# Vomit bags in aircraft. Whence they went? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997 "2014-06-30T12:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/1 "2014-06-30T12:25:33Z")
One of the strange things one thinks about when bored. I remember for decades, commercial aircraft always seemed to have vomit bags in the seat pocket. Here in Oz they were always dual use - a photo-processing company had them printed, and if you didn’t need to use the bag, you were invited to place all your holiday film in the bag, and they would develop and print them for you. No doubt a tidy little earner all round. Now, it just occurred to me, I don’t see the bags in the pocket anymore. Sure, the demise of film cameras will have made the photo processing deal a bit redundant, but if there was a real need, surely the airlines would have kept supplying them. (And I have seen one used - on one of my first ever flights as a child a woman near me was clearly terrified, and upon take-off was quite sick. Maybe people are so inured to flying now this isn’t an issue.) It isn’t just an Oz thing, I don’t remember seeing them on any of the international carriers I have been on of late either. But I cannot remember when they went away. So, have they all quietly gone? If so, when and why? Was it all just an excuse to get the photo processing business? Is this just selective memory? ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/2 "2014-06-30T12:32:35Z")
I fly domestic in the US several times a year and haven’t noticed their absence. I’ve noticed they’re smaller than I would expect. There’s no way my last meal is fitting in that bag if it comes back up. Did you check way down in the seat pocket? They’re pretty small. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/3 "2014-06-30T12:34:55Z")
Delta has em on all of their flights. I can’t imagine they’d get rid of them since they’re lightweight and necessary especially since turbulent flights don’t allow a run to the restroom to vomit. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/4 "2014-06-30T12:39:17Z")
[This article](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB970622958889455432) from 2000 says that people just aren’t using them much any more. Are planes more stable nowadays? I’ve never needed one. I _can_ tell you that the word you want in your title is probably “why” or “where”, rather than “whence”. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/5 "2014-06-30T12:42:20Z")
My wife once used one for its intended purpose - she was pregnant at the time. Only time I have ever seen one used. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/6 "2014-06-30T12:45:45Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I _can_ tell you that the word you want in your title is probably “why” or “where”, rather than “whence”. Quite right. I was trying to quote something with a sort of ironic twist and got it wrong. :o ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/7 "2014-06-30T12:45:48Z")
I suspect two factors at work: First, up through the 1960’s you still had a lot of prop planes flying people around at relatively low altitudes, which puts you in bumpier air which causes more upchucking. Airplanes fly higher these days so a less bumpy ride on average. Second, for a lot of people the more they fly the more they become accustomed to it and the less likely they are to become ill. More people fly more often these days, so the experienced fliers are less likely to need a barf bag. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/8 "2014-06-30T12:54:28Z")
Which reminds me, I never got the connection in “Back in the USSR.” “On the way the paper bag was on my knee Man, I had a dreadful flight” It was only a year or so ago that I went oooohhhhhh!!! :smack: I didn’t know what “the paper bag” was and didn’t put much thought into it. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/9 "2014-06-30T14:07:28Z")
I used one within the last couple of years for its intended purpose (I’ve barfed in many, many places). But I noticed on my last plane trip there was no bag. I thought they just missed replacing it when they readied the plane. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/10 "2014-06-30T14:14:13Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I _can_ tell you that the word you want in your title is probably “why” or “where”, rather than “whence”. > [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Quite right. I was trying to quote something with a sort of ironic twist and got it wrong. :o Very simply put, _whence_ means “from where.” The word you probably wanted was _whither_, which means “to where.” But even then, you’d have wanted to say “Whither went they?” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/11 "2014-06-30T15:05:37Z")
They’re there. If there isn’t one, I ring the steward and get one. I can get very motion sick on a stacked-up descent. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/12 "2014-06-30T15:27:59Z")
less bumpy ride is part. prop planes had a drone and vibration that didn’t help you feel good. there are now lots of distractions (entertainment) on flights which can help from feeling that you need to hurl. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/13 "2014-06-30T15:30:53Z")
So far in 2014 I’ve flown round trip on United, Southwest, and Air France. Every flight had a barf bag in the seat pocket. I’m flying again over Labor day and Thanksgiving (Southwest & Delta). Now I’ll be obsessed to have to check. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/14 "2014-06-30T15:55:41Z")
Another anecdotal confirmation here: I’ve flown United, China Airlines, TransAsia, All Nippon, Southwest, and American within the last year or so, and they’ve all had the bags. My wife doesn’t fly well if it’s at all bumpy, especially on smaller planes, so it’s one of the first things we tend to check. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/15 "2014-06-30T16:10:47Z")
I’ll tell you where they went - I stole them. I always plan ahead, so I always check the seat for an ASB, just in case. Starting back a while, I noticed there wasn’t always one there. Maybe it got used, maybe the crew never restocked. So when I did find one, I ‘liberated’ it and kept it in my carry-on. Now I have a couple extras, just in case. So, they’re not there because I stole them, and I stole them because they’re not there. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/16 "2014-06-30T17:32:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’ll tell you where they went - I stole them. > > I always plan ahead, so I always check the seat for an ASB, just in case. Starting back a while, I noticed there wasn’t always one there. Maybe it got used, maybe the crew never restocked. So when I did find one, I ‘liberated’ it and kept it in my carry-on. Now I have a couple extras, just in case. > > So, they’re not there because I stole them, and I stole them because they’re not there. I hope you checked to see if it was empty before you took it… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/17 "2014-06-30T17:44:48Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Which reminds me, I never got the connection in “Back in the USSR.” > > “On the way the paper bag was on my knee > Man, I had a dreadful flight” > > It was only a year or so ago that I went oooohhhhhh!!! :smack: > > I didn’t know what “the paper bag” was and didn’t put much thought into it. Huh. I always thought it was “paperback” because it would be normal to read a paperback while you’re on a plane. I never knew it was “paper bag” until I looked up the lyrics. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/18 "2014-06-30T18:02:27Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I hope you checked to see if it was empty before you took it… Snort! I’d better go check… ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/19 "2014-06-30T18:46:54Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Huh. I always thought it was “paperback” because it would be normal to read a paperback while you’re on a plane. I never knew it was “paper bag” until I looked up the lyrics. Ignorance fought. Which reminds me of the obscure, unreleased, Beatles song about the guy designing the barf bags - “PaperBag Writer.” I didn’t notice any on the flights I took last week, but it was probably hiding behind the SkyMall catalog. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997/20 "2014-06-30T19:32:27Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Which reminds me of the obscure, unreleased, Beatles song about the guy designing the barf bags - “PaperBag Writer.” Can they have little bible verses, like In-N-Out wrappers? The Bible MUST have talked about vomit somewhere, right? > [@](#): > > I didn’t notice any on the flights I took last week, but it was probably hiding behind the SkyMall catalog. {Klingon officer} I didn’t mean the Skymall Catalog should be used as a barf bag, I meant the Skymall catalog should be hauled away AS barf!" [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-bags-in-aircraft-whence-they-went/691997.md?page=2)