Originally Posted by
ikwia
Thanks for this suggestion. The "max" looks like it may be large enough to attract attention at sizers (e.g., at the LAX escalators or even at the gate). What has been your experience?
Also, the smaller version makes no mention of a suiter at all, and the larger says the suiter is removable...is that a typo in your post?
Those pockets on the front (the laptop pocket) also look like wasted space if you use a separate laptop bag (as I do), especially if they're padded. What good uses have you found for those?
I travel with the max, and never had to be placed into the sizer with Delta or AA. It will fit on Embraer EJ-175 with a shove. The fabric has held up with valets on Alaska Airlines, and shoving against the EJ-175 storage bins. My apologies, the suiter is removable and I misspoke.
I use the front pocket to quickly store or access jacket for winter travel, since I travel from Hawaii to cold climate quite often per month. I would recommend using it to access clothing or any other bigger items at a moment notice. Same as yourself, I have a messenger bag to store my electronics.
I bought the bag with similar requirements as the OP: two wheeled, didn't want a smart luggage (no batteries)/USB, and something bomb proof. I just wish they had a lifetime warranty on this product, versus five years, as I liked the aesthetics of the Crew Expert over the Platinum line.