Travel Products - Just bought TravelPro Crew 9 22" - my thoughts, and yours?

Hello everyone,

Longtime lurker, first time poster. Hopefully this isn't TLDR for you guys. Just wanted to share some stuff with you.

I just spent over an hour in a store with a TP Crew 8 and Crew 9 side by side. This year I'll be travelling more frequently and needed a luggage upgrade. After a month of shopping and forum browsing, I decided on TravelPro, and since I couldn't find the Crew 4 or 5 ANYWHERE, I decided on the 9. I'm thinking it'll be a solid choice. I won't be travelling so frequently that I'll need something too heavy-duty or too expensive, and TP seems to have a solid history. Plus, not too many of you complain about TP bags on here ;)

Some of my thoughts on the Crew 8 vs the 9:

The handle is plenty sturdy on the 8, but my gosh, it doesn't move at all on the 9. Maybe that will change after a few trips, but for now the thing is rock solid. I travel with a Tumi garment bag from time to time, and when that thing is full, it's actually pretty heavy. I wanted a bag that had a sturdy handle to be able to support the garment bag without feeling like it could shear off at any second. (My girlfriend has a dept. store cheapie and even though it feels solid enough, it got very wobbly when I stuck the garment bag over the handle.) The Crew 9's handle seems like it'll do the job and maybe last a bit longer.

I actually preferred the 8's suiter system. The 9's suiter extension is attached by velcro, and the 8's is zipped on. The zipper seems more secure, although it probably weighs more, but the velcro attachment can be peeled back pretty easily in places, and then it catches on the lining when you open the lid. At least, it does this on my bag, when packed.

I prefer the 9's compression straps and add-a-bag to the 8's. The 8 had those button clacker closures, for lack of a technical term. The 9's claw clasps feel more secure. The add-a-bag on the 9 is a hook system which feels nicer. The 8 has another clacker and I was curious if it'd hold too much weight for too long. To be fair, it'd probably take whatever I threw at it, but maybe some of you on here who travel more often have stories.

Overall quality and build on both bags seemed very good. Some of you say quality has gone down over the years, but I'm ignorant of that anyway! (I did, however, take your posts to heart when buying my Tumi garment bag. I specifically tracked something down that was "pre-outsourced.")

My bag doesn't have the leather skid protection underneath that the 8 does. All the stock photos show that the 9 has it, but I chalk that up to lazy photo uploaders on eBay and Amazon. I hope I didn't get a defective bag!

Anyway, I appreciate any input from you! You all have helped me in the decision making process, whether you knew it or not. This forum is a great resource and I'm happy to contribute in any way I can.

Lee

I'm using the Crew 8, purchased when I got a job last year with heavy travel. Love the zip in suit holder, quality wheels and the handle seems plenty sturdy to me for holding my laptop bag. Great product and it sounds like the 9 is a winner but I agree, wonder why the skid plate is omitted. Mine takes lots of scuffs pushing into overhead bins. Happy traveling!

Yeah I wonder if the store model had just been tested a million times, because I looked at a brand new 8 in a different store and the handle was much sturdier. The 8 was about $40 cheaper than the 9 after taxes. Maybe an exchange is in order...

Yeah I wonder if the store model had just been tested a million times, because I looked at a brand new 8 in a different store and the handle was much sturdier. The 8 was about $40 cheaper than the 9 after taxes. Maybe an exchange is in order...

Both handles are good handle systems.

(Trying not to put in a shameless plug....but)

The Crew 9 is a patent-pending PowerScope handle system that minimizes wobble when fully extended. It is the strongest Travelpro handle system to date.

It also won a "best" award at the International Travel Goods fair in Vegas.

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

The Crew 9 is a patent-pending PowerScope handle system that minimizes wobble when fully extended. It is the strongest Travelpro handle system to date.

It also won a "best" award at the International Travel Goods fair in Vegas.

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

The handle on the 9 is ultimately why I bought the bag, Paul! It fit perfectly in my hand and put less strain on my wrist as I pulled it around. That and I can put a laptop bag or garment bag over the handle without it feeling shaky.

So, well done!

Curious what the response was to the OP's comment that his 9 was missing the bottom skid plate. Neat that Travelpro monitors FT just like the Starwood Lurkers, etc. Good source of feedback.

Curious what the response was to the OP's comment that his 9 was missing the bottom skid plate. Neat that Travelpro monitors FT just like the Starwood Lurkers, etc. Good source of feedback.

You will find there are two skid bars on the bottom of the Crew 9 22”. There are also 2 skid bars on the back of the bag. I hope this helps. :cool:

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

I just packed my new 20" Crew 9 for my first trip tomorrow. I spent a lot of time searching this thread and online and the Crew 9 fits my price and needs.

I don't think I can do a good comparison and review. A plastic shopping bag would be better then what I had before, so the Crew 9 feels top of the line to me. One thing I wished it had was the wheel guards, which are found on the flightcrew 4.

You will find there are two skid bars on the bottom of the Crew 9 22”. There are also 2 skid bars on the back of the bag. I hope this helps. :cool:

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

EDit: My other 9 arrived yesterday. There aren't any skid bars on the back of this one either. On the bottom of the bag, yes. Now that I've owned two different Crew 9 22s, I'm going to concede that there aren't any skid bars on the back.

http://www.monsterbags.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/400x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/3/_/3_96_22.jpg

This must be a stock image used for all of the bag models on many sites?

Just got a Crew 9 21" Spinner today (bought on Amazon). It has the suiter unit. When I open the luggage up for the first time the suiter was in the bottom. I pulled it out and did not find any way to attach it to the luggage & no straps, velcro, etc. on the luggage to attach the suiter. I compared the luggage/suiter unit to the photo in the product and doesn't look the same.
I called Travelpro & the rep asked that I e-mail photos of the luggage - which I did. It has been sent to TP's quality dept. for inspection.
I'll let you know how this goes.

I just packed my new 20" Crew 9 for my first trip tomorrow. I spent a lot of time searching this thread and online and the Crew 9 fits my price and needs.

I don't think I can do a good comparison and review. A plastic shopping bag would be better then what I had before, so the Crew 9 feels top of the line to me. One thing I wished it had was the wheel guards, which are found on the flightcrew 4.

Let me know how the trip goes. I'm looking to buy the 20" bag as well, since I'm typically a light packer, only travelling for a couple days at a time, and I'd like to use the laptop/office area in front and do away with my laptop bag altogether.

The 22" is a really well balanced bag, especially if packed correctly. However, once I put my laptop in the front pocket, the bag tends to lean forward, and will tip over if I bump the bag even slightly. I notice the Crew 9 stands pretty upright, while the Crew 7 and earlier models stand at more of an angle.

Just got a Crew 9 21" Spinner today (bought on Amazon). It has the suiter unit. When I open the luggage up for the first time the suiter was in the bottom. I pulled it out and did not find any way to attach it to the luggage & no straps, velcro, etc. on the luggage to attach the suiter. I compared the luggage/suiter unit to the photo in the product and doesn't look the same.
I called Travelpro & the rep asked that I e-mail photos of the luggage - which I did. It has been sent to TP's quality dept. for inspection.
I'll let you know how this goes.

I actually have the answer for you.

The suiter on the "21 inch spinner is called a "Drop-in Suiter" there are no attachments to it. The frame on the spinner is a little smaller than the 21" rollaboard for the Crew 9.

The "Drop-in Suiter" works perfectly fine. There are no velcro or straps.

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

Just back from a 6 day trip with the 20". I stuffed it pretty full. Admittedly, I didn't pack the best, so the bag did topple over to the front if I wasn't holding on to the luggage handle. Since I packed the main compartment extremely full, it was difficult to get very much in the front pockets. Again, this was probably due to my poor packing job.

There was a person who passed me in the terminal with a very loud, squeaky wheeled bag. I commented to myself how quiet my new bag was. 10 seconds later my wheel started clicking and making a squeaky sound. I haven't had a chance to take the wheel off, since I've been back, but will tackle that tomorrow. Who Knows, maybe something got stuck in there and just needs some "jiggling". I was a little bummed since I have been looking forward to this new bag for so long, but it wasn't that big of deal. If I can't fix it, then it's going back.

I have another trip next week and will take it on that.

Just back from a 6 day trip with the 20". I stuffed it pretty full. Admittedly, I didn't pack the best, so the bag did topple over to the front if I wasn't holding on to the luggage handle. Since I packed the main compartment extremely full, it was difficult to get very much in the front pockets. Again, this was probably due to my poor packing job.

There was a person who passed me in the terminal with a very loud, squeaky wheeled bag. I commented to myself how quiet my new bag was. 10 seconds later my wheel started clicking and making a squeaky sound. I haven't had a chance to take the wheel off, since I've been back, but will tackle that tomorrow. Who Knows, maybe something got stuck in there and just needs some "jiggling". I was a little bummed since I have been looking forward to this new bag for so long, but it wasn't that big of deal. If I can't fix it, then it's going back.

I have another trip next week and will take it on that.

We are puzzled by this one. Would you be open to contact our Customer Service Department, so we can help you figure it out: (800) 741-7471

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

Paul,

I think I was able to fix the wheel problem. I loosened the "allen screw", not sure if that is the correct name, that links the wheel to the frame and that seemed to fix the problem. It was fine around the house but I'll see how it does on a trip next week.

Thanks for the answer, Paul. I was wondering if something like that was the answer. I was a bit confused 'cause the unit I got didn't match the photo on the tag.

Just got back from a 3 day trip to Vegas and I absolutely loved this bag. The suiter kept my suit completely wrinkle free, and the bag was very well balanced when packed correctly. The bag did have a tendency to perch forward if I loaded the front pockets with more than a few items, however. For parts of the trip, I stored an iPad in the outer front pocket, and thicker magazines in the shallow outer pocket, which, combined with my use of the suiter, made the bag very easy to knock over with the slightest bump.

http://s12.postimage.org/cevqiannt/suitmain.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/cevqiannt/)
Making sure my main compartment was well balanced solved most of the tipping issues. We had some extra items - slippers, branded bags, etc. - on the way home, so readjusting the ballast was necessary. The Crew 9 stands pretty upright compared to earlier models, and would tip easily if I didn't work out a system beforehand.

The handle. My God, the handle. Easily the most comfortable handle I have used on a bag. It locks into place and does not move or wobble. Even the nicer Tumis and Rimowas will click and clack a little bit. But not the Crew 9's handle.

Plus, there are uses for the handles that TP may not have even thought of...

http://s7.postimage.org/x158uyik7/TPTV.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/x158uyik7/)
The distance between the carrying and telescoping handles is perfect for slotting an iPad with smart cover. The iPad fits snugly and won't move at all. The top handle is rubberized so it grips the iPad, but isn't so tall that it blocks any of the screen. Perfect.
(Also, my EC compartment sac latched right onto the add-a-bag. Chargers, cords, and headphones were in reach when we needed them. Even if you don't care for those compartment packing systems, I recommend getting at least one Compartment Sac.)

http://s13.postimage.org/pf5xco903/TPTVside.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/pf5xco903/)
We had to kill time between checkout and getting to the airport, and then again when our flight was delayed. Combined with free WiFi, this makes for a perfect TV. A very happy discovery.

Just bought a TP 9 20" abd will take on my first trip on Thursday. Looking forward to seeing if it is as nice as all the reviews say it is.

I know this is an older thread, but I have elected to get a travel pro 20' business when i my next bag after my swiss gear zurich 20 designates, which should take about year or less with my travel habits.

Trying to decide between a Crew 9 22" Exp Suiter and a FlitePro Lite 22" Suiter. Any recommendations?? (would be nice if TravelPro had comparisons on their website.) My goal is to have a single carryon for a 10-day business trip in Asia.

Trying to decide between a Crew 9 22" Exp Suiter and a FlitePro Lite 22" Suiter. Any recommendations?? (would be nice if TravelPro had comparisons on their website.) My goal is to have a single carryon for a 10-day business trip in Asia.

Both are high quality lines.

Crew 9 has our highest quality sealed ball-bearing wheels and the strong PowerScope extension handle.

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

Hello,

I would like knowing the difference between the ballistic nylon, microballistics and the twisted nylon. I am going to buy to myself two suitcases in the next days and, Crew 9 of Travelpro be deeply interested. I want to know before what means twisted nylon.

Thank you.

Hello,

I would like knowing the difference between the ballistic nylon, microballistics and the twisted nylon. I am going to buy to myself two suitcases in the next days and, Crew 9 of Travelpro be deeply interested. I want to know before what means twisted nylon.

Thank you.

All of the nylon fabrics mentioned are of high quality and are usually found on higher end luggage collections.

“Ballistic” nylon refers to the basketweave pattern that is formed when the yarns are woven together.

“Microballistic” nylon has a tighter weave pattern visually but is not necessarily more durable against abrasion and tearing than the ballistic as they both have the same density.

Crew 9 has a high quality twist nylon fabric which is very strong.

The “twist” callout refers to process where the yarns are actually twisted as they are being woven together. This process provides a different look visually in the fabric. It also provides a stronger durability. The "twist" nylon fabric passes Travelpro’s 60 lb seam strength and abrasion tests.

I hope this helps.

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

All of the nylon fabrics mentioned are of high quality and are usually found on higher end luggage collections.

“Ballistic” nylon refers to the basketweave pattern that is formed when the yarns are woven together.

“Microballistic” nylon has a tighter weave pattern visually but is not necessarily more durable against abrasion and tearing than the ballistic as they both have the same density.

Crew 9 has a high quality twist nylon fabric which is very strong.

The “twist” callout refers to process where the yarns are actually twisted as they are being woven together. This process provides a different look visually in the fabric. It also provides a stronger durability. The "twist" nylon fabric passes Travelpro’s 60 lb seam strength and abrasion tests.

I hope this helps.

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

I bought a suitcase as well as a shoulder bag Crew 9.

I think that I shall be delighted.

Thank you for the precision.

Trying to decide between a Crew 9 22" Exp Suiter and a FlitePro Lite 22" Suiter. Any recommendations?? (would be nice if TravelPro had comparisons on their website.) My goal is to have a single carryon for a 10-day business trip in Asia.

Yesterday I compared the he 22" Expandable Rollaboard versions of the WalkAbout Lite 4, Crew 8, and Crew 9.

The Crew 8 and WalkAbout Lite were both deeper than the Crew 9. The WalkAbout Lite did not have the nylon mesh bag attached to the top "lid." Both the Crew 8 and Crew 9 had the mesh bag attached to the top "lid." The handle on the WalkAbout Lite was not as sturdy as the Crew 8, and definitely not as sturdy as the Crew 9. The WalkAbout Lite materials, while still of good overall quality, did not match either the Crew 8 or Crew 9.

I nixed the WalkAbout Lite after the direct comparison to the Crew 8 features and relatively close size.

I purchased the Crew 9 because of the handle and the top front pocket. The top front pocket does not extend to the bottom of the case like the Crew 8. I use that compartment for my 1 quart bag of liquids and didn't like the idea of fishing for it in the bottom of the bag. My only hesitation on selecting the Crew 9 was the decreased depth compared to the Crew 8.

Hope that helps.

Posting to express my extreme dissatisfaction with TravelPro’s customer service and warranty. The grip snapped off the retractable handle this morning, and the company has told me I can either a) go to a repair shop 15 miles away that is only open during 8-6 when I am at work, or b) they can mail me a new handle and I can replace it myself. Either way, the piece will not arrive for 7-10 business days, leaving me with no luggage to return home later this week. It is also apparently not covered under the warranty. This is unacceptable for a luxury luggage company that advertises durability as a hallmark of quality. TravelPro’s customers are, by definition, travelers who are frequently moving from location to location and cannot afford to wait 7-10 days for repairs. I am inclined to forget the repair and purchase a new suitcase from a different company.

Posting to express my extreme dissatisfaction with TravelPro’s customer service and warranty. The grip snapped off the retractable handle this morning, and the company has told me I can either a) go to a repair shop 15 miles away that is only open during 8-6 when I am at work, or b) they can mail me a new handle and I can replace it myself. Either way, the piece will not arrive for 7-10 business days, leaving me with no luggage to return home later this week. It is also apparently not covered under the warranty. This is unacceptable for a luxury luggage company that advertises durability as a hallmark of quality. TravelPro’s customers are, by definition, travelers who are frequently moving from location to location and cannot afford to wait 7-10 days for repairs. I am inclined to forget the repair and purchase a new suitcase from a different company.

I'm not a TravelPro loyalist by any stretch of the imagination (in fact I just started using a brand new Crew 3 that was tucked away for years in the garage), but I can't help but feel that you have set unrealistic expectations, essentially guaranteeing your dissatisfaction.

You were presented with two options for repair: get it fixed now by visiting an authorized repair center or wait a reasonable amount of time to have the product shipped to you.

Like anything else in life, if it's that important to you to have it fixed immediately, take a couple hours off work (PTO, extended lunch, what have you) or pay to have the issue resolved in a more convenient fashion (offer to pay for shipping via air, purchase the part yourself online from the multitude of vendors selling replacement parts, or take it into your local luggage store and have them fix it for you).

There is no need to post the same complaint twice as your first two posts.

Posting to express my extreme dissatisfaction with TravelPro’s customer service and warranty. The grip snapped off the retractable handle this morning, and the company has told me I can either a) go to a repair shop 15 miles away that is only open during 8-6 when I am at work, or b) they can mail me a new handle and I can replace it myself. Either way, the piece will not arrive for 7-10 business days, leaving me with no luggage to return home later this week. It is also apparently not covered under the warranty. This is unacceptable for a luxury luggage company that advertises durability as a hallmark of quality. TravelPro’s customers are, by definition, travelers who are frequently moving from location to location and cannot afford to wait 7-10 days for repairs. I am inclined to forget the repair and purchase a new suitcase from a different company.

I just wanted to make sure that Customer Service resolved this issue for you in a satisfactory way.

We do apologize for the problem.

Paul Lawrence
Travelpro Luggage

Posting to express my extreme dissatisfaction with TravelPro’s customer service and warranty. The grip snapped off the retractable handle this morning, and the company has told me I can either a) go to a repair shop 15 miles away that is only open during 8-6 when I am at work, or b) they can mail me a new handle and I can replace it myself. Either way, the piece will not arrive for 7-10 business days, leaving me with no luggage to return home later this week. It is also apparently not covered under the warranty. This is unacceptable for a luxury luggage company that advertises durability as a hallmark of quality. TravelPro’s customers are, by definition, travelers who are frequently moving from location to location and cannot afford to wait 7-10 days for repairs. I am inclined to forget the repair and purchase a new suitcase from a different company.

I had the exact same thing happen a couple of days ago in the Beijing airport (One-year-old Crew 8 22" Rollaboard), and will be contacting TravelPro customer service Monday. I have a lot of travel in March, and need to get this resolved. I am hoping that I don't have any issues. I'll be posting my experience here...

What are everybody's thoughts as to spinner vs rollaboard? I'm looking for a new 21 or 22" and considering the Crew 8. Maybe I'm just resistant to change but I don't know if I like the thought of a spinner just yet.

We bought 2 initially and liked them so much we now have 4 - one for each person in our 4-person family. Tough, reliable and looks good.

My travel pro Crew8 handle has snapped completely off twice! Not impressed with the handle at all. I have taken it twice to be repaired under warranty by a travel pro repair shop. I am on my third handle and it cracked last week. I am an airline crew member and use the bag almost daily, but I do not recommend this bag nor Travel Pro (in terms of quality).

My travel pro Crew8 handle has snapped completely off twice! Not impressed with the handle at all. I have taken it twice to be repaired under warranty by a travel pro repair shop. I am on my third handle and it cracked last week. I am an airline crew member and use the bag almost daily, but I do not recommend this bag nor Travel Pro (in terms of quality).

David,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your Crew 9. We will repair it under the warranty.

You may want to consider our Flight Crew line of product, as it was built specifically for airline professionals. The company was started by a pilot and the Flight Crew line continues to be our flagship product for airline professionals.

After 11 years, it's time to replace my crew5. The nylon is starting to shred on the front bottom. Probably the most perfect bag I have used. I even replaced the wheels on it! Will I be disappointed with a newer model or is it an evolution? I will probably retire this bag after my trip this week. I've got a vintage crew plus I scored at a thrift store ill use through be summer (talk about an awesome bag) while I figure this out.

Long time lurker, first time poster. Would appreciate any advice.

I need to replacement my old carry-on, a 22 inch roll aboard suiter which was sold by Brookstone many years ago. Don't know who manufactured it, but it is a well-made, tough bag. At the time it was also a very tech savvy bag, because it included a separate compartment on the front, with a separate mini (at the time) laptop case which fit in the compartment. (I rarely used it for my laptop, but that compartment was also a nice size for extra shoes. A great bag, very tough EXCEPT the zipper on the laptop compartment ripped. Still a good overnight bag, and shows practically no wear other than the torn zipper, but there's too much lost space in the now unusable laptop section, and it doesn't pass muster as a "legal" carry-on anymore.

Anyway, I have been comparing the Crew 9 22" Rollaboard suiter and the Crew 9 21" spinner. I am leaning toward the 22" because it appears to have more extra capacity than the 1" difference would indicate, I assume because more space is lost due to the spinner wheels. I am not convinced that the flexibility of having 4 wheels is worth picking the slightly smaller spinner over the tried and true rollaboard. Has anyone tried both of these bags enough to comment on whether the difference in capacity is significant or not?

Last, I could get a Platinum 7 22" inch suiter on closeout for about 20% more. Is the Platinum worth the extra money for a fairly infrequent (1-2 days a month) business traveler?

Long time lurker, first time poster. Would appreciate any advice.

I need to replacement my old carry-on, a 22 inch roll aboard suiter which was sold by Brookstone many years ago. Don't know who manufactured it, but it is a well-made, tough bag. At the time it was also a very tech savvy bag, because it included a separate compartment on the front, with a separate mini (at the time) laptop case which fit in the compartment. (I rarely used it for my laptop, but that compartment was also a nice size for extra shoes. A great bag, very tough EXCEPT the zipper on the laptop compartment ripped. Still a good overnight bag, and shows practically no wear other than the torn zipper, but there's too much lost space in the now unusable laptop section, and it doesn't pass muster as a "legal" carry-on anymore.

Anyway, I have been comparing the Crew 9 22" Rollaboard suiter and the Crew 9 21" spinner. I am leaning toward the 22" because it appears to have more extra capacity than the 1" difference would indicate, I assume because more space is lost due to the spinner wheels. I am not convinced that the flexibility of having 4 wheels is worth picking the slightly smaller spinner over the tried and true rollaboard. Has anyone tried both of these bags enough to comment on whether the difference in capacity is significant or not?

Last, I could get a Platinum 7 22" inch suiter on closeout for about 20% more. Is the Platinum worth the extra money for a fairly infrequent (1-2 days a month) business traveler?

I had the exact same questions and ran out to Macy's to try them out. (I would recommend the same to you!)

IMHO,

1. Plat 7 vs Crew 9, function wise same, visually little bit difference but a person who-does-not-care-who-you-are-will-not-notice difference
(it seemed to me also same texture wise)

2. Spinner vs Rollaboard, the spinner is quite smaller, and from my short encounter, the spinner was actually uncomfortable (could be habit), for me to drag it as I would a 'normal' rollaboard. If you would to drag it side ways upright, than no problem. It just feels that it is not designed to be dragged while leaned.

I jumped onto the Crew 9 rollaboard, and currently on my first trip. It does have the previously mentioned problem of having a too high center of gravity in the front if you put your laptop in the front pocket, but otherwise so far so good.

I'm a flight attendant for a commecial airline and just went from a Crew 4 rollaboard to the Crew 9 spinner. I have to say, the tiny hard plastic wheels on the spinner are a huge disappointment. The bag takes a lot of effort to drag across carpet in airports and hotels, gets stuck on the metal connectors in jetbridges, cracks in sidewalks, curbs, etc. We flight attendants usually swap out our TP wheels with upgraded inline skate wheels that roll much smoother, it looks like I will be doing that with the spinner bag. Maybe increasing the size of the wheels and softer material will ease the movement over the above mentioned. So far I have disassembled the wheel units from the bag itself, but still need to figure out how to remove and replace the actual wheel.

The bag is defintely smaller, but I pack light. I think if you hang something on the front with the hook, it would tip over. But it holds my lunchbag/tote over the handle on the top great. :)