleeve against the back wall. That keeps the weight close to your body when the bag hangs from your shoulder.
2. Clothes rolled, not folded. A shirt, a pair of pants, underwear, and socks roll tight and fill the main compartment without creasing.
3. Dopp kit on top. Keep liquids in a clear bag at the top so it comes out fast at security.
4. The small stuff outside. Phone, charger, passport, earbuds, and boarding pass go in the outside pockets.
5. Leave room. A flight bag packed to bursting will not slide under the seat. Leave an inch of give.

How to care for a leather flight bag

Wipe it down with a damp cloth when it gets dusty. Condition it once or twice a year, or whenever the leather looks dry, with a neutral leather conditioner. Let rain dry on its own at room temperature and keep it away from heaters and hair dryers. Scuffs and scratches are part of the deal with full-grain leather. Most of them rub out with your thumb, and the rest turn into patina. For more, see how to care for a leather bag.

Frequently asked questions

Xan Hood founded Buffalo Jackson Trading Co. in 2009. He designs our bags and outerwear in Matthews, North Carolina.