Might be a combination of factors but definitely the claims are high; we have had relatives claim CX and other airlines for holes and dings!!! Yes - Rimowa!. It's more of a trend - "status" symbol nowadays with Rimowa riding the wave of consumerism and commercialism in Asia and jacking up their prices in this part of the world. We also noticed prices have gone slightly up in Germany, as well. Glad our 10 year old Samsonite sets are still holding up well.