Whenever I connect in SFO en route to LAS, my aluminum Rimowa looks fine when I recheck it in SFO and is severely dinged when I retrieve it in LAS. Perfect record - 10/10. It's gotten to the point where the guy at the United office in LAS welcomes me back by name ;-)

Baggage treatment seems about the same world-wide, although experience leads me to suspect Sky Harbor was the site of the Western Hemisphere Baggage Damage Academy, since moved to Lost Guardia.

1. Expensive bags may last longer than cheap ones but not by much.

2. Long ago, discovering a discount store going out of business, I bought a dozen carryons in Navy, Forest Green and Black for $5 each (the sort that retail for $39.95 or so). A little personalizing with a little "Day-Glo" duct tape on the handles, a lot of traveling since, and I still have 4 left, even after giving away a couple to "damaged in transit" friends.

It's ok if the bags take a beating. It's not too good if it shows.

I've got a metal Rimowa so it picks up little dents and dings all the time but two if its biggest scars were in the US - one of which must have taken some serious force! But I put this down to chance rather than it being specific to the US.

I threw a little bit of a wobbly at what I thought was a dodgy luggage practice at LAX. You checked your bags in and some guy wheeled them through the airport and crowds to god knows where. So much for security. What if someone touched it or put something in it. After I'd had a whinge about it I thought..."crap.. my luggage will end up in Timbuktu instead of YVR". I also got singled out for a full body search! lol My bags arrived safely in YVR which surprised the heck out of me!!!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/...i/CIMG0029.jpg

I feel your pain, OP.;)


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/south...y-luggage.html

The only time I've had a case ruined completely was on a BA flight to IAD. It hardly held together so went straight to the "desk" where the very nice lady said "You can either fill in this form and we will replace it for you or you can choose from our selection here" pointing to a doorway behind her. I took the form but am still wondering where the "selection" came from

After about 10 domestic trips my checked luggage truly looks like hell. The most recent destruction incident coming back from was the most bizarre and I think it may have been TSA. I have a Samsonite Hyperspace Garment Spinner (love it by the way) and during that trip that bag came out rather scuffed and inside that hard plastic hanger holder was broken. It was full so I guess it is feasible somehow if it experienced enough torque thru handling that the plastic snapped but its a pretty thick piece of plastic.

We try to never check bags and travel light with only backpacks. If you have to check a bag...pray its not raped by the baggage handlers, as they seem to have an affinity for anally raping my luggage

Checking bags is tough on them, though I cannot say I have noticed any difference between the US and EU. I did start buying more expensive, lightweight plastic-type spinners from some name brands. They are pretty scarred, but I think they have held up better, and the main difference is in the spinner wheels and the handles, which broke pretty quickly on the cheaper ones.

That's why I ended up getting B&R luggage. Airline breaks it? They replace it , no questions asked.