What would be your pick for the best luggage?
 

My luggage got ruined on a flight and I am getting reimbursed. I need to go out and buy luggage. Of course there are so many different manufacturers.

I am looking for something that is a good weight (not too heavy) and expandable. It is important that it be durable and that the wheels, handle and zippers are all reliable.

I would appreciate your suggestions. I also don't know if the better deals are on sale in the department stores, in Marshalls or TJ Max. If your luggage has served you well and held up nicely I would love to hear your suggestions. Thanks.

I found my luggage on eBags.com. Although hard-sided, the pieces are surprisingly light, and they are expandable, roll on wheels, and have telescoping handles.

http://www.ebags.com/international_t...?modelid=42537

Good luck,
BC

JC Penney's usually has their luggage sale around New Year's.

I bought a Pierre Cardin set that I'm happy with. On sale at JC Penney's, it was $99 for the 4 piece set. They are expandable and have the inline wheels with telescoping handles. They are also tapestry so are easy to locate at luggage pickup.

I bought a cheap set at Target once and it broke on the first flight.

There are a jillion posts about this.
Costco has a great 22" expandable to 24" that equated to our daughter's TravelPro she got as an FA. Tuesday Morning sells good luggage.

Any airline can ruin any luggage - whether it's cheap or expensive I think you are lucky if it can go undamaged for 3 trips (checked luggage that is).

There are 2 schools of thought about luggage. See where you fit in and that will narrow your choices.

1. Buy cheap luggage because either the airline will lose or damage it. If you want to go this route -- then simply select the nearest discounter.

2. Would like a stylish couple of pieces that would last for years. This as you can imagine, is the more expensive trail. When searching for my daughter (in her early 20's) -- it was quite startling at how many luggage stores have disappeared. Yes, you can shop online but it really helps when you make an investment to actually handle the product, tryout the zippers, and see the construction of the unit. Also, it helps to have knowledgable sales persons who also service the product.

Our final choice came to the Pathfinder Revolution series in Black Cherry. We have the 20" carryon and the 24" Trolley Suiter. It's beautiful and quality is excellant. She loves it!

I agree Lori on that any luggage can be damaged by an airline. In my case, the luggage itself wasn't damaged, it was just the wheel that was broken. In that instance, I felt it was more due to the luggage than the handling (especially since as I continued to tote it around, I was catching the remaining wheel on everything).

Miss Maple - Did you buy the Pathfinder on line or if in a store, which one?

people on our last trip had the set that bookchick posted. they loved it and the bags were super light. also, definitely stands out on the baggage carousel.

We purchased the luggage from Wilson Luggage in Ann Arbor. They had knowledgable staff, service what they sell (a broken wheel would be covered under warranty for instance) and they were just plain nice folks. Would let us look, zip and unzip as many of the bags that they carry. This brand has:
Polycarbonate 5-sided frame cellular memory frame technology -- which makes is very strong b

We purchased the luggage from Wilson Luggage in Ann Arbor. They had knowledgable staff, service what they sell (a broken wheel would be covered under warranty for instance) and they were just plain nice folks. Would let us look, zip and unzip as many of the bags that they carry. This brand has:
Polycarbonate 5-sided frame cellular memory frame technology -- which makes it a very strong bag. The zippers were super strong -- not wimpy at all and my daughter really like the storage pockets inside and classy lining.

In regards to color: I know folks love black but the Black Cherry has black accents so it can be coordinated with a black knapsack or laptop case. Also, we were kind of surprised at the number of red bags that is out on the baggage claim turnabouts -- but the Black Cherry has a deeper tone and doesn't scream RED at you. It is a color that you can love for many years to come.

This product can be found from an online vendor -- put Pathfinder Revolution in your search engine if you can't find a vendor near where you live. Good luck on your purchase.

Eagle Creek.

I like a piece that we purchased from QVC recently. It was CIAO and very durable!! My best advice however, is to purchase an unusual color. It is a sea of black and now red. I had purchased red thinking it would stand out. That was OK a few years ago, now red is in the mix!!

My Pathfinder has 100,000 miles of AA handling and still looks new.
I bought the whole set at Marshall's.

The Pathfinder sounds great. I am going to look for it locally. I would never get black. What I had was a dark plum color and just enough color to be noticeable.

Miss Maple, could you perhaps mean Wilkinson Luggage on Main Street? Those folks have been there for decades, and definitely know their stuff!

BC

10 years ago I bought a samsonite roller bag with the very small wheels on teh outside. It pulls on teh narrow side bottem...a little unstable at times. It has Obviously lasted..really..I swear Gorillas have jumped on it..I won't give it up for anything and it still looks new.
Wheels on the outside give you more room on teh inside...
I persoanlly prefer TUMI for large suitcase and for compute carry on brief cases..expensive but I buy it thru military exchanges at a pretty good discount so teh bullet proof material is worth it for me..

bookchick: Thank you.

Yes -- you are correct -- was replying off the top of my head -- it is Wilkerson Luggage, they are now located off Zeeb road (take Zeeb road exit off I-94).

www.wilkinsonluggage.com

They are very nice folks and it was a pleasure to visit their shop. They also carry Vera Bradley and Baggallini bags as well.

I'm on the road an average of at least once each month and I *love* my TravelPro bag, which I've had for at least 5 years now. It definitely meets all your criteria--extremely durable, expandable, relatively lightweight, etc. I frequently see FAs with the same bag.

TravelPro isn't cheap but you can often find good deals at department stores. We bought some additional pieces a few years ago at Bloomingdales for 50% off.

I have a 22" and 24" expandable. Each cost ~$50 and has lasted for years. I got one at JC Penny and one at Marshalls. Though I've also seen a nice selection recently at TJ Maxx.

What I would look for in brand new luggage is the LIGHTEST possible weight when empty. If they could invent a sturdy one that was on a couple lbs. for THAT I'd pay big money.