New Luggage Recommendations

[Andy Travels]

Hi all

Newbie here but a frequent flyer who will be rejoining the skys again very soon.

I'm looking at refreshing my carry on luggage to a hard case. Currently looking at the Qantas branded hard cases but just wondering if anyone has any feedback / suggestions? Probably looking at around $120 mark (obviously in this field a $120 price tag is usually a RRP reduced from $250 haha)

Thanks!
Andy

 

[Lynda2475]

It does sort make it obvious you have a laptop vs putting inside the bag. Something to watch closely when commuting to/from airport kn subway.

 

[kookaburra75]

Had anyone had a look at this Aussie carry on called July, and July Pro?

Carry On Pro | Hard Shell Carry On Luggage | July

Elevate your travels with the Carry On Pro by July. Experience the perfect blend of style, innovation, and functionality in one premium package. Order today.

july.com

People seem to be raving about it, and I like the detachable sleeve and built in battery bank.

I'm pulling the trigger as soon as my next CC arrives

Amazing reviews. Would want to see one before buying to judge the interior space (or reported lack thereof) for myself. Let us know what you think!

I assume it's not easy for someone to swipe the laptop sleeve is it? Otherwise it'd make you a bit of a target.

I bought the July Carry On Pro nearly two years ago, and it's been good. To get the sleeve off, you have to tug it upwards at the right angle to get it to release. It's the first time I've gone with a spinner/4-wheeler case, and I've been happy with it. Having the battery bank in the top makes it easy to pop out for recharging, or using to top up a phone/tablet. I've had no issues with getting 5 days' worth of clothing in it for holiday travel.

After MrsK saw mine, she picked up a July Carry On, in hot pink with her name on it. Likewise, she has liked it. You can get a lot in them - you just have to make sure you check the weight on some airlines.

They have a combination lock, that has the TSA key. If you were worried extra security, you could put a strap with a lock on in.

 

[Lost Redditor]

Just ordered the July Carry On Pro, and since there is a mother day special I got personalisation for free which is neat

 

[Lost Redditor]

After travelling with the July Carry On Pro I have to say I regret buying it, but it would still recommend it. It just wasn't quite suitable for my purposes. The problem for me is that I often travel on Economy where carry on is often limited to 7kg. The case already weighs 3.6kg, and I underestimated how quickly items add up to the remaining limit. I travel with a little toddler so I need to put some baby stuff in there. I also travel with a "hefty" laptop. Luckily, with this case, you can sneakily detach the sleeve with the laptop/ipad inside and weigh it, and then reattach it.

I do still recommend it. It's beautifully built, and wheels are so good - everything feels high quality. The built-in battery bank is something I use a lot, very practical. The Qantas check-in staff at Sydney were so impressed with it, they even called a colleague over to have a play with it and asked lots of questions about it. I'm just glad they didn't weigh it, I was a good 3kg over the limit.

If you fly business class where the carry on limit is higher there's no real issue though.

 

[RooFlyer]

If you fly business class where the carry on limit is higher there's no real issue though.

Which is what I do most of the time ( and I’m usually 1-3 kg over official carry on weight limits) but I’d never consider this bag. The weight is the main thing - it would mean I’d usually be 3-4 kg over which is stretching it. But also the cost $425!

 

[kangarooflyer88]

One consideration that needs to be made is the warranty offered by the manufacturer. Every reputable luggage company will have some sort of warranty. But most of them disclaim things like damage caused by wear and tear or mishandling by air carriers. News flash: people travel with their bags and this type of stuff is to be expected. It sort of like selling a car but the warranty being voided if you drive it on a road.

Indeed, travel guru Peter Greenberg in a recent episode of the Travel Detective covered this very important topic:

 

[aspro2]

I wonder if there are any current recommendations for 2-wheel (ie, enclosed inline-skate wheels) softsided suitcases at the moment? (Replacing 65cm, 3.2kg Paklite.)

Like some upthread comments, I find 4-wheelers ill-suited to many places and the fragility of the wheels in transit is also an issue.

Although it is getting a little worn and was in mind for a replacement in a trip or two from now, I've just discovered one handle shaft of my lovely case was broken on my last trip (the plastic anchor has sheared at the base). Given I have a trip in only a few weeks from now, I might need to just glue and tape and maybe put a box in the bottom of the case to reduce movement. But if a not-crazy price alternative can be found sooner...

 

[Flashback]

I wonder if there are any current recommendations for 2-wheel (ie, enclosed inline-skate wheels) softsided suitcases at the moment? (Replacing 65cm, 3.2kg Paklite.)

Like some upthread comments, I find 4-wheelers ill-suited to many places and the fragility of the wheels in transit is also an issue.

Although it is getting a little worn and was in mind for a replacement in a trip or two from now, I've just discovered one handle shaft of my lovely case was broken on my last trip (the plastic anchor has sheared at the base). Given I have a trip in only a few weeks from now, I might need to just glue and tape and maybe put a box in the bottom of the case to reduce movement. But if a not-crazy price alternative can be found sooner...

Eastpak make some nice bags, but they do come at a reasonable cost. I've not been able to find anything cheaper, that is reasonable quality..... and I've been looking for years!

 

[aspro2]

Eastpak make some nice bags, but they do come at a reasonable cost. I've not been able to find anything cheaper, that is reasonable quality..... and I've been looking for years!

Thank you! A quick Google indicates that they're quite difficult to acquire at the moment! (Hard in Australia, and even the US website has very limited in stock product.) I shall research them further.

 

[lovestotravel]

One consideration that needs to be made is the warranty offered by the manufacturer. Every reputable luggage company will have some sort of warranty. But most of them disclaim things like damage caused by wear and tear or mishandling by air carriers. News flash: people travel with their bags and this type of stuff is to be expected. It sort of like selling a car but the warranty being voided if you drive it on a road.

Indeed, travel guru Peter Greenberg in a recent episode of the Travel Detective covered this very important topic:

I'm currently fighting with Samsonite over a zipper issue... Will end up in VCAT for the sake of $70 (and a 44 week wait)

It's the only way these companies learn

 

[Flashback]

Thank you! A quick Google indicates that they're quite difficult to acquire at the moment! (Hard in Australia, and even the US website has very limited in stock product.) I shall research them further.

Plenty available in the UK but the bags are going for around the £100 mark, which for me feels excessive for carry on but YMMV!

 

[aspro2]

Plenty available in the UK but the bags are going for around the £100 mark, which for me feels excessive for carry on but YMMV!

Well my need is suitcase size (65cm), not carry on, but that's certainly ouch for carry on!

 

[clifford]

Can anyone suggest a (cheapish) full-size carry on (not hard case) that could double as a reasonable ottoman when travelling at the bulkhead in Y/PY? I've seen a few in action and they can transform the experience.

 

[clifford]

Can anyone suggest a (cheapish) full-size carry on (not hard case) that could double as a reasonable ottoman when travelling at the bulkhead in Y/PY? I've seen a few in action and they can transform the experience.

I've just bought an inflatable cube for this purpose, having PY bulkhead seats on SQ and TR on upcoming flights. It folds up to next to nothing and hardly weighs anything either.

I saw one in action when sitting at the bulkhead in PY on a JAL flight, and thought, I must get one of them. Looks so comfy.

 

[Hamburger]

Does anyone have any views on the Antler Prestwick carry on?

 

[Tehu]

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with the 69cm Samsonite ALU suitcase please?

 

[craven morehead]

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with the 69cm Samsonite ALU suitcase please?

I've had one for about 10 years as well as the larger one and carry on. Been very solid and done lots of work very light as well.

 

[Tehu]

I've had one for about 10 years as well as the larger one and carry on. Been very solid and done lots of work very light as well.

Thanks for that... there are some good deals on them at the moment and I had a suitcase trashed on a Link/VA-codeshare flight last week and need to upgrade.

 

[aspro2]

Given how hard it is to find 2-wheel cases now, how bad is the situation with 4-wheelers getting broken? I've noticed lots of crippled 4-wheelers at airports!

Does paying more equal a much greater wheel survival rate? Are there brands which are less likely to break or just easier to fix yourself? (Worth mentioning that I find it hard to stomach the prices at the Samsonite, etc, end of the market.)

 

[craven morehead]

Given how hard it is to find 2-wheel cases now, how bad is the situation with 4-wheelers getting broken? I've noticed lots of crippled 4-wheelers at airports!

Does paying more equal a much greater wheel survival rate? Are there brands which are less likely to break or just easier to fix yourself? (Worth mentioning that I find it hard to stomach the prices at the Samsonite, etc, end of the market.)

I only purchase when on 50% sale