arjunrc

I am pretty sure the tiny flights that travel from BWI/IAD to EWR are these kind of flights you are talking about - no FC, super tiny overheads. I was able to fit my gate8 roller bag into it - I had to zip out the laptop bag first. The FA was quite surprised it fit too.

GadgetFreak

That's interesting. Could you be specific about which Gate8 bag? Thanks.

Sacfitz

I have successfully put my Travel Pro Crew 9 rolling tote into the overhead.

You have to make sure it's not overstuffed, but it will fit for sure

Sacfitz

arjunrc

Their wheeled garment bag which I reviewed here.

thegasguru

Excellent data point, thanks Sacfitz.

I've been a big fan of my Briggs & Riley rolling cabin bag, which I can confirm will fit the in overhead bin of a CRJ200 or an ERJ145. You need to put it in wheels out, but it fits.

The Travel Pro Crew 9 might be a better bag for me, since it has a flat, structured top. I use a modified "hybrid" approach to "1 bag" travel. I travel with a my Tristar or my Skytrain. But now I also use a rolling tote type bag, which I use as my "personal carry on item". I simply set the Tristar on top of the rolling tote, and presto - I no longer have to shoulder the load.

A rolling cabin bag with a sturdy, flat top makes "stacking" my Tristar on top of it that much easier. Plus, I can get both of those bags to fit in the overhead bin of even the smallest CRJ. I never put my second bag up above if bin space if there's not enough space for other passengers...but on those tiny CRJs, most folks are valet checking their bags, so the bin space is often not fully used. I can easily put a Tristar up there, as well as the Briggs & Riley rolling cabin bag.

I may have to give the Crew 9 rolling tote a try. It should be easy not to overstuff it, since I can fit a ton of stuff into my Tristar or Skytrain and still have it fit into the bin.

GadgetFreak

Thanks.

LordHamster

What kind of ERJ was that?

I've found my E-Bags Motherlode TLS roller fits well into ERJ overheads when not overpacked. Problem is, the FA will often force me to gate-check regardless. When I can get it on the plane, I never have a problem.

thegasguru

Do you mean the Motherlode mini? Wow - that fits into the overhead of an ERJ? Even the CRJ200 or ERJ145?

Sacfitz

Glad to offer any help

Here's a thread on my review of the bag (Pros and Cons) through my first 6 months of travel with it.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...e-reviews.html

Sacfitz

arjunrc

Frankly I don't remember. It was one of those tiny united-express flights - one seat on the left, 2 on the right. I do remember using a jet bridge to get into that flight though (that is where the FA asked me to gate check the bag, but I asked her if I could try to fit it in and it did).

thegasguru

Thanks for that review. I went ahead and bought the Crew 9 rolling tote. I found the laptop compartment to be very annoying and inefficient, esp since this bag loads from the front and not the top. The laptop pocket is just on the inside of the front flap, and gets right in the way of loading gear and whatnot into the main compartment.

So...I took a scissors and just cut that flap out. I'm much happier now!! I know, I know...most folks wouldn't have the stones to deface a brand new piece of luggage like that, but it actually cut out nice and clean. Now I have just one big, main storage compartment. Much better. Like many flyertalk veterans, I've got my system of packing cubes down pat. I'm more efficient with a single, large open space, which I can divide up myself with packing cubes.

Also, loading from the front is slightly more of a hassle than loading from the top. It's also easier to take out a single item while travelling from the top than from the front. However - for me, the benefit of a flat, structured top is immeasurable, since my travel style is to stack a wheel-less bag (Skytrain or Tristar) on top of my small wheeled tote. Both bags then easily fit into the overhead bin of even the smallest regional jet, I never have to check a bag, and I can pack a ton of stuff. I'll gladly access the Crew 9 from the front rather than the top, in return for how easy it is to stack a 2nd bag on top.

thegasguru

Well, after several trips I thought I'd report back my experience with the TravelPro Crew 9 rolling cabin bag. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to work for me for one simple reason: the top carry handle. It's made of a sturdy rubber, and it functions well as a handle. But it does not recess down flat onto the top of the bag. Instead, it retains it's arched shape at all times. Therefore, it forms a bump right on the top of the bag, which makes stacking another bag on top of it (my preferred method of travelling with luggage) a huge hassle. Unless you afix the stacked bag to the Crew 9 in some way (a cord bungee, a twisty tie, etc), you can't stack another bag at all. It never gets balanced on top of the Crew 9, it always wants to flop in one direction or another. It's a shame, because everything else about the bag is great. But I'm a confirmed Hybrid-Rolling-One-Bagger-With-Two-Bags kinda guy. So it's back to the Briggs and Riley rolling cabin bag for me.

As you can see, the B&R bag is also mostly flat on top. However, the B&R bag has less of a structured "shell" feel to it compared to the Crew 9, and I worried that it didn't provide enough support to stack another bag if it that stacked bag got heavy. But after multiple trips, that never really became a problem: there was always enough packed inside the B&R to give more than enought support to a stacked bag. In fact, even empty the B&R had enough structural support to stack pretty much any other bag on top.

Me and my luggage addiction. Always in search for a better bag, and a better packing "system". When will I learn that "the enemy of good is better"?

LordHamster

Yep This: http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/m...-duffel/125538

will fit into a united ERJ 145 overhead so long as it isn't over-stuffed. The external compression straps on this bag keep it fairly flat. However, I've been yelled at by the FA several times when trying to board because as far as they are concerned it is too big even if it fits. They always claim some newly made up FAA rule then force me to gate-check it.

With the BR U116 like you suggested, I can get away with it. Although lately, my preferred bag has been a backpack GoRuck GR1.

thegasguru

Gol DANG! That GoRuck is one sweet backpack. Love the rectilinear shape (easier to utilize the space compared to pyramidal shaped backpacks), love the laptop compartment with the reinforced backing.

I blame you for enabling my addiction.
http://www.goruck.com/en/GR1#blog_head

arjunrc

Okay, sorry to bring this up, but I wanted to make sure I answered the question precisely. So this time, I wrote down the plane I was in. It was a Bombardier Dash 8 - a really small plane with small overheads. I Don't know if the CRJ200 is bigger or smaller, but based on images I see on google, it seems the Dash 8 is smaller.

I was just returning from a 6 day international trip with my Gate 8 fully stuffed and this was the regional hop before I got home.

I've figured out a correct strategy for GAs not to stop me. Irrespective of whether my G8 can fit in with laptop attached or not, I always zip it off and carry on the other hand. When the bag is zipped out, the G8 looks really thin and no GA has ever looked twice. Infact this time, I walked up to one to re-confirm and he reassured me it will fit in and I don't need a tag.

Here it is without the laptop bag with a lot of space left on top in the overhead. I actually put my laptop bag on top after I settled down - there was no reason for me to stick it under the seat.