I made the mistake in buying a Travelpro only because it seemed the choice of the flight crew. After dishing out the money, it lasted about 2-3 trips before it started to fall apart. Then it dawned on me that the flight crew's luggage stay's in once piece because they never check their luggage, it's always brought onboard and stored in the overhead bins.

Here's what I look for in the event I needed to purchase a high quality suitcase.

1. Zippers, it must have heavy duty zippers. Ordinary size zippers will not cut it since zippers are one of the most common areas of a suitcase to fail.

2. Wheels, it must be inserted, meaning it can't be sticking out and vulnerable of breaking off. And the surface of the wheels must be relatively soft. Softer wheels will make it easier to roll on any surface and it's quiet!

3. Warranty period, and the reputation of honoring the warranty. It's like insurance, you want to go with a company that pays their claims immediately without haggling.

4. If it's a soft luggage, it must be Black! Luggage will get dirty and stained if you travel enough.

5. Material, must be rugged enough to last such as ballistic nylon. If it's a hard shell, I would make sure it's not vulnerable to cracking.

**I've never owned a hard suitcase so I can't compare it to anything. I prefer the soft since it tends to be a bit lighter and has the capability to expand if you really need to pack it to the max.