Nic01

We are looking to 'invest' in some new luggage in time for our honeymoon. We hope to travel long haul once a year. We want what we choose to last!

Requirements:
We each want a carry on each, & a 'bigger' size.
The lighter the better
Value for money

Brands:
I had my heart set on Samsonite, but suggestions have been made that International Traveller, 'IT' would also fit my criteria for a fraction of the price. I would like to purchase from this website so options / brands (& the fact i live in Australia) may be limited:
http://www.luggagedirect.com.au/ (although if going with Samsonite, i can find them in most places at a discounted price),

Sizing:
I would like to try to get something that will be compatible with *all* (i know, impossible, so *most* airlines) to avoid any extra fees. Carry on- unsure whether to go for 20'' or 22'' - i think i would prefer the 22'' but am worried that the measurements of some don't include the wheels, handles etc.
'Big' Luggage, I think the 26'' would be the best. Anything bigger i would simply pack until it's full & have a suprise waiting for me at the airport.

Now, hard case vs soft case? If i go with Samsonite, i think i would stick with soft due to the cost. Although if with IT should I try hard? ( I have also read that some hard cases the scuff marks show up very easily & look like they are decades old, which I would like to avoid)

And spinners? I do enjoy the idea of the ease...

mr_rogers

briggs&riley

bagobsessive

You won't be able to beat Briggs and Riley

Romelle

Why even get the bigger ones? It is a bit of a challenge to travel with just carry-on luggage, but well worth it IMO.

For the carry-on, I'd go with the dimension that works for the majority of the airlines you think you may use. 22x14x9 seems to be the most common in the US, with a few airlines slightly larger. One does encounter an occasional smaller plane where it is necessary to gate-check the roller bags.

What are the usual accepted luggage carry-on dimensions in Australia (and other countries you plan to visit)?

Romelle

Nic01

The store I would like to purchase from does not stock Briggs & Riley. I'm unable to find many stores to choose from. Can you recommend another brand which is stocked by http://www.luggagedirect.com.au/ ?

Nic01

I was quite confident i knew the answer to this, but remembered I hadn't checked Virgin, a major player in domestic flights.

So, international carriers for our next trip
Qantas - 56cm (22") x 36cm(14") x 23cm (9") = 115cm or (41'')
AA - as above

And then domestic,
Qantas - as above
Virgin - 48cm x 34cm x 23cm =105cm

I currently have a 55cm bag & have had no problem when flying with Virgin.

If there a brand that you would recommend?

Letitride3c

If 2 of you are just starting out together & have years ahead of you flying, then do "invest" in a little more for the long haul - values are you paid for in return down the road if you pieces need repairs & spare parts. Forget Samsonites or anything tha offer 10 years manufacturer's warranty, which often exclude x y & z and only if (plus, proof of purchase of the original receipt, etc.) & normal wear & tear not covered, etc. etc. Buy those w. authorized/local repair facilities or agent as otherwise shipping fees to the USA will make it useless to claim. From your linked vendor site, not a lot of great choices - I've seen the IT brands in person & while it is light but not impressed on how well they will stand up after a few toss & trips down & up the luggage belts & loading ramp between the belly & the tarmac as checked - strictly carryons, maybe.

Where are you heading for your honeymoon next & BTW, congrats. You might be able to plan & search ahead, and pickup 2 good pieces while you are abroad & bring them back (or have it shipped to the hotel during your planned stay) as it is expensive to ship from USA to down under, not to mention custom duties & VAT, etc. For your annual long haul, is it within Asia Pacific, Europe or the Americas - or all of the above? If you might be flying European carriers/destination more, you might want to buy conservative & stick with a 24" or 25" roller each as it's much harder to overpack & overload them beyond the 20 kg/44 lbs or 23 kb/50 lbs limit typical of most carriers flying Y - the economy class until you have "elite" status. Some of the bigger 26" or 27" can easily go over the 158cm/62" linear dimensions and overweight if fully packed.

For shorter trips, you might want to take the smaller personal bag, defined by most as no more than 45" or 46.5" (115 cm to 118 cm) in total size with a 5 to 7 kg weight limit (or 15 lbs) Some of the 21" or 22" carryons come in at 5 kb or 8 to 9 lbs empty, not a lot of room to stuff anything. Think about a backpack/convertible carryon to free up one hand so that you can pull the 22" or 24/25" rollers thru the airport/terminal - with the other hand still able to grab the boarding pass/tickets, etc.

Some of the brands like Victorinox & Eagle Creek do stand behind their lifetime warranty and will repair, fix or replace their line of products, no "ifs" and "buts" while others have disclaimers - including Travelpros as noted by some FT's here. Please spend a little time reading some of the previous threads about other flyer's experience with claims & repairs as it's rather interesting. Things do wear out, break & will destruct beyond its limits, it's a question of how difficult will it be to get it exchange or replaced at little to no expenses, except for a nominal shipping charge or trip to a local shop.

Other brands noted that you might want to consider: Delsey, High Sierra and Ricardo Beverly Hills - they are sold by many online stores & also one of our major/popular department stores - Macy's in the USA, and, they all have lifetime warranty (w. the fine prints, of course.) Another site to look at is ebags dot com - which also has their own store branded ebags - with lifetime warranty, and is useful to look at varous users comments for all the lines.

Also, check your local eBay or equivalent to see what's offered for sale as new, along with any shipping charges. I picked up a pre-owned, like-new convertible messenger/laptop convertible bag as an extra spare, having one for 10 years already as it's been discontinued - for just $10 USD shipped - perfectly sized as personal item on all carriers.

Jorgen

My first suitcase was a Samsonite, and I've still got it. I'm afraid I don't have enough information to compare it to any other brand, because I've only ever owned one suitcase...

Actually that's not true, I bought a super-cheap fifty dollar suitcase about five years ago in order to carry some extra stuff one time. It wore out eventually.

Sam I Am

Although your preferred vendor doesn't carry it, I'll add a statement of support to Briggs & Riley

For carry-on I've been quite happy with the L.L. Bean quick load duffle. (Medium size) http://m.llbean.com/mt/www.llbean.com/llb/shop/59210

The soft and flexible form squeezes into overheads like a champ and when I'm only traveling for a day or two it is very compact. Yet I can fit 10 days worth of clothes in that bag with careful packing.

johnnie198x

How long have you had it for?

NoMiddleSeat

I'd look for a different store and buy Briggs & Riley. I'm not big on glowing endorsements of products but their stuff is very well built.

jsala

I too will never buy anything but a Brigs and Riley! I travel a ton and after 3 yrs of hard road use my B&R expandable roll-aboard needed new wheels. I called B&R and they shipped me new wheels free of charge. After year 6 my mechanical expander failed (it has a push button expansion mechanism). I dropped it off at a local luggage place that carries B&R and they gave me a free loaner and suggested I let them send it back rather than have them fix the expander because they said B&R would redo it all. I agreed and paid $20 to ship it. 3 weeks later I picked up my old B&R and it was completely rebuilt; new updated expander, new wheels, new extension handle, etc. It now functions better than new. The best customer service of any company I have ever dealt with, period.

tfar

I'd also suggest Briggs and Riley at least for the checked suitcase. And don't go over 26". Rather try to make it smaller, say 24" expandable.

For the cabin luggage lightness, size and organization are more important than ruggedness and warranty. You will carry those with you at all times, especially if you choose them small enough so you don't get hassled at the gate and are forced to check them. So, unless you treat your stuff roughly (many women do, sorry if that sounds sexist but it's just my experience), warranty and ruggedness don't count so much. That is good because ruggedness means higher weight.

Besides the size restrictions did you check the weight restrictions on your most used airlines? I think on Virgin it's 6 or 7kg. To meet these very strict standards and still be able to actually pack something in the bag, the bag must be light. I'd suggest a 20" expandable SOFT bag without wheels, possibly a duffle. Your chance of being forced to gate check is MUCH lower with a soft bag. And you should be able to shoulder carry 6-8kg with relative ease. The bag can ride on top of your wheeled suitcase. So make sure that you don't buy a monopole extension handle suitcase. And make sure that the soft cabin luggage has a strap or slot to slide it over the extension handle of the main suitcase.

A Briggs Riley for the checked 24" exp. plus a Red Oxx or Eagle Creek for the soft case and you'll be very well set for the next 20 years. You can upgrade to Louis Vuitton overseas trunks with porters later on.

Till

artemis

I'll also chime in to support the suggestion of Briggs and Riley. A 24"-25" B&R suitcase will be the only checked bag you'll ever need. Those things are bombproof!

I'll also suggests that you think small rather than large when it comes to your carryons, and wheeless and soft-sided rather than rigid framed and wheeled. It's becoming increasingly difficult to bring large rollaboards onto the plane (or any wheeled luggage!), and many international carriers weigh carryons as well as measure them; if you truly want your carryon to stay with you, your chances of success will be much better if you stick with a lightweight soft-sided duffel-type bag. You'll also have better luck if you go with a smaller carryon and a larger "personal item" (although do make sure the latter will actually fit under an airline seat, out of fairness to your fellow passengers). You can pack plenty into an 18-20" duffel plus a large tote, and be all but guaranteed that both bags will actually make it onto the plane. Look at the various carryons made by Tom Bihn, Red Oxx, Briggs and Riley, Eagle Creek, Osprey, LL Bean, and REI (their Overnighter backpack and their small duffels) for starters.

Have fun shopping!

mapsgl

Another vote for B&R

My wife and I each have a carry on and we have one large piece for checking