I'd say comparable, but cheaper and even lighter than the Delsey is the Skyway Sigma 2. I bought one for my mom from ebags, but they don't sell it anymore. I did find out here for $40:

http://www.luggage.com/Skyway-28680-VJ1001.html

Even though it's called a 22", it's more like 21-21.5". Well made and she's used it for several trips with no problem. The only minor complain is the zipper pulls. Hard to explain, but if the zipper pulls rest at a 90-degree angle from the direction of travel, it takes a little effort to get them back to the correct angle. Very very minor stuff.

Fishee:
I can only repeat what I wrote earlier about the Int'l Traveller microfiber bag. I was seriously considering getting one last year when I came across a display at Steinmart. I lifted it, rolled it around, and opened it. All was fine....until I turned a few of them over. I found golf ball sized dents, cracks and deep fissures at stress points. And these were just display models. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed.

Rimowa. Do a search on the internet - it is only sold two places in the U.S.

The polycarbonate version, not the metal kind. Takes a beating and keeps on traveling.

It's supposedly the lightest in the world. I've had mine now for four years and it has worked out fine. It is virtually weightless empty, and has withstood the horrors of my frequent travels (I'm gone more than I'm home, Africa, Asia, Latin America, you name it. It has been there)

Spleil,

I looked up those cases, and they really look interesting. The 22" case only weighs 6.4 pounds. Impressive, but so is the price. $345 for the shiny finish model.

:-)

Hey Jeanne,

I didn't realize you were talking about the soft-sided int'l traveller bag -- thought you were referring to the hard shell Delsey's which seem liable to cracking. I'll take another look at the bag, thanks for your input.

I apologize. I said microfiber, meant polycarbonate.

I'm pretty sure THIS is the model I saw with the cracks:
http://www.luggagepros.com/mpb/IID12584.shtml

A luggage question of a different vein...

I may need to ship my daughter's luggage home from the UK. I remember seeing something awhile ago about this - but, now I can't find it..

Anyone have any information?
Thanks in advance...

I've posted these before, but this list may be a bit out of date.

www.firstluggage.com 800-224-5781 (based in Britain.

www.excessbaggage.com 800-783-1085 (also in Britain) with a US agent Contour. www.contour-usa.com.

www.virtualbellhop.com

www.usxpluggageexpress.com 866-744-7224

www.luggageforward.com 866-416-7447.

None of these will be cheap, but Luggage Express used to list rates of about $85 for a 40 pound suitcase.

Thank you very much, I really appreiate your helpful information! Now on to the research...

Since I was the OP for this thread, I thought I should let you all know what I ended up with. The Delsey Helium line sounded interesting, but a bit beyond my budget at around $200. I finally saw one on EBay. I bid and got a Delsey Helium Breeze 21" Carry On for $31.99, plus $16 shipping.

I guess it pays to shop around! I'll let you know if it survives the shipping.

:-)

Costco has an excellent bag that we purchased as an adequate replacement for our daughter when she was a FA. FAs use TravelPro. This bag was $80.
I love my Atlantic 22". Got it at Tuesday Morning.

Gretchen,

I think that is the same bag I took to Europe in October. I got it at Costco, too, and it turned out to be sturdy and serviceable, but it was much too heavy! It weighed 12.5 pounds empty. Full, it weighed 23 pounds, so that meant the bag weighed more than the contents.

I'm in my seventies, and I really prefer that if I throw my back out it will not be while lifting bags onto overhead bins. Much rather do myself an injury wrestling escargot out of their shells.

:-)

I normally travel with my boyfriend's $350 hardcase 22" Samsonite until the wheels (increases the width) prevented it from fitting into BA's dimensions model at the gate. It's also really heavy -- like 12-13 lbs.

So, I bought this really inexpensive TravelPro frameless/microfiber spinner at Filene's and I really liked it for my London/Paris trip two weeks ago. It's light and I loved the 4 wheel spinner design (never buying a 2 wheel again). It was a breeze to get through turnstiles and the narrow aisles in the plane and it's relatively effortless to roll it next to you (on all 4 wheels) rather than dragging it behind you on two.

http://www.luggagepros.com/mpb/IID11751.shtml#

The set was separated at Filene's so I bought the small carry-on on for $45.

The Cons: -- wheels and handle are a cheap plastic that doesn't feel sturdy but this probably contributes to its lightness (and it being $45). I'm considering replacing the wheels with those rollerblade wheel kits someone posted.

Pros: light, easy to maneuver, cheap, fits a ton of stuff (more than my BF's Samsonite) and yet still fits into the carry-on model at the gate (if it's not overstuffed or expanded).

I easily fit 10 days worth of winter clothing (thick sweaters, etc), a pair of boots, my flat iron, several books, and a full length wool coat into the bag without having to expand it. I carried it on without a problem and took the metro/tube to/from my airports without a problem.

When I checked the bag on the way home, I was relieved to see the wheels hadn't broken off and the bag was intact.

If I had more money, I'd be interested in this spinner Samonsite bag which looks very sturdy and is well priced for the brand at $120:

http://tinyurl.com/yl6xcc

I assume you are talking about the 22" one? I'll have to try those out, but the basic dimensions are bigger than airlines' standards alone (totalling 46"), let alone those template things which are usually smaller.

Hey Christina,

The bag fit almost perfectly into BA's sizer when I checked in at Prague and the agent was surprised when I got it in without even much shoving. There's something about it's soft-sided molding and frameless design that somehow makes it malleable.