Fashion? Hardly. And if you destroyed your LW in 10 months, your issue is caring for things that cost money, not the bag itself. I know guys who have been using their metal LW for 7-10 years and they are still working just fine.
I recognize that the metal LW is heavier than most, but if you're struggling to load yours into an overhead bin, you can always ask the 50 year old sweet lady gate agent to lift it for you.
Originally Posted by
Santos Dumont
Just fashion. Like many have said, the metal frame LW is ugly as hell and way too heavy. My first year I knew I was going to be commuting and walking to a crashpad during the winter, that's why I got the LW with the metal frame... the thing got destroyed in about 10 months. I got it rebuilt and I don't commute now, but it is already all dented and scratched after 2 years. I also own a plastic LW, which seems a lot better (haven't used t much), but I'm not sure if its worth what they charge for it.