trippinkpj

My daughter and I have had good luck with Costco, TJ Maxx and eBags for luggage.

SFImporter

BookChick (reply #2 above) - I have that same luggage and really like it. We bought it for a Europe trip where we were traveling fir RyanAir and EasyJet. It was the lightest stuff we could find and really helped with the weight restrictions over there.

It has held up surprisingly well - and since we chose the bags in purple (which I don't see any longer on the ebags website) - we NEVER get our bags confused or spend time staring at luggage tags as bags roll along the airport conveyor.

The only downside to these bags is that to get into them you have to open them up completely and the way the bags are configured your luggage is split evenly between the two sides. So we usually have to haul them onto a bed in order to open them.

They hinge at the bottom so they take up quite a bit of space when open.

On the plus side, they "nest" very well when not in use. It's like Russian dolls - very compact.

We get looks and comments every once in awhile because I really do think they look rather 21st Century compared to what's out there on the market.

Stephanie

any luggage with wheels would be good. second, find an unusual pattern for luggage because it is so much easier to find it when it comes on the ramp. qvc is a great place to find luggage. i got a nice hunter green floral tapestry set and got a nice Atlantic luggage set through ebay.

Miss_Maple

I also have Atlantic luggage, it's much older and not as good as the Pathfinder. I was told by the owner of the luggage shop that Atlantic has gone out of business. It features good design but alas, a victim of tough competition.

TTess

Our entire family has Travel Pro. It has lasted for several years with thousands of miles of travel - airlines and cruises - we think it's the best.

cantstayhome

Having had virtually every piece of luggage I have purchased in the last ten years get ruined in some fashion or other soon after purchase, I recently opted for a couple of pieces from LLBean after visiting their new store here in Massachusetts. Virtually a lifetime guarantee. Haven't given it a good workout yet, but it's getting tested this week.

starrsville

I bought a pricey rolling carryon from LLBean, monogramed and in navy (so it looks a bit different from the sea of black bags). VERY durable with lots of nice features. I love it.

cantstayhome

I got the giant rolling duffel (definitely not a carry on!) in the bright orange hawaii print. Can't miss that one coming off the carousel!

starrsville

I've got the giant rolling duffle in red. Great for ski trips or beach gear.

MareW

I've had good luck with Travelpro. Between my husband and I, we own four of their suitcases, all purchased from Luggageonline.com.

Juldie

I want to thank all of you for your responses to my question about choosing luggage.
My husband got a TravelPro rolling duffle that he loves. It has so many pockets and compartments which he likes a lot. I bought a 24# Pathfinder and am thrilled with the decison. We will get a second Pathfinder but not sure which size. Of all the luggage I researched, I like the layout inside the Pathfinder the best - great pockets and mesh compartment. I got the metallic and like the color. This year's model has a different expansion. There are no zippers for the expansion which is great.
I already took one flight with it and I loved it. So, thanks for the all of your postings.

mark99

Absolutely bullet proof Tumi for my carry on....but honestly it is mostly for style.

I have two other pieces (Samsonite) that I bought at least 19 years ago, and darling...they have seen a LOT of miles...and I mean super road warrior miles....and to this day they are in near perfect shape.

mitchdesj

I have Hartman and they are built to last; I also have a cheap samsonite carryon roller that has lasted as long so I'm not sure if paying more is justified.

tovarich

You cant go wrong with Samsonite.There indestructable.Paul

cantstayhome

I am afraid to say that Samsonite just isn't what it used to be. My hubby has a bag that he has used and abused since high school - we're getting into the 20 year time period here. We received a large one for a wedding present (it was huge and we rarely used it) - was destroyed on our second voyage with it. The internal metal frame bent horribly so that it cut down significantly on the usable space. Zipper broke, too, on second trip. Even though it was only our 2nd trip with it, it was past the warranty period (think it was only 1 year - sucks!).

I then gave Samsonite a second chance and bought a rolling carry-on. Handle broke within 5 uses. Cannot telescope the handle anymore and the zipper is not working well either. It will cost so much to fix the handle that it isn't worth doing so. Very irritating.

I am pleased with my recently purchased LL Bean luggage. Lifetime warranty (so they say, haven't had to test it yet), but my rolling duffle is heavier than I realized. Fully loaded, it was WELL over the 50 lb. limit on its recent real test run a couple of weeks ago. Need a smaller size, I guess....

starrsville

Noticed TravelPro in our most recent Tuesday morning circular.