Luggage

[SecondAttempt]

Follow-up question...

I think I have decided to purchase a Travelpro international carry on. I've narrowed it down to two choices. The Crew Versapack and the Maxlite rollaboards, (2 wheels).

The Versapack is about $200, has some nice features like a laptop pocket, integrated toiletries compartment, and pocket for power pack. I'm not sure I place a lot of value on those but I can see how they might be handy. Dimensions are 21.5x14x9 inch totaling to 44.5 inch. Weight is 7.2 lb. I think this is in the flight crew quality level. They are only available in black and currently sold out but I am in no hurry to buy.

The Maxlite is more basic in terms of features and pockets but is about $145. Dimensions are 21.75x15.75x7.75 summing to 45.25. Weight is 5.4 lb. It is also available in colors other than black which is a minor plus to me.

My dilemma is that from what I have found, the international carry on limits are 22x14.2x9.05 totaling 45.3. This means the Maxlite might be oversize at 15.75 inch width. I am leaning toward this because of the color choice and the fact it is currently available as well as the lower weight.

Can anyone tell me their actual experience in how international airlines, especially the budget carriers interpret the size limits? My understanding is that the actual limit is the sum of the dimensions but in practice this is of course ridiculous because I could take a 45 inch 1 inch pipe and technically be under the limit but it is not going to fit in the bin! I've traveled a lot and never been asked to test my bag but I understand some of the carriers especially in Asia have become much more aggressive about this.

Any comments?

ETA: Plan to buy from Travelpro directly to avoid previous returns and have the warranty.

 

[bltkmt]

We have used REI wheeled duffels for years. Very durable and nice big (two) wheels.

 

[Jerry1]

I would wait for the Versapack. If you're questioning whether or not the Maxlite could be rejected for carry on, it's best to assume that it probably will be at some point. Beyond that, get what you want and take your chances. In a "what's the worse thing that could happen" scenario, all you'll have to do is check the bag. Hopefully, that won't ever happen.

 

[brett]

What causes the spinner to be terrible on cobblestone compared to a 2 wheeler? Does it somehow act differently when you drag it, 2-wheel style?

I would expect them to act similarly, but perhaps I just do not know.

As far as luggage we like Travelpro. But honestly our "cheap" luggage has lasted a couple of decades. But the Travelpro is lighter.

The wheels are much larger and they are inset. Our 2 wheelers have in line roller skate type wheels that can easily be replaced. Very sturdy. The spinner wheels are much smaller. The wheel casings are external to the bag.

We find the 2 wheelers much easier to drag based on our travel habits. Every few years I spray a little WD40 on them. We have two Travel w/spinners. Like new. Have been sitting in storage for 13 years. Not good on uneven surfaces, cobbles, etc so we do not use them. They would be fine for home-airport-resort/cruise ship but that is not our travel style.

We travel a fair amount. Since retiring 13 years ago we only do carry on. One week or two months.

That means that our carry on roller bags are like new because they are never checked. The wheels and the bag weight are the most important feature to us followed by the zippers and the exterior material. And those wheels can easily and quickly be replaced should one ever fail. Brand is meaningless to us.

 

[brett]

Follow-up question...

I think I have decided to purchase a Travelpro international carry on. I've narrowed it down to two choices. The Crew Versapack and the Maxlite rollaboards, (2 wheels).

The Versapack is about $200, has some nice features like a laptop pocket, integrated toiletries compartment, and pocket for power pack. I'm not sure I place a lot of value on those but I can see how they might be handy. Dimensions are 21.5x14x9 inch totaling to 44.5 inch. Weight is 7.2 lb. I think this is in the flight crew quality level. They are only available in black and currently sold out but I am in no hurry to buy.

The Maxlite is more basic in terms of features and pockets but is about $145. Dimensions are 21.75x15.75x7.75 summing to 45.25. Weight is 5.4 lb. It is also available in colors other than black which is a minor plus to me.

My dilemma is that from what I have found, the international carry on limits are 22x14.2x9.05 totaling 45.3. This means the Maxlite might be oversize at 15.75 inch width. I am leaning toward this because of the color choice and the fact it is currently available as well as the lower weight.

Can anyone tell me their actual experience in how international airlines, especially the budget carriers interpret the size limits? My understanding is that the actual limit is the sum of the dimensions but in practice this is of course ridiculous because I could take a 45 inch 1 inch pipe and technically be under the limit but it is not going to fit in the bin! I've traveled a lot and never been asked to test my bag but I understand some of the carriers especially in Asia have become much more aggressive about this.

Any comments?

ETA: Plan to buy from Travelpro directly to avoid previous returns and have the warranty.

Over the last 13 years of retirement I would say that the number of flights on low cost regional airlines in Europe, Asia, and OZ greatly outnumber the number of flights on the major international airlines.

ALL of those LC regionals have a weight/size restriction (most just the bag but one or two include the personal item) of 7-8KG. Our experience is that some do weigh, others do not depending if the bag is bulging. No set rule by airline. Mostly location. Very much hit and miss.

Bag weight is therefore important to us. We do carry on. Not to save money but for convenience. We sometimes wear our heaviest clothing. At times I have place a few heavier items such as an electric razor or recharge cords in my jacket pocket. We carry our ipads in our hands when we checkin.

More than once, when flying Jetstar in Ox/NZ we have had to pay extra for carry on that were over (I think) 4kg. Seems to me that charge was more that the checked bag charge but I could be mistaken.

Do they weigh? Our last trip through Brisbane our luggage was weighted at check in. We were susquently greeted by Jestar employee with a scale and credit card reader in the boarding area who checked that we had the carry on upgrade. In Kuala Lumper Air Asia agents were posted at the front of the security area... with a scale. Some people were sent back to the check in desk area to check their bags.

Which airlines in Asia have we been on? Air Asia, NOK, LIon, Jetstar Australia, Jetstar Philippines, Hong Kong Airlines, Scoot, Viet, Tiger, and one or two others that I cannot remember and may no longer be in business. Our preference is for AirAsia, Jetstar, and Scoot. In Europe we like Vueling, Olympic/Aegean, Atlas (Turkey), Easyjet, AirMalta, etc. Never Ryanair. In some countries like Thailand, LC airlines operate out of a different Bangkok airport than do the internationals.

Our experience is also that many of those carriers provide some cushion...probably approaching .5-1 KG.

Our other experience was with buying bags. So many had these labels claiming light weight. It is all relative. We weighed our bag prior to buying it. We have light weight Eagle Creek international size rollers. Still like new after 13 years. As one would expect given that we never check them. For us wheels, zippers, and weight are the priority. Brand is meaningless to us.

Forget the Lbs and inches...the rest of the world uses metric...Kg and cm.

Neither of us can ever remember being asked to place our bag in any of those sizers. But...we tie the contents down so they that the bag does not appear to be bulging.


Edit to add....since retiring when we find our selves shopping for clothing, shoes the very first question we ask ourselves is how will it travel, how will it stand up to hand washing if required. Some of the inexpensive shirts that I have purchased at Costco have outlived the more expensive 'travel shop' variety. It is not about the cost or the brand, it is about the material and the construction. For sandals we have the basic Teva product. Very light weight, strong, resists salt water, good instep, etc. May not be especially fashionable but both pairs have been around the world several times and constantly in salt water. They work for us.

 

[OldShooter]

... Any comments? ...

IMO nothing is more important than light weight. So I would go with the lightest one.

FWIW I have a polycarbonate Zero carry-on. When I bought it it was the lightest in the market. 4# IIRC.

 

[FIREd]

In Europe, some airlines (even mainline airlines) limit cabin luggage weight to only 8kg. So using the lightest bag/case possible is very important. And yes they do check weight on occasion.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Forget the Lbs and inches...the rest of the world uses metric...Kg and cm.

Yeah, I've always been a metric guy at w*rk then switch to English at home. Just thought Merkin units would be preferred here. Guess I'm mistaken.

IMO nothing is more important than light weight. So I would go with the lightest one.

That is my thinking.

I would wait for the Versapack. If you're questioning whether or not the Maxlite could be rejected for carry on, it's best to assume that it probably will be at some point. Beyond that, get what you want and take your chances. In a "what's the worse thing that could happen" scenario, all you'll have to do is check the bag.

I think I will get the Maxlite. If I ever have to check it, that's really not a big deal to me. Like others said, in all my travels I have never been asked to fit check though I have had my bag weighed and I've seen others get fit checked on rare occasions.

 

[brett]

One thing that I will add...

It is so much easier and faster boarding and de-planing in Asia and Europe on airlines that have carry on size/weight limits AND enforce them. Probably safer as well.

NA airlines seem to allow any size/weight carry on. As a result we constantly see people struggling, people expecting others to help manage their carry on because they cannot do so themselves.

I used to be willing to help people lift up their bags to the overheads. I will no longer do this. Now in my early 70's I see no cheese in doing myself an injury simply because someone did not check their heavy oversize carry on bags. Even when the person looks at me with big doe eyes. I am surprised that the flight attendants/flight attendant unions put up with than nonsense.

We recently flew to Mexico and back. We continue to be astonished at what our NA based airlines allow on as carry on luggage.

 

[easysurfer]

I own a couple of Samsonite hard cases of different sizes. I like the idea of not having any zippers to invite zipper slashers. On the downside, if the luggage gets checked in, expect to have it tossed around and scuffed by the baggage handlers. That happened in my case. Brand new luggage after 1 trip already showed scuffs.

 

[rodi]

Someone earlier asked why the 4 wheeled spinners weren't as good in cobblestone streets. That's because all wheels spin, all 4 rotate independently... So on an uneven surface you can get 1 or more wheels sideways to the direction you are pulling. 2 wheels that are fixed direction are much better for non smooth surfaces.

 

[Montecfo]

Someone earlier asked why the 4 wheeled spinners weren't as good in cobblestone streets. That's because all wheels spin, all 4 rotate independently... So on an uneven surface you can get 1 or more wheels sideways to the direction you are pulling. 2 wheels that are fixed direction are much better for non smooth surfaces.

After doing some online research, it appears the spinners vs 2 wheel is a subject of some controversy relative to cobblestones. What there does seem to be agreement on is that larger wheels are better. Some say you are unlikely to be dragging over long distance on cobblestones.

If you are dragging (not pushing) a 4 wheel spinner, only 2 wheels spin. But I see that the possibility of them pointing different directions is real. Not sure if that helps or hurts however.

In my experience in Antigua, Guatemala, i was more worried about my ankles than the lugggage .

So I guess results vary. But I am now aware of the issue and it is something to consider.

 

[OldConch]

We just ordered the Travelpro Platinum International carry on rollaboard - two wheels. One thing that may not have been mentioned here is that the international rollaboards and the international spinners have the same external dimensions but the two wheelers have a 45 liter capacity vs the 39 liters with the spinners.

 

[brett]

After doing some online research, it appears the spinners vs 2 wheel is a subject of some controversy relative to cobblestones. What there does seem to be agreement on is that larger wheels are better. Some say you are unlikely to be dragging over long distance on cobblestones.

If you are dragging (not pushing) a 4 wheel spinner, only 2 wheels spin. But I see that the possibility of them pointing different directions is real. Not sure if that helps or hurts however.

In my experience in Antigua, Guatemala, i was more worried about my ankles than the lugggage .

So I guess results vary. But I am now aware of the issue and it is something to consider.

Our experience is that cobblestones are not the only issue with spinners. Add unevenen sidewalks,gravel, etc you name it.

Spinners are great in the airport, in hotels. It is when they get outside into the real world that the issues occur. If this is the extent of your travel then they will certainly do the job.

Next time you are in a luggage repair shop ask how many spinner repairs they have vs two wheel inline bags.

The best choice for anyone comes down to how and where you travel. There is no one right answer to this.

 

[rodi]

Our experience is that cobblestones are not the only issue with spinners. Add unevenen sidewalks,gravel, etc you name it.

Spinners are great in the airport, in hotels. It is when they get outside into the real world that the issues occur. If this is the extent of your travel then they will certainly do the job.

Next time you are in a luggage repair shop ask how many spinner repairs they have vs two wheel inline bags.

The best choice for anyone comes down to how and where you travel. There is no one right answer to this.

Agree, it depends entirely in your style of travel. For international travel we tend to use trains, buses, public transit. ... Very few taxis. So there is usually a walk to our hotel or Airbnb. Others take a taxi from the airport, are dropped at their hotel, no dragging the suitcase. For us, we prefer carry on only, so weight is a big factor. If rather have the weight limit go more towards my stuff, than the thing holding my stuff.

My sister and my BFF are people who prefer to check bags and take taxis from the airport. Spinners work great for them.

It's all preference based on your preferred travel style.

 

[brett]

We just ordered the Travelpro Platinum International carry on rollaboard - two wheels. One thing that may not have been mentioned here is that the international rollaboards and the international spinners have the same external dimensions but the two wheelers have a 45 liter capacity vs the 39 liters with the spinners.

Our experience is that size, 39Lvs45L is not the issue for us. Keeping the weight down to 7-8Kg is the real challenge. I typically have room left in my carry on...but no more weight allowance! Especially on the regional carriers!

 

[OldConch]

Our experience is that size, 39Lvs45L is not the issue for us. Keeping the weight down to 7-8Kg is the real challenge. I typically have room left in my carry on...but no more weight allowance! Especially on the regional carriers!

We carry on whenever possible but 7-8 kgs isn't going to happen for us.

 

[SecondAttempt]

After doing some online research, it appears the spinners vs 2 wheel is a subject of some controversy relative to cobblestones. What there does seem to be agreement on is that larger wheels are better. Some say you are unlikely to be dragging over long distance on cobblestones.

If you are dragging (not pushing) a 4 wheel spinner, only 2 wheels spin. But I see that the possibility of them pointing different directions is real. Not sure if that helps or hurts however.

In my experience in Antigua, Guatemala, i was more worried about my ankles than the lugggage .

So I guess results vary. But I am now aware of the issue and it is something to consider.

I see no reason to debate. I have personal experience from several trips. Spinners are certainly convenient in airports. I just prefer 2 wheels where I travel.

 

[Time2]

I traveled with my adult kids by airplane for the eclipse. I haven't flown for at least 15 yrs. I grabbed my travel bag and packed it for a 6 day trip. My son had his wheeled suitcase. I did not enjoy lugging that bag around the airport. Next time I fly I will buy a wheeled suitcase.

On another note, airport floors should not be tile, every wheeled suitcase going over the grout line was cla clunk, cla clunk cla clunk.

 

[pacergal]

We have a large Samsonite 4 wheel spinner and have never had problems with the direction of the spinning wheels, both pushing along side of us on 4 wheels or pulling by 2 wheels.

We just bought a new set, not Samsonite, so we will see how they work on our next trip.

 

[Sunset]

I traveled with my adult kids by airplane for the eclipse. I haven't flown for at least 15 yrs. I grabbed my travel bag and packed it for a 6 day trip. My son had his wheeled suitcase. I did not enjoy lugging that bag around the airport. Next time I fly I will buy a wheeled suitcase.

....

+1
Wheels are the way to go..

I learned that lesson back in 2000, when I started flying every week, I quickly bought a wheeled set that I still use today !!

 

[brett]

I still have my over the shoulder carry on suit bag in the closet. It had thousands of business travel miles on it. It has been hanging up for 15 years. Tt was a Costco special and still like new.

Probably time to get rid of it. Along with a few other 25 inch ancient cases in our basement that we never use. Jammed with stuff that I have no idea about.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I bought 2 travel pro suitcases years ago and love them. They have held up very well. I have a small one for carry on and one to check if I’m going to Europe. I can’t go leaner because I have a cpap machine which takes up a lot of space. Tomorrow I am going to visit my son for 4 days and will just take my carry on.

 

[pacergal]

I bought 2 travel pro suitcases years ago and love them. They have held up very well. I have a small one for carry on and one to check if I’m going to Europe. I can’t go leaner because I have a cpap machine which takes up a lot of space. Tomorrow I am going to visit my son for 4 days and will just take my carry on.

My husband takes his CPAP as a carry on, but since it is a medical equipment, it does not count as your "one' carry on or personal item. He got a "medical" sticker at the counter.
At least on Alaska Airlines, he was able to have his backpack, cpap, and camera case.

 

[Pointby2]

We added/switched to carry-on back packs for our last trip to Scotland/Iceland/London. Made it much easier to walk between trains/busses cabs to hotels. No roller bags to drag along over cobblestones.