Me!! I love Biaggi suitcases. They are extremely light weight and fold down quite small for easy storage. I have one that is expandable from a 20” (or so) to 28” so I can expand as needed. I just bought a new style - it is with a metal handle rather than straps. I starts off as a carry-on on wheels and can expand larger for checking.
Ah, Nancy, yes, we talked about them before. I had previously bought one like you describe, which is why I bought the larger one. I used that for a train journey but not really big enough for a two week tour for me and it’s very flimsy. I’d be worried to check it. But we love our lightweight Lipault bags, they have been all over the place now.
@ ourtravels34….I have a Biaggi bag with four wheels and one handle. It is basically a small, under the seat bag, that has a zipper at the top that unfolds for some additional storage. That then makes it a small 20-21” carry on to place in an overhead compartment. I purchased it specifically for a tour that had overnights where we were separated from our main luggage. It worked well for that. It’s very light weight and the four wheels roll smoothly. I do not have any bigger pieces of Biaggi, as we already have Hartmann luggage that lasts forever. This small bag was perfect for the one night stays.
Best carry on for a 20 day Australian/New Zealand trip? Planning on NOT checking any luggage. I also have a back pack to carry essentials. Thanks Nancy & British for your input above.
Everybody has their favorites. First decision is two wheels vs four. I’ve moved on to four wheels (spinner) as my shoulder does not like the body mechanics of pulling the two wheel bag. But, the two wheelers have generally stronger wheels. In a pinch, like curbs, cobblestones, you can pull a spinner on two wheels. But, here is where quality counts. A cheap spinner will have cheap wheels so if you abuse your bags like we do eventually you’ll have a wheel failure, and it will happen at an in opportune time. We like two brands: TravelPro and Biggs&Riley. TravelPro has several lines. We have the Crew line (Crew 9 although they must be up to 12 by now). These are the ones favored by flight crews. The Maxlite line are lighter, cheaper. We bought one and lost a rivet and had a zipper fail on its inaugural trip. That one went to Goodwill. Briggs&Riley are pricey but they last. Our old two wheelers are still getting active use (the kids) and I think they have to be 20 years old. Our spinners look beat but they have a lot of mileage and no failures. We favor soft sided luggage. Tumi is another top end line but the two Tumi bags we had both required repair within 5 years. Briggs&Riley have a lifetime warranty. I think TravelPro has similar.
Yes, Briggs & Riley luggage comes with a lifetime warranty. We had a defective handle (probably from airport personnel misuse) and dropped it off at the luggage store where we purchased it. It was sent to someplace in the south, repaired and shipped back to our home with a very nice note and a luggage tag. Excellent customer service. You truly do get what you pay for.
Years ago my husband won a Tumi suitcase at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan (they had just opened a Tumi store there.) I used it once on a business trip and promptly donated it to Goodwill afterwards.
You won't be disappointed. If you have a luggage store near where you live, I suggest going there to browse the Briggs & Riley collection. If not, their website is quite expansive. We have the Baseline series in olive with tan trim (sounds drab but it is actually quite nice.) In the seventeen (17) years since we have had them, I have only seen them once while traveling (on a Tauck tour.) Happy shopping!
No idea, never take big carry on, just my backpack.
We had an incident this summer. We were in premium economy seats and had our only carry on, backpacks, in the overheads. The plane got very full and we were made to take our bags out and put them under our seats so people with huge carry ons could put their bags above our heads. I was furious but of course could not say anything. I’ve even had a guy open up an overhead above me and his huge bag fall on my head. I’ve heard some flight crew say they never sit in the aisle because of that happening and because of turbulence. As you can guess, I don’t like big bags inside a plane cabin.
Debi, it depends on the airline and the plane. When we went from Amsterdam to Budapest on a KLM flight they were stopping a lot of people and gate checking bags. The cheaper airlines I believe are pretty restrictive. Also may depend on what class seat i.e. business class likely gets more of a break than economy.
When just traveling in the US we usually use SW where you can still check 2 bags free yet you see so many people dragging on their carry-ons. Because it's US travel I don't bring as much stuff as I do on longer overseas trips so I just have a small tote bag which I refuse to put at my feet. Why should I be inconvenienced because some people can't be inconvenienced to wait at baggage claim?
I am not shopping for luggage at the moment but I just happened to notice that Costco members may be able to get a discount on Briggs and Riley through "Costco Next". Selection may be limited.
That's interesting. I am not familiar with Costco Next but suspect the luggage sold might have minor flaws and/or be outdated styles. I would not purchase such an investment on-line but it might be acceptable for some. I would compare the offering to what is shown on the official Briggs & Riley site.
One of the many things I like about this luggage--besides its durability and lifetime warranty--are the features and storage compartments.
Apparently Costco Next is a way to buy directly from the manufacturer but you get a Costco discount. I'm just hearing of this and would love feedback if anyone has used it for anything.
You only gave one measurement, but 22" is at the high end. Some airlines will specify height/length/width while others give overall dimensions. The best thing to do is to go to your specific airline's website for guidance. I also find Tauck's website to be very informative when it comes to information for specific tours, although I believe the information on luggage pertains to checked luggage only. Good luck.
Wan, I just looked at Costco, yes, you can buy any Briggs and Riley through them! It is not second qualifying or anything like that. Although I haven’t bought that from them, I’ve bought other things with no problem and you can return anything to Costco, their return policy is unbelievable.
Two things, I looked at a carry on bag, it weighs 9.9 pounds, never mind the price on the Briggs and Riley website, $699. I did not check the price via Costco. My full sized suitcase weighs 7.5lbs, that’s what I like about mine. However fancy your luggage is, it doesn’t stop it being delayied or lost. I also am a firm, believer in not having expensive looking luggage, it attracts too much attention. Just my thoughts.
I agree with British, the carryon you mentioned weighs too much and that is without any clothing in it. Yes, it is an excellent brand as is Tumi. I like my luggage to be ordinary and non-descript. My 25” reliable Samsonite weighs 7lbs empty. I use packing cubes, packing envelopes, and other organizers which are 100% helpful.
I only mentioned the Costco option because I know some people are very particular about their luggage and maybe there was a deal to be had. When we have needed to replace ours we usually just wait til Macy's has a sale and go there. Now that I look at Costco and try to compare prices I do see that shopping for luggage is not unlike shopping for a mattress. You could lose your mind.
Comments
Me!! I love Biaggi suitcases. They are extremely light weight and fold down quite small for easy storage. I have one that is expandable from a 20” (or so) to 28” so I can expand as needed. I just bought a new style - it is with a metal handle rather than straps. I starts off as a carry-on on wheels and can expand larger for checking.
Ah, Nancy, yes, we talked about them before. I had previously bought one like you describe, which is why I bought the larger one. I used that for a train journey but not really big enough for a two week tour for me and it’s very flimsy. I’d be worried to check it. But we love our lightweight Lipault bags, they have been all over the place now.
@ ourtravels34….I have a Biaggi bag with four wheels and one handle. It is basically a small, under the seat bag, that has a zipper at the top that unfolds for some additional storage. That then makes it a small 20-21” carry on to place in an overhead compartment. I purchased it specifically for a tour that had overnights where we were separated from our main luggage. It worked well for that. It’s very light weight and the four wheels roll smoothly. I do not have any bigger pieces of Biaggi, as we already have Hartmann luggage that lasts forever. This small bag was perfect for the one night stays.
Best carry on for a 20 day Australian/New Zealand trip? Planning on NOT checking any luggage. I also have a back pack to carry essentials. Thanks Nancy & British for your input above.
Everybody has their favorites. First decision is two wheels vs four. I’ve moved on to four wheels (spinner) as my shoulder does not like the body mechanics of pulling the two wheel bag. But, the two wheelers have generally stronger wheels. In a pinch, like curbs, cobblestones, you can pull a spinner on two wheels. But, here is where quality counts. A cheap spinner will have cheap wheels so if you abuse your bags like we do eventually you’ll have a wheel failure, and it will happen at an in opportune time. We like two brands: TravelPro and Biggs&Riley. TravelPro has several lines. We have the Crew line (Crew 9 although they must be up to 12 by now). These are the ones favored by flight crews. The Maxlite line are lighter, cheaper. We bought one and lost a rivet and had a zipper fail on its inaugural trip. That one went to Goodwill. Briggs&Riley are pricey but they last. Our old two wheelers are still getting active use (the kids) and I think they have to be 20 years old. Our spinners look beat but they have a lot of mileage and no failures. We favor soft sided luggage. Tumi is another top end line but the two Tumi bags we had both required repair within 5 years. Briggs&Riley have a lifetime warranty. I think TravelPro has similar.
Yes, Briggs & Riley luggage comes with a lifetime warranty. We had a defective handle (probably from airport personnel misuse) and dropped it off at the luggage store where we purchased it. It was sent to someplace in the south, repaired and shipped back to our home with a very nice note and a luggage tag. Excellent customer service. You truly do get what you pay for.
Years ago my husband won a Tumi suitcase at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan (they had just opened a Tumi store there.) I used it once on a business trip and promptly donated it to Goodwill afterwards.
Looks like it's Briggs &Riley. Thank you both for your commentary.
I look forward to doing the trip with my backpack & Carry on!
Cheers!
Stellie,
You won't be disappointed. If you have a luggage store near where you live, I suggest going there to browse the Briggs & Riley collection. If not, their website is quite expansive. We have the Baseline series in olive with tan trim (sounds drab but it is actually quite nice.) In the seventeen (17) years since we have had them, I have only seen them once while traveling (on a Tauck tour.) Happy shopping!
Do the 22 inch carry-on pass for the European carry-on size?
No idea, never take big carry on, just my backpack.
We had an incident this summer. We were in premium economy seats and had our only carry on, backpacks, in the overheads. The plane got very full and we were made to take our bags out and put them under our seats so people with huge carry ons could put their bags above our heads. I was furious but of course could not say anything. I’ve even had a guy open up an overhead above me and his huge bag fall on my head. I’ve heard some flight crew say they never sit in the aisle because of that happening and because of turbulence. As you can guess, I don’t like big bags inside a plane cabin.
Debi, it depends on the airline and the plane. When we went from Amsterdam to Budapest on a KLM flight they were stopping a lot of people and gate checking bags. The cheaper airlines I believe are pretty restrictive. Also may depend on what class seat i.e. business class likely gets more of a break than economy.
Carry-ons create another problem, they delay loading the plane and unloading the plane. Airlines have to increase the turn around time.
I get irritated when I check my bag and pay $30 then, the plane is full and people are required to check bags at the gate and get it free.
When just traveling in the US we usually use SW where you can still check 2 bags free yet you see so many people dragging on their carry-ons. Because it's US travel I don't bring as much stuff as I do on longer overseas trips so I just have a small tote bag which I refuse to put at my feet. Why should I be inconvenienced because some people can't be inconvenienced to wait at baggage claim?
I am not shopping for luggage at the moment but I just happened to notice that Costco members may be able to get a discount on Briggs and Riley through "Costco Next". Selection may be limited.
That's interesting. I am not familiar with Costco Next but suspect the luggage sold might have minor flaws and/or be outdated styles. I would not purchase such an investment on-line but it might be acceptable for some. I would compare the offering to what is shown on the official Briggs & Riley site.
One of the many things I like about this luggage--besides its durability and lifetime warranty--are the features and storage compartments.
Apparently Costco Next is a way to buy directly from the manufacturer but you get a Costco discount. I'm just hearing of this and would love feedback if anyone has used it for anything.
Thanks for the information, Wan.
Debi Horan,
You only gave one measurement, but 22" is at the high end. Some airlines will specify height/length/width while others give overall dimensions. The best thing to do is to go to your specific airline's website for guidance. I also find Tauck's website to be very informative when it comes to information for specific tours, although I believe the information on luggage pertains to checked luggage only. Good luck.
Wan, I just looked at Costco, yes, you can buy any Briggs and Riley through them! It is not second qualifying or anything like that. Although I haven’t bought that from them, I’ve bought other things with no problem and you can return anything to Costco, their return policy is unbelievable.
Two things, I looked at a carry on bag, it weighs 9.9 pounds, never mind the price on the Briggs and Riley website, $699. I did not check the price via Costco. My full sized suitcase weighs 7.5lbs, that’s what I like about mine. However fancy your luggage is, it doesn’t stop it being delayied or lost. I also am a firm, believer in not having expensive looking luggage, it attracts too much attention. Just my thoughts.
I agree with British, the carryon you mentioned weighs too much and that is without any clothing in it. Yes, it is an excellent brand as is Tumi. I like my luggage to be ordinary and non-descript. My 25” reliable Samsonite weighs 7lbs empty. I use packing cubes, packing envelopes, and other organizers which are 100% helpful.
I only mentioned the Costco option because I know some people are very particular about their luggage and maybe there was a deal to be had. When we have needed to replace ours we usually just wait til Macy's has a sale and go there. Now that I look at Costco and try to compare prices I do see that shopping for luggage is not unlike shopping for a mattress. You could lose your mind.
I love my new Tempurpedic mattress.
Way to pivot on the topic 😁