I have taken some time to read through many of the recommendations in this forum and based on my situation I think I am most likely going with a Briggs & Riley wheeled carry-on (or maybe a Travel Pro).

I am trying to determine if I should go with a 20" or 22" carry-on upright. I have heard that the actual size of many bags are larger by 1-2". I would like to have the most space with a minimal amount of problems carrying my bag onto the plane.

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A little more background on my situation ...

I have a new with boss whom I will be traveling with frequently (US, Europe, Russia) for lengths of 3-6 days. He insists on 2 things: 1) We must NEVER check bags 2) Whatever bag I use must have wheels

In the past I usually packed a larger bag that I could check. I chose this route because I am about 6'3", I wear a 54" inch coat and size 13 shoes, I have to wear suits and sport coats for meetings, and I prefer that my clothes not be trashed when I arrive. In addition to my clothing I always carry a briefcase with a laptop.

This will be a whole new world for me. I've already accepted the fact that I will not be able to pack my running shoes but I am starting to worry that I will be running out of space for my clothing and basics.

BTW. My boss is about 5'6" and 150 lbs. He will have no sympathy for my luggage problems.

Why does he care if your bag has wheels? If you with your bag (wheels or not) can walk or run as fast and as long as he can with his bag, then why do wheels on your bag matter to him?

Wheel hardware takes up space and weight. Many people here prefer wheels anyway, but an alternative is a backpack type bag (less weight, more capacity due to wheel hardware not taking up space), which can be squished into "slightly too small" carryon spaces or sizers, and may be less likely to be forced to be gate checked.

Wear your running shoes (you may need them to make tight connections, especially if your incoming flight is late), and pack your dress shoes. Fill the dress shoes with socks so as not to waste the space inside of them.

Do a web search for how to pack a suit in a carryon.

I would pick a 20in because a 22in might not fit in some overhead bins

I recently picked up a Luggage Works 22" carry-on. Its total dimensions are 45" (the carry-on limit with most airlines) but I was still ordered to check it at LHR last week. It was nowhere near fitting inside the carry-on frame used at security to check baggage sizes, so I'd probably recommend a 20" as you're less likely to be told to check it.

I'd do a 20" if I HAD to have wheels.

But I ditched wheels a couple years ago and am much happier.

Check out other threads on this forum for info on Red Oxx products. www.redoxx.com

thank you all, this has been very helpful

to answer the question ... "why wheels?"

The laptop that i carry for business is quite heavy (by necessity), making my briefcase heavy. I think that long airport treks with both a heavy briefcase and a heavy shoulder strap carry-on would be too much.

For the OP, is shipping your luggage an option? You might want to try to carry your running shoes since exercise is a good thing while traveling. Maybe you could make your second carryon a bag that holds your briefcase and can be carried on your back.

Your boss needs to get a reality check. You are obviously much bigger than him, and two of your shirts will take up as much room as three of his.

Is it an option to get a wheeled laptop bag and then you can carry clothes in a non-wheeled bag? That's what I do on many trips because my laptop and books are far heavier than my clothing.

If you go non-wheeled, a backpack with hip strap as well as the usual shoulder straps should be a lot more comfortable than a bag with a single shoulder strap.

There is no way to get a lighter and smaller laptop (that can fit into your carryon bag)? Seems like your constraints (heavy laptop, large size dressy clothes) will make it more difficult to travel carryon-only, despite the desirability of doing so. The inside of a 22" wheeled rollaboard really is not that big (especially due to the intrusion of the wheel hardware).

See if you can borrow bags of different sizes and forms to check to see whether you can get your stuff into them.

If bringing both running shoes and dress shoes, it would probably be better to wear the running shoes and pack the dress shoes.

1. Running shoes are often bulkier, so wearing them and packing the dress shoes may leave more room in the luggage for other things.

2. If your dress shoes are uncomfortable, you won't want to walk around airports etc. in them and wear them in the plane.

3. If you have to run to your connection, you'll do it better in running shoes than dress shoes.

Welcome to flyertalk el_silver!

You got to do what the boss says you got to do. My experience is that no wheels is faster and better, as long as you are not carrying bricks. I have a 21" convertable redoxx air boss, and a small laptop backpack for my laptop. The *A flights I use have never bothered me, even when flying Y.

I normally don't fill up either bag, so there is room to move things around if needed, or if I buy something when travelling. So far, the only time I was hassled was, at LHR, when they were unbelievable restrictive, and once when I had repacked all my tax free cigs and booze. Luckily, I saved the plastic bags.

I was also nailed with this new sizer nonsense at LHR last week. Seems they have recently decided all bags which might potentially be "close" in size must get crammed in the sizer.

My 22" Tumi didn't fit until I emptied half of it on the floor, but it eventually crammed in....

FWIW, I own the 20" Superlight Briggs rollerboard ("Baseline 20" Superlight Upright Carry-On" says the offical product description).

It's good for 3-4 day trips. And, yes, I have the same issue of having to carry both running and dress shoes while traveling. Never really figured out a good solution to that one.

In any case, as I mentioned in another thread, the 20" is a good suitcase and packs a lot more than I thought it would.

If you're 6'3" and exploring wheeled carryons, make sure you try how long the handle extension is. I've had a horrific 20" wheelie that worked great for my wide, but the handle was too short so it kept bashing my heels since I'm 6'4"

I've got a 20" Travelpro and I find that size ideal for my M-F trips. I can always fit it in the overheads. You can always bring on a "personal item" that will slide onto the other's handle.