Luggage Recommendations Please

[hattack]

this is a very helpful thread which offers great options..to use my best reflective reading skills, based upon everyone's criteria what would be my best option

- I am going to take a trip to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama to purchase the best carry on bag possible for our trip next May to Venice for a Jazz Cruise (13 days total )..we will be flying BA (787 liner) and checking their website dimension for our larger carry on bag are 22in x 18 in x 10 in max (51 lbs), plus my Lowepro Slingshot camera bag..our hotel is 6 blocks from where we dock from the airport, travel to the HAL Westerdam from our hotel and then upon returning from the ship to the train station , for a quick post cruise side trip to Milan before flying home...have not been to Venice in 15 years but I do remember the cobble stone streets are uneven and our hotel does have a lift...am looking at the Eagle Creek Tarmac AWD 22 inch Carry On which does have spinner wheels

 

The Unclaimed Baggage Center Outlet (on any given day) may have a wide variety of brands...ironically on our drive back we will go right past a Samsonite Outlet Center (as a back up)

 

In your wisdom, what bag should I be looking for ...thanks...I already have had the conversation with my travel companion that I am treating her to the exact same bag that I am purchasing for her Christmas present which will include a packing lesson from my cousin who is a flight attendant that flies international routes for a major US Airline (if she has a spare one I just may ask to borrow hers)

[crystalspin]

So BA still has that crazy high allowed weight for carry-on?

 

Then there are some where the weight is something like 18lbs!

 

Of US domestic, Alaska Air was the best (most lenient) as of last June.

[UPNYGuy]

Ours are all TravelPro Platinum Magna 2 and Delsey. The newer Delsey pieces don't seem as impressive, as they are a thinner build. So as our Delsey bags fail, they are being replaced by the TravelPro Platinum Magna line (or whatever the equivalent will be)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Tom O.]

In your wisdom, what bag should I be looking for ...thanks..

 

I just recommend that you bring a small tape measure to see what the real measurement are, including wheels and handles. I like to have carry-ons that are slightly smaller than the allotted size. It makes it easier to get in some overhead bins.

[OlsSalt]

....

In your wisdom, what bag should I be looking for ...thanks...I already have had the conversation with my travel companion that I am treating her to the exact same bag that I am purchasing for her Christmas present which will include a packing lesson from my cousin who is a flight attendant that flies international routes for a major US Airline (if she has a spare one I just may ask to borrow hers)

 

Take your portable luggage scale and pick out the lightest, most volume and cheapest one you like.

[sambamama]

I heartily endorse Travelpro. And it comes in a number of colors-I have an olive piece, a tan piece, and a light burgundy piece. I bought a discontinued color of a Travelpro carryon at Sierra Trading Post over 10 years ago, and it is still going strong. It has compartments galore-in fact, I discovered a new one three years ago. All I buy now is the Platinum Magna line-it has a lifetime guarantee. All the Travelpro pieces I own have features galore-I love the hanging cosmetic bag that came with my carry on!In fact, I bought a 29 inch spinner today. Ebags does have good prices, but not always the best. Sometimes Black Friday and Cyber Monday are your friend, especially for pricier brands like Travelpro Magna, etc, where Luggage Factory Outlet and Luggage Pro had the cheapest prices by $70 or more. I now have the 50 inch garment bag, the 25 inch bag, my sturdy old carry on, and my new 29 inch piece. One way of avoiding the 50 pound limit (which I had to do on my way back from my TA) was to put as much as I could into my carry on and my backpack. That worked well, and I did buy things on the trip. I am sure I'd love Briggs luggage, but it's a bit out of my price range at this point.

[crystalspin]

I believe Salty was talking about the IT "Los Angeles" line of luggage. It is on sale right now for $139 for a 3 piece set. A real bargain.

 

Yes that's the one, or it's current equivalent, of which we have the carryons only. That is such a deal I (almost) want to snatch up the set and give another family member the 'extra' carryon! It's hard for me to imagine taking enough stuff anywhere to need as big a bag as either of the other two in the set, but if a couple did need to check bags (in a pay situation) a single bag between two people would make more sense, as long as it was kept below the weight allowance.

 

I love they come in other colors than black -- our current carryons are darker teal/turquoise and candyapple red. I bought my mom a light purple and my sister the light gray.

[hattack]

my GF :cool:suggested:cool: she can bring on board an empty carry on bag going, since we are going to Milan we can go there first where she can purchase an entire new 2017 fashion collection that she can wear on the cruise out of Venice and just check the suitcase on the way home:D:D I don't think so, I am the type of person that packs my oldest work out clothes and discard them to make room in my bag for gifts I bring home for my neighbors

 

of course if she is willing to pay for her shopping spree with her own $$$$$ she is free to do so with my Blessing...lol....She is now researching personal shopper tours in Milan

[take us away]

Am a true believer of rip-stop, rolling duffle bags including the 20" carry-on as have also had the tipping problem. They collapse to easily slide under the bed and am always amazed at how much fits in.

 

Hate to say this but have seen too many crushed hard sided pieces of luggage to consider these. Appreciate that some of the brands are better than others but still... Remember the luggage cages are huge and everything just gets dumped in.

 

Have found good deals on eBags and Amazon but do your comparison shopping. Today would be a great day as cyber-Monday.

Edited November 28, 2016 by take us away

[OlsSalt]

my GF :cool:suggested:cool: she can bring on board an empty carry on bag going, since we are going to Milan we can go there first where she can purchase an entire new 2017 fashion collection that she can wear on the cruise out of Venice and just check the suitcase on the way home:D:D I don't think so, I am the type of person that packs my oldest work out clothes and discard them to make room in my bag for gifts I bring home for my neighbors

 

of course if she is willing to pay for her shopping spree with her own $$$$$ she is free to do so with my Blessing...lol....She is now researching personal shopper tours in Milan

 

Having lived in Italy several years I quickly learned at that time the cut of women's clothes was very different from my expected American cuts - more high-waisted, thinner hips and far more generous in the bust. (Think Sophia Loren)

 

So she may or may not readily find things off the rack that fit the way she is accustomed. Unless she springs for custom made or alterations on short order too. However, looking for good Italian knits will help ease the sizing issues.

 

However, it sounds like a fun experiment and hope you report back with the results. I have often thought about doing that myself, particularly on trips to Asia where so many of our clothes are made anyway. But there you can run into far shorter "long" sleeves.

 

My favorite is finding thrift shop or resale stores abroad - less investment and sometimes terrific finds that last through many other trips.

Edited November 28, 2016 by OlsSalt

[Wendy-Europe]

I have samsonite suitcases, the material is called curv. They have a few series made of curv, cosmolite and firelite should be available in the US.

 

Lightweight and very resistent. Better than Rimowa.

Unfortunately expensive.

[hattack]

thanks for your fashion tips...I will pass on to my GF...we get along on a trip because I don't go shopping with her and she does not comment on my photography skills

[OlsSalt]

thanks for your fashion tips...I will pass on to my GF...we get along on a trip because I don't go shopping with her and she does not comment on my photography skills

 

Google Milan, thrift shops and resale shops and someone has done all the work for you if she wants to explore that fun route.

[RocketMan275]

We have a mix. Mrs K travels a lot for business and got hooked on Samsonite spinners when they first came out years ago for all of her luggage. Easier for her to handle by herself and they seem to have held up well. I like Delsey and now they've come out with spinners and I will most probably go that way as I need to replace luggage. My business travel has virtually disappeared so the wear and tear on my luggage is minimal. In either case we buy the majority of our luggage at Macy's when they have one of their very frequent sales.

 

Sams Club has Delsey EZ Lite 2 Piece Luggage Set for $109.