had a Tumi over the shoulder bag for a few years now and a few hundred thousand miles later I'm looking for a companion for it. I've had a look round and with BAA seeing sense (more UK originating travel in the near future) I think a 22" rollaboard is just the ticket.
[url]http://www.tumi.com/products/index.cfm?modelid=100334&sourceId=TUMFROOG&CAWELAI D=128933914
Many people here reported that their 22" Tumi had to be checked in at LHR. I would double check on that, perhaps 20" International carry on is the way to go. I am looking into it for UK originating travel, however the 14lbs (out of 22lbs limit) might also be a problem so I am assessing other solutions.
Anyone else been in a similar situation with purchasing Tumi?
Have you succeeded in getting stores to battle it out on price or are Tumi pretty protective of their price?
I live about an hour away from a Tumi outlet store in Kittery, ME. I also been to the Woodbury Common Store near NYC. First of all, the Kittery store always has a better selection that the NYC store. And a better discount.
They never wanted to discuss - give away their discount over the phone, but 25% off for the popular stuff, 40% for less popular stuff, and 70% is last item clerence (though mostly accessories and funky stuff).
But one thing I noticed is that usually the lines of luggage that are on a discount are not their flagship products (i.e. Gen 4 line) but rather the more stylish T3 and Ducati lines. Also, usually the funky colors get the markdown.
So the outlet store is a hit or a miss. I do remember one time seeing the Gen 4 carryon, but only the 20 inch version (most people want the 22"). There is tons of Tumi sales on eBay, though through regular retailers (Yahoo Shopping, Froogle) I never found any major discounts online.
Hope this helps.