I ended up going with the $50 Member's Mark Hardside 22" Carry On which as far as I can tell has the same 100% polycarbonate, Hinomoto Silent Run wheels, YKK zipper, and TSA lock that the Away larger carry on has. It even comes with a black leather luggage tag that looks identical to the Away. The only differences as far as I can tell is that the Member's Mark has a handle on the bottom, the interior organization is a bit different, the horizontal stripes on the outside are not evenly spaced, and it only comes in one color. I would not be surprised if these came from the exact same factory considering how similar the features are. Mine says Made in Cambodia, can anyone with an Away post where their bag says it was made?

The Member's Mark just says simply that the warranty is covered by the Sam's Club Member Satisfaction Guarantee so I take that to mean that it's a lifetime warranty. There is a risk that the product is discontinued, but at least you get your money back. There's also a risk that Sam's Club ceases to exist in the future, although I would estimate that the risk of Away ceasing to exist is much greater than the risk of Sam's ceasing to exist.

For Costco members there is a style called the $50 Delsey 20" Carbonite Carry-On Spinner (which is really 22.6") that looks similar, but lacks the TSA lock, bottom handle, and leather luggage tag. The Sam's bag is a slightly better value but the Delsey is similar enough and you're covered by Costco's member satisfaction guarantee.

I'm still looking for a check-in bag, and was hoping that there would be a Kirkland Signature or Member's Mark one available soon. The more I read about the Away luggage company and the background of the founders, the more I realize that they are just expert marketers and the real product they are selling is the marketing with a lifetime guarantee thrown in to hook people into the price point. At least with the plastic suitcase I would just get something from Costco or Sam's. Maybe the aluminum bag is worth it if you value that material.