What luggage brand do you have?

[Kilnwood]

When my mother died in 1994, I "inherited" 11 pieces of Hartmann walnut tweed that looked as though they had never been used even though she travelled frequently. I have no idea how much each piece cost back then, but it definitely was outside my budget. I've travelled all over the world using various pieces depending on the trip, cruise, etc, and I don't know how I ever travelled "before Hartmann!"

 

DH is a devoted fan of the LL Bean Sportman's Luggage Collection, and Bean's has been great when it comes to additional luggage tags, repairs, etc.

 

As an aside, whenever I'm at an airport baggage claim and pull a piece of the Hartmann off the carousel, it seems that a porter instantly materializes. A stranger standing beside me at the carousel told me, "if you can afford Hartmann luggage, porters assume you have enough money to tip them decently."

 

HAPPY CRUISING!

[pdmlynek]

As an aside, whenever I'm at an airport baggage claim and pull a piece of the Hartmann off the carousel, it seems that a porter instantly materializes. A stranger standing beside me at the carousel told me, "if you can afford Hartmann luggage, porters assume you have enough money to tip them decently."

...

 

And that is why I try to always use the most plain-looking luggage that I can. It does not attract attention of the wrong people, be they thieves or porters. I know that both thieves and porters need to make money to feed their families, but I'd rather prefer that it not be on my dime.

[pdmlynek]

...Finally, those luggage deals where you see the piece marked down from $400 to $200 and then a further discount. Well, they never really sold for $400 to begin with, it's always been $400, marked down to $200 and then a percentage off. Hopefully a deep discount, because that is what it is worth most of the time. I don't even trust a designer name, just because it says Ricardo of Beverly Hills, or Tommy Hilfiger or Kenneth Cole does not mean it's a quality piece. I once saw a piece of luggage in a Kate Spade store, her name on it and it wasn't made any better than the Ricardo of Beverly Hills piece you can pick up at a Ross or TJ Maxx for $60-80. It was marked @ $700 :eek:

 

 

Thank you for all your contributions on luggage, Happy'! it is good to hear all the tips from a person who works in that industry.

 

Although I would be probably your worst customer (some of my luggage that I use goes back 30+ years, my carryon I picked up on a garage sale for a Dollar and fixed it in my machine shop), I've always wondered: why do luggage manufacturers not clearly mark the volume of the luggage? They often note a liner measurement, or the weight of the empty lugguage but the volume (either in cu in or liters) tends elusive. :mad:

[BlueRiband]

What's funny about that is TravelPro either gives the luggage to flight crews, or very deeply discounts it for them. We no longer sell the brand, I did have one piece years ago and it was fine, I gave it away a couple years back.

 

I'm not a paid endorser but their 22in and 29in cases have held up well for me. The 22in one has mainly been used as a carry on in airline overhead bins but of course the 29 incher has only gone through checked baggage or porter handling. A major New York retailer has luggage discounts in the fall, although a promotion can often be found from an online seller.

[crooooze]

Great insight. Thanks, all, for your helpful comments!

[margeecruiser]

Hi -- We have Atlantic brand luggage and have used it for at least 15 years. Many, many cruises and plane trips. We have had 2 repaired with new wheels, and a new zipper pull on one. These are a tapestry pattern, so are very easy to spot in luggage areas. I got the first pieces at Macy's, I think, but on sale. I got more pieces on-line from ebags and then some more at ridiculously low prices at close-out from department stores. Because of the tapestry pattern was changed after several years, the stores sold their left-overs for about $20. I have a very large hanging garment bag that folds in the middle and straps to together, a very large (26-28") that is too heavy for plane travel, a medium size 28", a small 22", and 2 totes. After all the changes in plane requirements, we now use the garment bag and the medium size as well as 2 roll-aboards from some other maker for our cruises. These pieces will last forever and are not showing wear and tear yet.:)

[calliopecruiser]

Yes, my old Travelpro case held up wonderfully for over 15 years, but when I looked to replace it with another Travelpro, I was not impressed......i think the quality has really declined. That's when I switched to an MEC rolling duffel.

[Happy ks]

Thank you for all your contributions on luggage, Happy'! it is good to hear all the tips from a person who works in that industry.

 

Although I would be probably your worst customer (some of my luggage that I use goes back 30+ years, my carryon I picked up on a garage sale for a Dollar and fixed it in my machine shop), I've always wondered: why do luggage manufacturers not clearly mark the volume of the luggage? They often note a liner measurement, or the weight of the empty lugguage but the volume (either in cu in or liters) tends elusive. :mad:

 

 

Probably because people pack so differently and depending on where they are going (Alaska vs Caribbean) size in volume of what will be packed can vary drastically. The volume is easily used up by heavier weight clothing or lots of shoes. Or over the door shoe holders and collapsible laundry hampers people on here sometimes like to pack. So...a 27 inch case would be too much for a light packer, not enough space for people who have the need to pack every little thing.

 

We do have a tape measure and will happily measure the inside space of a piece for customers and figure out the volume ourselves. Then they ask us "how much can I pack in this and still keep it under 50 lbs.?". I'm guilty of the blank stare, a tiny petite woman could probably get enough clothing into a 25 inch case to last a couple of weeks, a 6'5" heavy set man could only get enough in there for 3/4 days, I really don't know. Duffels are usually the only pieces with volume measured for you. My standard answer is "it depends on how you pack".

 

Or, I get this all the time. People come in with the measurements they get from international airlines, typically smaller than domestic airlines. When we show them those cases, they say "that's too small, show me something else". We comb the store for the perfect 18 - 20 inch case, showing every brand and they reject all of them. Then, they see a 24 inch case and say "that's the size I need!", we have to break their hearts and tell them the case is too big.

 

Airlines are starting to come down on the typical 22" carry on case. For years it has been the standard size for domestic carry on. Now, we're getting feedback that these pieces have to be gate checked and there is a charge for the piece. People like to travel encumbered with stuff and they like to have a lot of clothing. Travel is changing and lots of people don't like it, no longer can you board a plane with 2 huge carry ons, a tote bag, shopping bags etc...

 

I also read where people say to pack valuables in your carry on and I don't do that any longer. I pack the valuables in my purse since I have had my carry on taken and gate checked a couple times.

[Happy ks]

When my mother died in 1994, I "inherited" 11 pieces of Hartmann walnut tweed that looked as though they had never been used even though she travelled frequently. I have no idea how much each piece cost back then, but it definitely was outside my budget. I've travelled all over the world using various pieces depending on the trip, cruise, etc, and I don't know how I ever travelled "before Hartmann!"

 

DH is a devoted fan of the LL Bean Sportman's Luggage Collection, and Bean's has been great when it comes to additional luggage tags, repairs, etc.

 

As an aside, whenever I'm at an airport baggage claim and pull a piece of the Hartmann off the carousel, it seems that a porter instantly materializes. A stranger standing beside me at the carousel told me, "if you can afford Hartmann luggage, porters assume you have enough money to tip them decently."

 

HAPPY CRUISING!

 

Treasure those pieces, they are wonderful! We had an original hat box come in last week for a handle repair, it looked unused. I opened the piece (we all marveled at it) and you could tell the lining had aged a bit. I'd bet that piece was at least 30 years old. Its hard to find a real hat box these days (I think Tumi makes one for around $2000), plenty of cardboard hatboxes around, I love the real ones.

 

Hang around luggage long enough and you become a luggage snob :p

 

I do disagree with the person who stated if you have expensive luggage, you're marked for theft or tagged by porters. The response we get from people regarding expensive luggage is fairly typical if they haven't priced out luggage before. They don't know the difference between a discount store brand and a piece of Tumi. I think thieves have no clue, they just grab a piece and go, wishing for the best.

 

It's like locking your luggage, some people think a lock on luggage is a marker for something expensive in the piece. Personally, I think just like the above, a thief will grab and go regardless of lock or no lock. I lock my luggage to keep the zipper pulls together, I'm not fooled they are a crime deterrent. There may be a time where a thief has only moments of opportunity and they will go the path of least resistance and get into the unlocked cases.

[Happy ks]

Hi -- We have Atlantic brand luggage and have used it for at least 15 years. Many, many cruises and plane trips. We have had 2 repaired with new wheels, and a new zipper pull on one. These are a tapestry pattern, so are very easy to spot in luggage areas. I got the first pieces at Macy's, I think, but on sale. I got more pieces on-line from ebags and then some more at ridiculously low prices at close-out from department stores. Because of the tapestry pattern was changed after several years, the stores sold their left-overs for about $20. I have a very large hanging garment bag that folds in the middle and straps to together, a very large (26-28") that is too heavy for plane travel, a medium size 28", a small 22", and 2 totes. After all the changes in plane requirements, we now use the garment bag and the medium size as well as 2 roll-aboards from some other maker for our cruises. These pieces will last forever and are not showing wear and tear yet.:)

 

Yes, my old Travelpro case held up wonderfully for over 15 years, but when I looked to replace it with another Travelpro, I was not impressed......i think the quality has really declined. That's when I switched to an MEC rolling duffel.

 

This is typical of what is built today vs what was constructed years ago. Luggage companies sell, their new owners rely on the name brand and they cut cost and quality. If you have an older piece that you prefer to use, hang onto it and have it repaired. Pack lighter weight garments to ease the weight of the case. You will more than likely never be able to find that quality at that price again.

 

People are now more concerned with weight more than anything else when purchasing luggage. Yes, luggage is lighter in weight now, but at a substantial loss in quality. The reason older luggage weighs more is that is has structure, heavy duty wheels, heavier fabric, heavy duty zippers, heavy duty pull handles. All that strength adds weight to a piece.

 

Tumi has lightened the load on some pieces but sells them as "lighter weight". They still make their most popular pieces the old fashioned way and it is heavy. It's also our best selling brand, along with Rimowa and...the Rimowa line that sells best is the heavier style (Salsa Deluxe) as you can see the quality vs. the lighter cases.

[Happy ks]

Yikes, I feel like I'm at work.

[greatam]

When my mother died in 1994, I "inherited" 11 pieces of Hartmann walnut tweed that looked as though they had never been used even though she travelled frequently. I have no idea how much each piece cost back then, but it definitely was outside my budget. I've travelled all over the world using various pieces depending on the trip, cruise, etc, and I don't know how I ever travelled "before Hartmann!"

 

 

I, too, have Hartmann tweed luggage. 3 pieces but what gets used the most is the 50" mobile traveler (suitcase/garment bag). I have spent a lot of time working in the Middle East war zones in the last 5 years. In and out of military helicopters, dragging the bag through the unpaved FOB's (forward operating bases) to my tent (no porters in the war zones), thrown into convoys with a lot of Army duffle bags and other stuff.

 

It has truly taken heavy abuse (much worse than any airline baggage handlers) and is still intact and looks like new other than all the stickers on it from airports around the world and Military logistics. Hartmann repair in Phoenix told me they could get the stickers off. I am not sure I want them off. Kind of a badge of honor with Military stickers into BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) and Kabul. Always a conversation starter with airport check in agents. And a testament to the quality of luggage that survives the war zones.

 

I also fly for business over 100,000 miles per year. I swear by my Hartmann luggage. Yes, it is pricey, yes it is heavy. But it has taken massive abuse and still is in almost new condition. For the average traveler, it would last a lifetime.

[crooooze]

I swear by my Hartmann luggage. Yes, it is pricey, .

 

Wow, I just googled it. It certainly is out of my price league. Makes me wonder if one can find some of these gems at a yard sale.

[wwcruisers]

Wow, I just googled it. It certainly is out of my price league. Makes me wonder if one can find some of these gems at a yard sale.

 

Or maybe E-bay or Craigslist? That's where I'll probably have to go, when I finally have to replace the vintage Samsonite train case that I've had for four decades. :cool:

[Ron_L]

Briggs and Riley. Rolling garment bag has over 500,000 air miles on it and going strong and 34" upright is approaching 300,000 air miles and going strong.

[greatam]

Or maybe E-bay or Craigslist? That's where I'll probably have to go, when I finally have to replace the vintage Samsonite train case that I've had for four decades. :cool:

 

There are a couple of sellers on Ebay that sell NEW Hartmann tweed mobile travelers for about 1/2 price of retail. I bought the 2nd mobile traveler from an Ebay seller. It came in the original Hartmann box just like would be delivered to a retail store. Complete with warranty and luggage tag which can be monogrammed by Hartmann.

 

Hartmann is right now having a sale on their Intensity line. 20% off which makes the prices much more reasonable. http://www.hartmann.com/shop/products-type-GarmentBags-collection-all&filterString=Luggage_Garment%5EBags

 

$562 for the 50" mobile traveler Intensity is still expensive but with the lifetime, unlimited warranty (other than cosmetic damage and lost/stolen bags), it makes Hartmann bags truly a lifetime purchase. http://www.hartmann.com/shop/images%5Cpdf%5CHartmann_Absolute_Assurance_Guarantee.pdf

 

Those rolling garment bags are truly a one bag trip. I use regular wire hangers with dry cleaner bags to hang up just about everything except lingerie and t shirts. I can put about 8 hangers on each end of the bag with khakis, tops and a couple of fancy dresses. Still have room for a couple of pairs of shoes, underwear and misc. Bag very rarely is over 50 pounds and I never weigh until I get to the airport.

 

As for finding them at yard sales-small towns, yes. Large cities-probably not. Ebay and Craigslist sellers hunt them down because they can be sold used for relatively high prices on Ebay. I found a foldover Hartmann tweed garment bag at a swap meet about 7 years ago. I didn't like it because it had to be carried over your shoulder. I sold it on Ebay for $75.00. I paid $10 at the swap meet. But keep looking, particularly in higher dollar retirement areas. There is a LOT of Hartmann in Sun City, AZ and other upscale retirement communities, certain areas of Florida and Texas. Good luck!!!

[14Terry]

We use the High Sierra brand! And we LOVE them! Rollers, extending handles, and has straps to use a backpacks. Very durable.

[bus man]

I've been satisfied with the set of Ricardo of Beverly Hills that I bought at Kohl's. They've been on several airline flights and still look to be in good shape. I also like that they come in different colors (ours are either green or purple) so they are more easily spotted at the baggage carousel.

[pdmlynek]

Probably because people pack so differently and depending on where they are going (Alaska vs Caribbean) size in volume of what will be packed can vary drastically. The volume is easily used up by heavier weight clothing or lots of shoes. Or over the door shoe holders and collapsible laundry hampers people on here sometimes like to pack. So...a 27 inch case would be too much for a light packer, not enough space for people who have the need to pack every little thing.

 

I am sorry, but I think that you misunderstood my question. My question was: why do luggage manufacturers not clearly mark the volume of the luggage?

What I meant by that is why do the manufacturers not put on their luggage "40 Liters", or "80 Liters", or "3500 cu in" or "5000 cu in", or like. Labeling a luggage as "26 inches" simply gives me the height of the luggage, but does not tell me its volume, or in other words, how much stuff it can hold.

The reason is that questions like "Can I put more into two bigger luggages than into three smaller ones?" are not possible to answer if you are talking about comparing 26" luggages to 24" luggages but are easy to answer if you are talking about 60 Liter luggages to 40 Liter luggages.

[pdmlynek]

We do have a tape measure and will happily measure the inside space of a piece for customers and figure out the volume ourselves.

...

 

I know that using a tape measure is the best one can hope for in a store, but unfortunately, a tape measure does not work, but is misleading. The reason is that inside of the luggage is curved, there are crannies due to wheels, etc. As a matter of fact, the way that some manufacturers measure volume (H × W × D) is very misleading: it can be up to 40% different!

The way that I (or actually our kids do this) measure volume of a bag is to stuff it fully with packing peanuts, and then empty all of the peanuts into a large container which is marked on the sides with liter marks. It is a pain to do this, and I would rather that the manufacturers do it for all of us.

[ElvisAndretti]

I've always been very happy with Samsonite and Victorinox. The "Swiss Army" stuff does NOT last as long as the Samsonite bags I've owned however.

 

My wife is a big fan of Gucci and I gotta say, that stuff is pretty indestructible. If you want soft sided stuff, it's gonna cost you. But it wears like iron. She has some bags that are 25 years old and look close to new. (And they're back in style now too.) We were in Vegas a while back and I picked up one of their wallets and it's the first one I've had that didn't fall apart after a year or two of me sitting on it.

[fleckle]

........As an aside, whenever I'm at an airport baggage claim and pull a piece of the Hartmann off the carousel, it seems that a porter instantly materializes. A stranger standing beside me at the carousel told me, "if you can afford Hartmann luggage, porters assume you have enough money to tip them decently."

 

And that is why I try to always use the most plain-looking luggage that I can. It does not attract attention of the wrong people, be they thieves or porters. I know that both thieves and porters need to make money to feed their families, but I'd rather prefer that it not be on my dime.

It can also attract attention when going through customs. A man we knew who worked as a customs inspector remarked that people with expensive luggage or expensive jewelry are like flashing lights or ringing bells to them.

 

A couple of times when arriving at JFK from overseas we noticed that they were opening the expensive luggage of some people ahead of us while they just waved the rest of us on through.

[Happy ks]

I am sorry, but I think that you misunderstood my question. My question was: why do luggage manufacturers not clearly mark the volume of the luggage?

What I meant by that is why do the manufacturers not put on their luggage "40 Liters", or "80 Liters", or "3500 cu in" or "5000 cu in", or like. Labeling a luggage as "26 inches" simply gives me the height of the luggage, but does not tell me its volume, or in other words, how much stuff it can hold.

The reason is that questions like "Can I put more into two bigger luggages than into three smaller ones?" are not possible to answer if you are talking about comparing 26" luggages to 24" luggages but are easy to answer if you are talking about 60 Liter luggages to 40 Liter luggages.

 

 

I did understand your question, i think labeling a piece of luggage with the content like you want may be misleading to some.

One of these days I'll have to ask one of our manufacturers reps, but I suspect their answer will be the same as mine. People pack differently from one another, what I can get in a 25 inch case may be a lot less than the next person. I don't like to squish everything in, others may sit on their luggage to close it. So the real answer can vary dramatically.

 

It's a question we're asked rarely, in almost 5 years I think I've heard it about 3/4 times. We do see it marked on some duffel pieces.

[calliopecruiser]

IWe do see it marked on some duffel pieces.

 

Yes, when I bought my rolling duffel I was able to shop by volume (it comes in 3 sizes, volume marked) http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Packs/DuffleBags/PRD~5024-300/mec-fast-track-2-rolling-duffle.jsp

 

I also don't understand why packing differences between people makes any difference......volume is a set value that doesn't change with the seasons or with whether you're a squishy packer or a light packer. Those affect how much you can or will fit in a space of a given volume, but the volume is the same.

[lcmslady]

I've been a Travelpro fan for awhile now. Has held up much better than my earlier Samsonite pieces. I usually get it thru on-line retailers which can be much cheaper than retail stores.

 

I think I'm going to have to start looking at some of these other brands.