Originally Posted by
LiveOak
My thought was to use the U116 as my "personal item" teaming it with an Air Boss that normally serves as my primary bag. The flat top of the rolling cabin bag would make a great trolley for the Air Boss when situations dictated. I need to find something that will fit under-seat without question.
Recently, I was on an EMB 145 (full passenger payload) that saw EVERY bag with wheels pink tagged for gate check. This included rolling briefs and computer bags. Have the rest of you been frustrated by inconsistent policies by airlines and gate agents?? Upon the return trip on the same carrier, same payload, and same type of aircraft, there was a whole different set of "rules". Pretty much anything 17" or less seemed to be allowed in the cabin.
I'm the guy who keeps touting the U116, and I love the top-loading flat top of the bag. Top loading makes it much easier to get into during travel if necessary, and the flat top makes it an excellent trolley for any other bag to ride on top of it.
I recommend a non-wheeled bag to ride on top, because you can pack more into a non-wheeled bag: that's the essence of the 1-bag travel model. However, my shoulders don't like toting a heavy, non-wheeled single bag for extended periods of time. That's where the U116 is excellent.
If you get stuck flying on one of those flying sewage pipes (CRJ200, ERJ145, etc), you can take both bags on board with you. The key is, at the gate, to put one bag on your back (or over your shoulder), and then retract the telescoping handle of the U116, and PICK IT UP. Carry it by it's soft sided handle grabs. I've never ever had a gate agent make me pink tag my bag when I've carried it in hand, and that's almost always with a Tristar/Skytrain/Aeronaut on my back/shoulder! The U116 fits easily overhead if you put it in wheels facing out. And even the large Tristar/Skytrain/AirBoss/Aeronaut bags fit easily in the overhead as well, unless stuffed to the point of bursting. But stuffing it that much is unnecessary when you also have the U116 with you. Another advantage of the U116 is that it's main compartment is mostly one large open space - which I find makes for more room for packing.
To be honest with you, when it comes to flying on those little CRJs, I've never tried to put the U116 under the seat in front of me. On those little sewage pipe CRJs, so many other passengers have to pink tag check their bag that there is always enough room overhead for both my bags without infringing on others. And on the bigger planes, my two bags still take up less space overhead than the average rolling steamer that the typical other passenger is dragging on board. But if overhead space is at a premium, then the U116 fits easily on the floor in front of me on any plane bigger than a CRJ.