My sister has Louis Vuitton suitcases and has had things stolen from them (not the entire suitcase) many times. I believe she does not use them so much anymore.

On a side note, I hated traveling with her when she used that luggage. I thought it was rather obnoxious all together - the LV suitcase, the LV carryon, the LV handbag.

ah fmpden, yes, sometimes the expensive luggage IS worth it. I looked at about 20 suiters before I bought my Tumi. It had absolutely nothing to do with 'image'. I looked at all brands and prices, and posted on Fodors immediately after my first trip with it:

I have to share. I just broke down and bought the $700 Tumi vertical suiter after I said I would never buy another Tumi.

It is the bomb.

Oh. My. God. The best CARRY-ON suiter I have ever owned. I know it is expensive, but you HAVE to check it out if you do a lot of 3 to 5 day business trips & like to go with just a carry on.

First off, it is 22inches and rolled easily down the aisle of the nyc-atl delta shuttle. Fit in the overhead with no problemo. But could be an issue on a small plane if you stuff the outside pouch too full.

Next, it held the following (and NOTHING was wrinkled or creased):

In the suit area-
2 suits on hangers
1 black tie top & pants on hanger (could have been a 3rd suit)
1 shirt on hanger
5 days worth of undergarments

In the bottom zip area-
6 or 7 shirts folded
1 pair of pants
5 pair socks
2 pair shoes

In the outer pouch -
Toiletries (I carry minimal because most of the hotels I stay in have what I need in the room, or I will buy anything liquid when I get there).

Happy Happy Happy!!!!!

A $700 SUITCASE !!! You have to be kidding. No rolling bag can be worth $700 unless it is lined with gold. Glad you enjoy it. We all have our priorties. None of my friends understand why I spent $2000 on custom bike. Now, that is truely worthwhile.

$2000 on a bike? It must be gold plated!

See, it is all relative. I probably use the suitcase more than you asume, so it is a worthwhile investment for me. Also, the way it is set up, I am able to arrive into town on a 10 AM flight, get to my hotel at the convention center, whip out a suit, and make it, fresh as a daisy, to a noon meeting. All my other suiters required the packing of a travel steamer and my shoes were always an issue. That alone, is worth its weight in gold. And never underestimate being able to roll down the aisle of a shuttle. That is the worst.

We had to buy an additional bag. We were traveling in New Zealand and very concerned about the weight allowance. We selected an inexpensive Rick Steves carryon - just a little over $100. It looks fine, it is less than eight pounds, and it works very well. We bought it in green which is easy to locate among all the black ones. We're happy with it.

I think I have that bag as well. The backdoor bag? The only issue is that because it is lightweight it does not have wheels and is completely unstructured--not good for suits. You may have a different one though.

I have medium priced 5 piece set of Atlantic luggage and it has been to Europe and Africa 3 times each. It is khaki green colored and only one (a 24" with wheels) has a gouge in it. Price doesn't really matter, look for how the zippers are concealed since they take the biggest beating. As for easy finding I have a one inch red ribbon about six inches long on each handle. Have not lost my luggage in years and no one has mistaken it for theirs.

Don't buy luggage with a black or dark interior! Lighting in hotels tends to be horrible and you can never see or find anything in a dark suitcase. I also find that none of them hold up worth a darn and features are alwasy improving, so I don't recommend "investment" purchases. Figure if you travel a lot it is a 3 year asset. By the way I am a big believer in those oversize ziploc storage bags. I pack an outfit in a ziploc and then it stays together and I can sort through multiple outfits easier. Also should you suitcase sit out on the runway in a rain storm you contents have a better chance of staying dry.

>>>$2000 on a bike? It must be gold plated! >>>>

Nooooo but sure rides like it is !!!!!