New Luggage

[JeffHatfield]

Getting ready to buy new luggage for the cruise this year since our old luggage is about wore out. What is the largest suitcase that can be taken on airlines, 30", 27", etc? We drive, but you never know when you might have to use it to fly and we don't want to get something that we can't use.

 

Galaxy 6/03, Carnival Pride 7/02, Voyager of the Seas 7/01, Grandeur of the Seas 07/00, Enchantment of the Seas 06/99, Carnival Destiny 7/98, Grandeur of the Seas 7/97, Sensation 6/96, Imagination 8/95, Carnivale 7/90, Festivale 7/89, Seaward (Norweigan Sea) 7/88, Carnivale 9/86

 

Next up, the Mariner 6/04.

[superjerryw]

I've seen some pretty big suitcases being checked in at the airport. They seem to be more concerned with the weight than the size. In any case you should check with the airlines you fly most frequently to see if they have a size restriction since it may vary from one airline to another.

 

 

Donuts, is there anything they can't do....

[pattiemax]

U.S. Air is 62" total height and width and not over 50 lbs

Pattie

 

Enchantment of the Sea May1,2004

[mheinrich]

We sell Atlantic Luggage here in our Travel Store and the only pieces I've ever had trouble with are the 30" pieces. We've stopped selling them in the store because so many people were reporting touble traveling with them.

[Grandma Dazzles]

The trouble with the really big cases is that you tend to make them too heavy - the case itself is heavy, plus you can pack more - most airlines are at the 50 lb. mark. Also, the measurements are taken around empty cases - not with all the outer pockets packed full. Would stay with 27 or 29" nothing bigger. We use 27 and fly a lot.

[dougp26364]

I believe it's actually 62" of height, length and width rather than just height and width. I have one case that is one or two inches outside the limits. For a few months, I watched airlines actually measure pieces of luggage. I think they caught so much grief over it that, unless it's grossly outside the limits, they don't say anything. We've used that case that is a couple of inches over for our last couple of vacations and they haven't said a word.

 

Weight, that's another matter. I still see them weighing and charging for overweight luggage. How touchy they are about seems to vary with airline and employee so you never really know for sure if that 1/2 pound over will get you charged or not.

 

For our money, looks like we'll be moving away from hardsided cases. At least the Samsonite case. We bought new cases maybe two years ago and the airlines have torn the corners out of almost all of them. I don't know what they're doing to them but they crack at the corner, then eventually get a nice hole in them. This after 8 to 10 trips. I may have owned them for 2 years but we've only flown with them four or five times per year.

 

As at is I'm starting to look for new bags. I think we'll go with some of the soft sided luggage and see how long it lasts.

 

Future cruises

Monarch OTS - Mexico Baja 1/05

Explorer OTS - Eastern Caribbean 11/04

 

Past cruises

Vision OTS - Alaska 7/03

Legend OTS - Alaska 7/02

[gene624]

In my proligate youth, I had beautiful real leather bags. The airlines took care of THAT for me and I went to Samsonite. The insides got ripped up pretty fast. Now I am going to try some soft sided bags. I don't think any of it holds up well.

Gene in Birmingham