Intrepid1

The Pilot Expandable carry-on is currently on sale at the ContainerStore...you might get it even cheaper elsewhere or at one of the on-line sites such as E-bags or 1800luggage.

I swear by my Eagle Creek (and my Briggs + Riley) luggage..well-made, good guarantees, and the Pilot expandable, which I have, is really nice.

I wouldn't buy any luggage (and don't) if I couldn't get it at a discount, however.

amp322

Bought a set of Tumi about 8 years ago at a discount luggage store. Back then, you could bring huge suitcases overseas, without being charged extra. After 9/11, I was forced to use my smaller sized bags, especially when flying to Europe. The main area of wear & tear on all my Tumi bags has been the handle areas. I wrote to the company, and they sent out a replacement handle within a week - no charge. Excellent service!! The nylon is very durable, and the wheels are super sturdy, which makes a BIG difference in the life of the luggage. I have schlepped my bags all over the world, and logged some serious mileage on them, and they can take the abuse. They are a little frayed around the edges, but are still very solid. I recommend the brand, if you have the money.

xpi6tiva

I purchased a Tumi piece a few years ago and didn'[t hold up well. The fabric pulls easily when put into contact with anything catchy like velcro.

I have had a few Victronix luggage pieces, made by swiss army. I love them! They have survived a few European trips and still look new! Plus, vailable in bright colors I never have to guess if it's mine.

JeanneB

Intrepid:

I'm considering the Eagle Creek Point A Expandable which looks very similar to the Pilot you said you've used.

Here's a link to a Point A: Isn't it about the same?
http://tinyurl.com/d53xo
This is the only site with an inside view. (I can't figure out what those two smaller images are).

It's so light! Must be the nylon construction. I also like the built in straps to hold contents snug and take pressure off zippers.

Would you recommend it? We'll be on and off Italian trains and I really want a light bag that will hold up.

travelbunny

My SO has a Tumi. He is a road warrior. The beauty of the Tumi is its wear factor. To illustrate, after 10 years and probably 600 flights many of which were multiple legs, his bag "died". He borrowed my samsonite and it was totally destroyed within a year. He replaced his with a Tumi, and he gave me a Travel Pro Platinum. I think my TP is as good as his as I do not travel as much as he did. I would spend the additional $$ only if I were a very, very FF.

gomiki

I love my Delsey 22" expandable. I think 7-8 pounds, compartments...I think I paid $30 at TJ Maxx last year. The store has lots of luggage at great prices. Today they have a gorgeous leather Italian brand (don't remember name) for $329..list $549. I think it will be on sale

gomiki

Whoops..not for me. I just can't see it selling for that price at TJ Maxx.

JeanneB

TJM, Marshall's and Ross have some good buys here, no Tumi's or Victorinox though.

I like several things about that Eagle Creek bag: It's light enough that I could take a 24" and VOW not to stuff it full. It looks soft, but I roll everything in separate bags so wrinkling isn't a concern.

I like the outside straps. I don't care about pocket styles, tho these seem fine. Did I mention how light it is?!

Color choices aren't great. I found this not-so-pretty blue/grey one for $104. It looks like a great buy to me and I would trade color for a pain free back any day!
http://tinyurl.com/duj4b

Gretchen

Costco has a total look alike of a TravelPro 22" expandable. The TP is the brand that flight attendants use. I bought an Atlantic 22" expandable 5 years ago (for $49.95 at Tuesday Morning) with a good bit of travel since. It is still in pristine condition.
I know weight counts but it has rollers.

JeanneB

My Marshall's store has that Atlantic bag, but it's considerably heavier...almost 4 lbs more than the 24" Eagle Creek. Of course, the concern is always: what am I giving up for the lighter weight? The soft sides/straps on the EC make it seem unlikely to bust. Zippers are my concern.

Gretchen

The thing I like about a 22" bag, expandable is that I pack in the 22" and then have room for souvenirs when expanded. The 22" will go in the overhead if you want to deal with that. I also think Tumi, Hartman, Fendi, Louis Vuitton are BIG targets for theft.

JeanneB

I'm considering both: 22" and 24". I already have a 24" I love, but it's too heavy for this trip. I don't "carry on" but trains are a pain. It would make sense to supplement with a 22", but this is a January trip and will involve bulkier clothing than I usually take. I'm torn on the size.

I think this bag is ugly enough that theft won't be a concern.

Intrepid is the only Fodorite I've come across who apparently has used this bag. I'm just waiting to hear from her (him?), especially regarding the zippers.

JeanneB

I just measured my "big" 24" and (un-expanded) it's
24 x 16 x 11.5

The Eagle Creek 24" is considerably smaller..which may help me decide in it's favor
24 x 15 x 8

Seamus

And now from the loyal opposition - I have abandoned luggage brands. Having tried Tumi, TravelPro and the others, I really haven't seen enough difference to justfy the cost. In fact, I actually avoid TravelPro after two instances of zipper failure that the company declined to repair. The longest serving bag I have is a real cheapie lightweight 24" roller I bought many years ago at Target, planning to use it as one time and then dump it. Lo and behold, it is still in service and gets a lot if use. The next in line in terms of durability is a 22" Lark rollaboard. What I have learned is that no matter the bag, packing technique is the deciding factor in how things fare in transit. What works for me is to fold or roll neatly, wrap in dry cleaner bag or zip locks and use those tie down straps.

JeanneB

I ordered the 24" Eagle Creek. Ebags no longer had the $104 price they had last night. It was up to $115 and only available in blue.

But I was able to get 1800luggage.com down to $112 with their guarantee to beat any price...and they had it in granite. With free shipping, I'm perfectly happy...and my back will thank me later!

I'll try to remember to post a review after I get back in February.

Robespierre

When I saw "Luggage Question: Tumi," the first thought I had was:

Tumi, or not Tumi: that is the luggage question.

JeanneB

LOL! I took me a minute.

Put another way:

Tu Mi or not Tu Mi.
That is the question.

walkinaround

i've had tumi bags...received as gifts. no, i not think they are worth the money. all bags look dirty and worn after being checked on just one flight, thrown in a dirty taxi boot, etc. i bought my last roller while visiting the US...at tj maxx or marshalls. it's a swiss army thing that i got for $20 (perhaps priced wrong but i'm sure priced normally far below $75). i've had it for two years now and there is no sign of breakdown (i travel by plane almost weekly and always check it in).

Tumi is better constructed than your average decent quality bag (ie swiss army, delsi, atlantic, etc) but not so much to justify the cost difference...clearly you are paying for the name and the good customer service/guarantee that is described here.

i would never buy a cheaply constructed bag but these days, the average bag that you can get cheaply at tkmaxx/tjmaxx has a decent zipper, nylon and wheels. in most things, my philosophy has always been to buy higher quality, take good care of it and make it last a long time rather than buying cheap and throwing it away. however, with luggage, i would rather use a decent bag for 5 years and then chuck it rather than pay $300 for a bag that may last 10 years (with a trip or two back to the manufacturer). i want a neat looking bag for business travel but i don't want one that screams "expensive". i can't be bothered to send luggage back when it needs service to extend its life.

for personal travel, i usually use a rucksack and will pay more for a higher quality one as the suspension system is better and there is a comfort factor. for rollers, all decent ones with rollerblade wheels handle about the same. the main difference in the tumi is the attention to detail in construction (perhaps slightly longer life) and the tumi name.

Luisah

<<Guenmai took the words right out of my mouth. I was in TJ Maxx yesterday in Florida and saw a Victorinox Werks bag there but didn't look at the price since I am trying to kick the habit.>>

Me too! In fact, I've been staying out of TJM because I'm weak.

I don't think Tumi is worth the price unless you get a great buy. My sister just replaced her Tumi (worn out after five-six years) with bought Victorinox bought at Marshalls.
I wonder if Tumi's quality has fallen off in recent years. The loyal posters seem to have had it for a long time. Also, until recently it was not available in TJM, which makes me wonder.

Victorinox looks sturdy and has a 10 durability rating but I don't know the weight. There are different lines of TravelPro, such as Walk About Lite, so you may find one that meets your needs. The Platinum is heavy and I'd avoid the lowest priced ones though.

My favorite of many pieces is Andiamo --lightweight, sturdy, well-made in the U.S. I got a good deal on it a few years ago and it's held up very well, but I haven't seen any bargains lately.
If you do go to Marshalls, T.J's or other discount stores check the quality, as well as the weight. I have friends who thought they had a bargain until the handle came off in the airport. Have you seen the recent commercial? Wheels, handles etc. coming off. It does happen.
The worst thing that I saw was women's underwear coming by on the carrousel at CDG. When the suitcase came along the top had split open and the clothes had fallen out. I still wonder how that happened.

I think this may be a good time to buy. Some of the manufacturers are coming out with new lines so there are lots of closeouts on the current lines. Check some of the discount web sites.

walkinaround

>>>>
I wonder if Tumi's quality has fallen off in recent years. The loyal posters seem to have had it for a long time. Also, until recently it was not available in TJM, which makes me wonder.
>>>>

good point...perhaps it's just another high end company that discovered that they could make more money by cheapening the quality (and/or made in china) and flooding the discount market....like north face, etc.