You might want to try lands end they make some nice luggage I have had my garment bag for over 10 yrs 5-7 trips a year; BA once broke my bag(the zipper blew out) they paid to have it fixed and paid postage both ways.....not bad in my books...............

Don't be that quick to write off Pathfinder. I have had some of the so called high quality bags and I have to say my Pathfinder is holding up well. I did a comparrison between Tumi and Pathfinder and after all the chips fell, the Pathfinder won in terms of quality, workmanship, materials and design. The Pathfinder expanding system beats all bags out there in terms of securing the expanding feature. Be sure to check the Pathfinder out. I am sure you will be impressed. BTW, I did not get mine from a discount store, I went to a luggage shop and compared the Pathfinder (24" roller) to a Tumi, side by side.

If you're looking for a "hardside" bag, the "Travel Vault" from Atlantic Luggage is value for money. I've got one that has held up (at an elite ff level) very well for two years. If you shop around you can find one at 1/3 the price of a Tumi. They're great!

All above advice is good. Be sure to "try on" the piece before you buy. I was going to purchase Briggs & Riley but found the pull-out handles were tooooo long for me.

I've had good luck with using my husband's Atlantic Travel Vault, also my own Skyway and TravelPro softsides. Like another poster above, I've had my Lands' End Lighthouse garment bag for 10+ years and it looks almost new (lots of car trips, never checked on airline).

I have bought several items (maybe a dozen) from ebags.com and found their prices and delivery time to be excellent. They have great closeout prices on Eagle Creek accessories. Also, they frequently run "free shipping" promotions and I always wait to buy until then.

After reading this thread, and the related one , I'm convinced that Briggs & Riley is the way to go, at least for carry on rollers. I am in the market for 4 for a family east coast & europe trip in the next few months.

I was unable to find much of anything on sale, until I looked at the company website, outlet store,
http://briggs-riley.com/outlet.htm#Tote
where I found an 30% savings on an 18incher w\no shipping charge.

I spoke w\ the salesman, and ended up buying 3 more of varying sizes and configurations all for 30% or more off retail, and free shipping. Since most websites don't have briggs & riley on sale, and don't accept coupon codes for b&r purchases, this appears to be the cheapest way to go.

For the wise (long-term) shopper:

Tumi guarantee:

Is this a lifetime guarantee?
It is important to note that our guarantee is not an unconditional guarantee for the life of the product. Tumi is made from the finest materials available under our exacting manufacturing standards. But, like any other product, it is not indestructible. Therefore, our guarantee does not cover product damage that may result from abuse or mishandling of the product. (If an airline or other carrier damages your luggage, you should immediately file a damage claim with the carrier.) We also do not cover incidental or consequential damages, such as loss or damage to the contents of the bag.

Briggs and Riley guarantee:

If your Briggs & Riley bag is ever broken or damaged, even if it was caused by an airline, we will repair it free of charge. Simple as that!

Just give us a call at 888-HMB-BAGS and we'll give you all the information that you need to bring or ship your bag to an Authorized Repair Center. You can also find an Authorized Repair Center here on our website. Please note that you are responsible for any freight charges incurred when shipping your bag to a repair center.

Our "Simple as that" warranty will cover the repair of all functional aspects of your Briggs & Riley bag for life. We will continue to repair your bag even if you decide to purchase a new Briggs & Riley product with the latest performance innovations. Naturally, our warranty does not cover cosmetic wear or cleaning, nor does it cover the replacement of lost or stolen bags and/or its content. If your bag or its contents are damaged by an airline and you wish to hold them responsible, we suggest that you file a claim with the carrier before leaving the airport. If you choose not do this and instead wish for us to repair your bag, we will be happy to do so at no charge.

And that's that.

I own four pieces of B-R luggage (bought at about half the Tumi cost) and have no complaints.

Highly recommended.

Mike

I appreciate all your replies. SEveral people have replied about roll on bags, but I already have one of those I'm happy with. What I'm looking for is a big bag (26") for week long trade shows and that sort of travel. This bag will always be checked so will have to withstand abuse that the average roll-on will never see.

I looked at a bunch of bags today; Pathfinder's best stuff, Briggs & Reilly and TravelPro Platinum 3. While I like the B&R guarentee, the bags just weren't all that impressive. Most of the hardware was riveted instead of screwed, the material didn't seem as durable and the bags certainly weren't as roomy as a comparable TravelPro or Pathfinder. I haven't looked at the current Tumi offerings in this size yet so I can't comment. The Pathfinder does seem to have a sturdier expansion part as compared to the TravelPro and it locks in place as does the B&R, but the Pathfinder's wheels are unsupported on the outside edge, which was a complaint I had on my old Costco bag. When full, the axels would flex and the bag would hang up on stuff more easily. This doesn't seem as big a deal on a roll-on but is a concern on a loaded 26" bag IMHO.

So far the TravelPro Platinum is my leading candidate, although the B&R warranty sure seems attractive, but their construction seems like it the warranty would be more necessary and the bag just won't hold as much.

What about the big, wheeled, folding garment bags? How they compare to a 26" pullman style bag? Any opinions? Are tehy space efficient for their bulk, or are they just a gimmick?

Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond.

jmx

PS: While the sales person denied that there was any connection between Pathfinder and the Costco Kirkland Signature bags, but the interior fabric, extension handle, Ballistic Nylon material and identifying (branding) tag as well as the wheel assemblies sure seemed identical as did the honeycomb frame material which is what failed (fractured) on my Costco bag.

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A man's got to know
his limitations

[This message has been edited by jmxcpter (edited 03-05-2003).]