Tesla1856

A few years back I bought a limited addition Travel-Pro Crew Expert - Global sized bag. It was a consumer version of their flight crew bags. No longer sold, but I have had excellent experience with it for 1-2 day trips. It was the toughest consumer bag they sold.

This year as I have returned to more business flying and wanted a simple domestic carry on for longer business trips - I found a flight store that would sell the Flight Crew 5 bags without verification. I bought the 22 inch, non expandable rollaboard version for just $189. It has worked well, seems tough, and has so far fit in the overheads of a variety of aircraft I have flown this year. It is a bit heavy when fully packed.

While I have on my wish list a Briggs and Riley baseline 22 rollaboard - these TP flight crew bags have been well made and a great value.

Just thought I would share my experience.

planes&trains

How does one get the name of the store?

The B&R are generally great, except the first gen hard shell ones. I have had nothing but repairs on them. I hear they got better subsequently, but no experience.

Tesla1856

This is where i bought mine.

https://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilot...pro_FlightCrew

ikwia

OP, could you please comment on the capacity of your new bag? I am strongly.considering it, but as best I can tell, it will hold significantly less than my Kirkland. Also, do you know how the capacity of the expandable (when it is not expanded) vs non-expandable compares? I'm not sure if the expansion system takes up much otherwise usable space.

Tesla1856

It is difficult to find volume/capacity of the TP flight crew but in at least one site it is listed as 56L or 3417 CU. I can not confirm this.The expandable has 2" of expansion and a suiter, also external side pockets.

ikwia

I was unaware that the expandable has a suiter -- are you sure? And it is definitely available in a variant without the side pockets.

Tesla1856

Very sure. The expandable has a suiter. I did not want the expandable.

ikwia

Hmmm...it's not shown in the pictures on the vendor site you linked to.

ikwia

This video explicitly says that the Flight Crew 5 Expandable does not have a suiter, although older versions (i.e., the Flight Crew 4) did.

Tesla1856

I stand corrected. Maybe I saw an older model. Still glad to have the non expandable.

ikwia

Yeah, I'm torn on whether to get the expandable or not. I rarely use the feature, but when I do, it sure is handy. I'm also thinking that this bag will fit in the bins even when using some of the expansion space. I am concerned that it seems so much smaller in the "depth" dimension than my Kirkland, and the expansion could help with that. I also wish this was available without the laptop and tablet sleeves, which I will never use and just take up space, especially since they're padded. I'm also not sure what that rear compartment is good for, other than getting caught on the overhead bin.

Loren Pechtel

I don't travel nearly as much as many of you but I do have the FlightCrew 4 and I agree with the OP--heavy but good. I forget where I bought it, searching turned up a place that didn't ask if I really was flight crew. Why in the world do they even care?

Tesla1856

I know the platinum line from TP is much nicer looking but it is built less strongly - AND - it costs twice the flight crew bags. Maybe thats why they limit access - would cut into their profit margins ? or maybe people want prettier and lighter weight bags.

Loren Pechtel

Yeah, they would get fewer sales if people bought the durable stuff. I'm very much a do-what-works kind of person, I care little about what it looks like. I'm not making a fashion statement, I'm a programmer so dress codes are basically irrelevant. (At trade shows it immediately gets me identified as a techie rather than a manager, but I don't get considered a tire-kicker. At machinery shows it gets me identified as not interested in the machine, but in how to talk to the machine.)

planes&trains

Thanks OP. Anyone have any experience with this site? Prices appear to be a little lower.

https://www.flightattendantshop.com/...crew5-luggage/

I have had one too many B&R go for repair of late. Thought about time I try something else. But I may regret.