A bagful of bags.

• Position: What's New? - Totebags from Eagle Creek and Loving and Co. - Product/Service Evaluation

Nowadays, it's all about bags. As long as they can help it, airline passengers are shunning check-on luggage, cramming everything into carry-ons to avoid the aggravation of waiting for the carousel finally to get around to disgorging their suitcases. Women, meanwhile, are availing themselves of tote bags stuffed with what seems to be all of their worldly possessions.

Since airlines have strict guidelines as to what size constitutes a carry-on--though they never seem to apply to those who are boarding the same plane we are--the trick is to find a bag that not only falls within the designated parameters, but is designed for maximum efficiency in packing. The flight bags from Eagle Creek, Inc., Vista, Calif., do just that, with padded bottoms, backs, and sides to protect fragile items, including room for a laptop computer. Thanks to adjustable padded dividers, you can separate contents neatly, instead of cramming everything in on top of each other; slip-in side pockets accommodate items like newspapers and water bottles; and, in case you have to check larger suitcases, the patented ZipSlip back pocket slides over wheeled luggage's handles so you have at least one hand free for hanging onto kids while fighting your way out of the airport, flagging down a cab, etc. The 1,400-cubic-inch model runs $100; the 2,000-cubic-inch one, $120. Each of them is...