Spit bags - from emergency use to collector's item
News News blog
A somewhat unappetising topic - but anyone who has ever needed a spit bag was certainly grateful for this invention afterwards.
A spit bag, usually referred to in common parlance as a vomit bag, is a liquid-tight bag made of paper or plastic into which people can vomit without affecting those around them through odour or vomit.
Even in the early days of commercial flying, bags were used in case of nausea. In 1949, however, Gilmore T. Schjeldahl invented the first bag coated on the inside with plastic specifically for this purpose. These "air sick bags" were first used on Northwest Airlines flights.
Air sick bags are part of the seat equipment in commercial aircraft, as there are relatively many people who suffer from motion sickness when flying. The bags are also part of the seat equipment in hovercrafts.
The bags are also considered the airline's "business card", and a lively fan and collector scene has formed around the design of the bags. But presumably only empty, unused bags are collected here....
