We need new luggage, Help!!

[edste]

I would give another vote to Ricardo of Beverly Hill. We've had their luggage for years and it traveled well. Just bought their lighter weight luggage in crummy brown so it would be easier to spot. The last set was red and they're showing it on line but it's been discontinued. The fish scale is a great idea.

[bjkTX]

Once you settle on a brand or model you might want to check out luggage on eBay. There are a couple of large dealers who sell there at very reasonable prices - they might have whatever you're looking for. I bought a set for us, and one for my son - each set was less than $200 which included shipping and so far they still look like new after several cruises and trips.

[MaryPoppinz]

We have had Travel-Pro, and liked it. But, the last few years, we have been buying Kipling.

 

I bought two pieces in red at first and I thought I was being very clever not buying black. I quickly discovered that the other colors get scuffed with black marks on the luggage carousels, so we willed the red pieces to our son who doesn't travel as much and all our other pieces are basic black...

[VaBeachCruisers897]

We currently have Samsonite luggage - It has traveled the world with us for many years and is still going strong...wheels, handles and zippers are still the originals.

 

Wheels on carry-ons and check-ins are a must. And something other than black is also a must.

 

We also recommend Land's End - their "lighthouse" collection. They have very dependable products that come in a variety of colors (blue, green, black, red, and orange). The bright colors are a necessity if you want to find your luggage easily when you get of the ships, so when it's time for us to get new luggage, we'll be buying land's end.

 

http://www.landsend.com/cd/index/fp/0,,66239,00.html

[Lostinthe50s]

I swear by Costco amd the Kirkland brand. We bought 2 -26" pieces a few years ago and have flown and cruised many times and the luggage still looks new. Its very thick Ballistic nylon with great wheels and pop up handle. It was way less expensive than samsonite and if there is ever a problem,costco is the easiest place to take something back.

[sandthrush]

Next time I buy luggage, I will buy something cheap, because it will just get ruined anyhow. I have very nice Samsonite luggage. On a recent trip to London, the airline somehow managed to rip one of the zipper pulls completely off the suitcase and just left a mangled nub of the other zipper pull. And my brand new TSA approved lock was missing. Luckily I was still able to still use the bag. When I got it home I was able to find someone to put new zipper pulls on for $20.00. I won't ever lock my luggage except with the plastic ties and if I need a piece of luggage it will be cheap.

[Red Rox]

We literally have luggage for our luggage!:eek: We've got so much that when we're planning for a trip, we have to spend hours just deciding which to take. Here's some thoughts about it all that we go through every time.

Back in the 80s, we were in the retail business and had a chance to invest in some Louis Vuitton luggage and accessory items. We bought eleven different pieces in all sizes and shapes. It was fabulous and it traveled extremely well, but we found we had to run from the airplane to the baggage claim area to make sure that it didn't get stolen! We still have it all, but we rarely take it on anything but road trips anymore.

TravelPro. Our son used to fly for Continental Airlines and he advised us that all of the airline people buy this stuff. We actually found a whole set of it at TJMaxx! This was about 15 years ago, but we have traveled all over the world with it and it has stood up better than anything else we've ever had. But Mrs Red Pony gave the largest piece to our daughter to take home to Israel and we never got it back.:(

On a whim while on vacation a few years back, we stopped into a Brighton store. The owner of the store noticed as I was admiring the brand new Brighton luggage pieces. He proceeded to demonstrate the quality and design of each piece and we were truely impressed. We spent over $1,000 on 3 pieces and then bought clear plastic covers for 2 of the pieces, just to protect them. These have NEVER been checked on an air plane and never will be. We use these when we're traveling by car mostly and it is fantastic...but expensive.

So when we were planning a trip to Europe 2 years ago and I knew that I needed to pack a lot of stuff for 3 weeks in varying climates, I decided to look at some cheaper luggage. I found a huge rolling duffle and a back pack on wheels at Ross and spent less than $100 for the two pieces. Mrs Red Pony is a little more anal than I am and likes everything packed neatly into it's own place inside her bags so a duffle wouldn't do. She found a 5 piece set on sale at the Bass Outlet store for $99. She only needed to pack 3 pieces and she had plenty of room to spare. All of our stuff survived Europe on that trip and we took the same stuff to Mexico last winter. Then Mrs Red Pony took her Bass stuff to Israel again in January, and it's all still in good shape.

We've acquired a few other odd pieces along the way, mostly for carrying extra stuff that we pick up on our trips. We even have a couple of totally collapsible bags that we can pack in the bottom of a suitcase and then use to bring home extra stuff at the end of the trip. The best one is one that we found at Gucci about 20 years ago. It still looks like new, but has brought home a ton of souvenirs.

Bottom line?

In today's rough and tumble travel world (especially flying), I wouldn't invest in expensive luggage any more. (Of course, I already have plenty) But we live in such a disposable world, and if you shop, you can find deals on everything! Ross and TJMaxx are great for name brand stuff at markdown prices. Usually it's just last year's model. If you like matching sets, you can find them there too. Or outlets stores like Bass or whatever, always have sets on sale. Buy cheap and if it only lasts for one trip, so what? At $99 for a whole set, if you trash one pice, you've still got the rest. You can buy an odd piece somewhere if you need to. Even a full size suitcase can be found for $49.99 at TJMaxx.

I guess it depends on what floats your boat.;)

[Pia1913]

Red Rox, you are too funny. ROTFLMAO..

 

We too have a house full of luggage; suitcases in all sizes and too many carryons in varying sizes. However, unlike you, ours were bought on the cheap.

 

I can picture you running to baggage claim waiting for that LV. Luckily it didn't disappear with some nimble fingered handler. Thanks for the entertainment. :D

 

Pia

[harrynterry]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the help to my question! The set I am replacing is Samsonite and we spent about $1,000 on 5 pieces. I take 4 suitcases and a carryon when we cruise. 2 medium and 2 larger pieces for clothes & shoes, carryon for tolietries & medicine. Those and the carryon must all have wheels! I have not developed the truly packing light style some develop. Plus I am on the "fluffy" side and my DH is not a tiny guy so my clothes take up a bit more room. Besides, I like "choices". (Not as many as I used to, but at least a couple of alternative outfits). I was reading about Travelpro and they also make Atlantic. I will so some online checking and see what bargains I can come up with. I can appreciate both sides of this subject, quality vs more disposable. Last time quality lasted for 11 cruises and multiple business and personal flights each year plus the car trips. (Both kids & their family live out of state). I will just have to browse for a bargain and see what I can come up with. I am sure this tread will benefit lots of people, so thanks for all who have contributed. If anyone else has a thought please jump in!!

[Red Rox]

Red Rox, you are too funny. ROTFLMAO..

 

We too have a house full of luggage; suitcases in all sizes and too many carryons in varying sizes. However, unlike you, ours were bought on the cheap.

 

I can picture you running to baggage claim waiting for that LV. Luckily it didn't disappear with some nimble fingered handler. Thanks for the entertainment. :D

 

Pia

Pia,

I didn't say that I paid a lot of $ for our LV luggage. In fact, when I bought it, I had to swear that I would never tell where it came from. It seems it just 'fell off a truck'.:rolleyes:

[MaryPoppinz]

I had a rolling duffle bag, but hauling that thing chuck-full was like trying to take a St Bernard for a walk. It was totally in charge ME, not the other way around. I could never get it to stand up, I *always* had to be holding it or it tipped over. Does anyone have better luck? Because duffles are lightweight and carry a ton (and inexpensive) so if they behaved themselves, they'd be great!

[Red Rox]

I had a rolling duffle bag, but hauling that thing chuck-full was like trying to take a St Bernard for a walk. It was totally in charge ME, not the other way around. I could never get it to stand up, I *always* had to be holding it or it tipped over and killed people. Does anyone have better luck? Because duffles are lightweight and carry a ton (and inexpensive) so if they behaved themselves, they'd be great!

 

OMG! You actually had a homicidal duffle?:eek: Mine just lays there. I've tried to get it to go places on its own, but I still have to drag it...

[Red Rox]

Funny... The words 'killed people' came through in my email message of your post, but they're not in the board version. Are the CC police at work here?:eek:

[cruzinchris]

...Someone told me about ebags. They are fantastic. The selection is huge and you are able to compare the models side by side.

 

DH and I recently purchased new luggage through eBags. The selection and variety were excellent, the prices were better than what we had seen at Macy's, the on-line service was easy, and delivery was prompt. But...

 

When the bags arrived, the featured TSA lock was missing from one of the pieces as was the toiletry kit from another bag. We reported the missing items to eBags immediately and were told that they would send us their own TSA-approved locks and their own toiletry kits because the Samsonite items that we were missing were "not available." While we appreciated that they wanted to make things right with our purchase, the items that were missing were featured with the Samsonite luggage, and the cartons should have been inspected prior to shipping to ensure that everything was included as it should have been.

 

The Samsonite Silhouette 10 collection is brand new so it was silly for eBags to suggest that the missing items were "not available." They left us having to do the legwork to get the items that were missing. The Samsonite rep whom I spoke with told me that eBags should have done this on our behalf. We got a $25 credit on our MasterCard having filed a complaint about eBags service, and Samsonite has shipped the missing items.

 

Despite these minor issues, we are very pleased with our selection. We carefully considered what pieces would serve us best in practically any travel situation and ended up with a 29" Pullman, two 21" boarding bags, and a "Boston" bag (shoulder duffle). We went with soft-sided but the same luggage is available in hard-shell, and we decided on in-line rollers instead of spinners.

 

Happy Travels!

Chris

[joan24]

We have probably over a dozen suitcases, Atlantic, Travelpro, Delsey, and Tumi(carry on). We are using wheeled duffel bags from Costco. The one I use has a drop bottom and I used it to seperate pants from tops. It's nylon and an ugly shade of red that no one else will have. It's very light, about 7 pounds compare to 10 or 15 pounds with our other luggage. We took it to Europe with us several times and it's great. I've started seeing more and more people using wheeled duffles since the weight allowed on planes has become more restrictive. Have a wonderful cruise.

Joan

[MaryPoppinz]

Funny... The words 'killed people' came through in my email message of your post, but they're not in the board version. Are the CC police at work here?:eek:

 

Shhh....I decided it was better if I didn't publically confess to Death By Luggage. ;)

[canadiansnowbird]

With the weight a concern, we have opted for two Eagle Creek Duffle bags with wheels. The Eagle Creek separate folders and packers for inside are the best. Just put underthings in one pack, swimsuits and coverups in another, fold all the blouses/shirts and pants/slacks in the proper folding packs. Your dresses and suits go in a garment bag folded right on top. All the packs come in different colours, all black for DH and the bright colours are mine. Took this to Europe last fall, and now wouldn't take any other type of bag. Even wrapped several bottles of Italian olive oil very well and brought those home in them. Coulnd't bring those bottles through Heathrow AP with carryones!!

 

We have very good Samsonite luggage and they have served us well, but the ones we have weigh too much to start with.

 

Snowbird

[Ethel5]

I bought a set by a American Tourister knock off at Sam's for $129 seven years ago but I made sure it was balistic nylon. It has been on at least 14 cruises and flew across the US at least 4 times plus other trips and still looks good.

[rdsqrl]

I have L.L. Bean bags (I think the collection is called Sportsman -- a high-dernier nylon with leather trim -- very sharp-looking). I bought them in blue so that they'd stand out in a sea of black luggage. So far, they've been great pieces -- survived being thrown around by baggage handlers in Moscow who, let me tell you, make New York City longshoremen seem like little pussycats! Anyway, they've held up well, seem very resistant to scuffing marks and the like -- I couldn't be happier with them. And the blue matches my eyes (it's all about the details).

[Pia1913]

I had a rolling duffle bag, but hauling that thing chuck-full was like trying to take a St Bernard for a walk. It was totally in charge ME, not the other way around. I could never get it to stand up, I *always* had to be holding it or it tipped over. Does anyone have better luck? Because duffles are lightweight and carry a ton (and inexpensive) so if they behaved themselves, they'd be great!

 

Amongst our assortment, we also have 2 rolling duffles. Ours, unlike yours, are "people trained." It is safe to take them out in public. They DO NOT attack! One is bright red, the other not-so-bright green, but they both have the retractable handles so you're not pulling them by those straps. That's the duffle secret. Handles.

 

Pia

[senior lady]

With the weight a concern, we have opted for two Eagle Creek Duffle bags with wheels. The Eagle Creek separate folders and packers for inside are the best. Just put underthings in one pack, swimsuits and coverups in another, fold all the blouses/shirts and pants/slacks in the proper folding packs. Your dresses and suits go in a garment bag folded right on top. All the packs come in different colours, all black for DH and the bright colours are mine. Took this to Europe last fall, and now wouldn't take any other type of bag. Even wrapped several bottles of Italian olive oil very well and brought those home in them. Coulnd't bring those bottles through Heathrow AP with carryones!!

 

We have very good Samsonite luggage and they have served us well, but the ones we have weigh too much to start with.

 

Snowbird

 

 

Where do you find those Eagle Creek bags???

[LARGIN]

Where do you find those Eagle Creek bags???

 

Hiya.. Wassup? Go here.. http://www.eaglecreek.com/bags_luggage/duffels/

[JudithLynne]

I agree with Pia. We buy our luggage at the "leather Store" where nothing is over $20! We use the luggage for about 5-7 years then replace it for $20/ pc. Actually we have only needed to replace the larger bags when the zippers give out. I have never understood the need to have designer luggage.

[SoBaycruiser]

I have Travel Pro luggage. They advertise that the majority of airline crews use Travel Pro and if you look around the airport, that is true and one would think someone who travels everyday for a living would know luggage It is well built and takes a lot of abuse, I always check my luggage.

Prior to this I had a Eagle Creek suitcase which held up for over 10 years of 10-12 airline trips a year - always checked and also had the advantage of being tan/brown, never saw another suitcase on the luggage carousel that looked close to mine. Only got rid of it as it was getting a littled stained over the years.

The bad news is neither are particualrly inexpensive, actually quite the opposite, very pricy, expect $200 - $300 per suitcase.

Years ago in the early days of wheeled luggage often would see cheaper luggage in the airport with missing wheels etc but they have improved the wheels a lot since then.

 

We have TravelPro also. We've loved it for all of our land/air travel. Have you had any problems storing them under the beds on cruise ships. We will using ours on a ship for the first time in January.

[JC Butterfly]

I have a 28" or 29" bag by American Tourister that I bought a year ago. I don't recall the name, Helium Lite? It was recommended on the packing lite website.

 

I have a love/hate relationship with it.

 

It organizes well. It is lightweight. When traveling on a smooth surface (like through an airport) it glides along nicely and I barely have to exert myself.

 

However, get it on an uneven surface: parking lots, hotel carpeting, etc. It will not move in even a remotely straight path. The handle is quite short so I never feel there is enough clearance. Because the bag has four wheels, they are all a bit smaller than a traditional two wheeled set. So when I give up and try to drag the bag "traditional style" (on two wheels) they do not adequately pull the bag and I end up more frustrated than if I had just taken one of my other bags.

 

I bought it at TJMaxx for about $60 on clearance so I don't feel that's a huge investment if I decide to give up on it one of these times. I do really enjoy the pricing and selection at ebags as well.

 

Also, a friend recently purchased an Eagle Creek bag. It has two very rugged oversized wheels and a very sturdy handle. She had no trouble carrying it around New Orleans' cobblestone streets, up a flight of stairs and such. Will definitely consider that brand for future purchases.