13 January 2021
Feeling flush? Need a carry-on suitcase? Like a bit of history? Luxury travel brand Globe-Trotter is offering a limited-edition range of handmade carry-on suitcases inspired by the BOAC painted Boeing 747s recently retired by British Airways.
The BOAC Speedbird suitcases include a ‘Gold Speedbird’ insignia and a fragment from one of the former British Airways 747s.
To launch the range, two of these distinctive suitcases are being auctioned online to raise funds for Flying Start, British Airways’ global charity partnership with Comic Relief.
Bids start at £2,000 per item – retail price for the Globe-Trotters BOAC Speedbird suitcase is £1,935 – so these are two very special edition suitcases.
Hand over your money or we’ll send the lads round…
The pair were the only passengers on British Airways’ final 747 flight on 11 December 2020, when the jumbo flew from British Airways’ engineering base at Cardiff Airport to its new permanent home in St Athan, South Wales. They have also been signed by the flight’s Captain, Richard Allen-Williams, British Airways’ Chief Training Pilot.
The suitcases are made from high gloss vulcanised fibreboard with a metallic sheen giving a pearlescent white shimmer, complemented by Navy leather trim on the corners and handles. The hand-painted ‘Gold Speedbird’ insignia is on the exterior, while the 747 fragment decorates the interior. The range is limited to just 150 suitcases.
British Airways and Globe-Trotter have a history of collaboration spanning decades. During the 1960s, Globe-Trotter was the luggage brand of choice for BOAC crew.
Bid for the two suitcases here. Bids close at midnight on Tuesday, 19 January.
