My first metal frame LW bag lasted over 10 hard years of commuting. 2nd one, and non metal, has been going strong for a couple years, although it doesn't experience the commute like the 1st bag did. I went through some wheels over the years but after we went paperless charts and manuals, I never had another wheel go bad.
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Originally Posted by Imapylot
(Post 3221057)
So I think I’ve narrowed it down to the Travelpro FlightCrew 5 22” Rollaboard for $164.99 or the StrongBags Helix Pro Flight Crew Roller 21” for $299.99. Anyone have an opinion why I should or shouldn’t buy either of these? There’s a significant price difference but is there also a significant quality difference?
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Originally Posted by JohnnyBekkestad
(Post 3221294)
Interesting, i must not care too much, in 10 years i have had to really fix my bag once, that is after AA completely ruined it.
I've fixed a couple of loose screws thats all. I spray WD40 on my bearings and they stop squealing... And i don't care that it's bent all over... |
Originally Posted by Imapylot
(Post 3221283)
I don’t like how heavy my LW is. The wheel bearings don’t last long and every time I try to replace them on my own, I crack the bottom casting. The frame bows in just from getting it in and out of the overhead. I have spent way too much money getting it fixed so I just want to try something different for a change. That’s why I considered a Briggs and Riley because they’ll fix it or replace it for free. I’m just finding it difficult to spend that much money ($500-$600) for a work bag. Maybe I should just do it and never spend another penny again.
It was worth the investment. I loved my lw but rj life destroyed them in a hurry and they were heavy as hell. |
Originally Posted by FlyyGuyy
(Post 3221427)
My last year at psa I dropped the coin on the briggs and Riley. It's been perfect. It fit in the overheads of the 200 no problem. Just recently the top handle broke... It was frozen and snapped. I called and they overnighted the parts. Took 20 minutes to fix. Only required a phillips.
It was worth the investment. I loved my lw but rj life destroyed them in a hurry and they were heavy as hell. |
Originally Posted by FlyyGuyy
(Post 3221427)
My last year at psa I dropped the coin on the briggs and Riley. It's been perfect. It fit in the overheads of the 200 no problem. Just recently the top handle broke... It was frozen and snapped. I called and they overnighted the parts. Took 20 minutes to fix. Only required a phillips.
It was worth the investment. I loved my lw but rj life destroyed them in a hurry and they were heavy as hell. |
So I’m still undecided and confusing myself. Does anyone know if the eagle creek tarmac domestic carry on with 2 wheels will fit in the crj 200 overhead bin?
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Originally Posted by Imapylot
(Post 3221523)
Which B&R did you get? If their warranty is as awesome as they claim, I’m just trying to figure out why I would ever get their $550 bag instead of the $350 one. Even if the cheaper one doesn’t last as long, who cares? It’s the same warranty so they’ll fix the $350 one for free just like they’ll fix the $550 one for free, right?
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I have the B&R domestic spinner. Got the spinner primarily because I wanted the weight of that bag plus my flight bag and cooler to go where it belongs -- the ground -- as opposed to my shoulder. Put that much weight on your shoulders or back for even a fraction of an airline career -- no matter how young or old you are -- and you're going to have medical issues eventually.
I have had to replace the wheels once a year. The initial wheels I got with the bag were garbage. They replaced them free of charge (I installed them) with much improved versions that glide so smoothly I have to keep an eye on the bag because on even the slightest inclines it will roll away. I also had to have the telescoping handle replaced at about the 18 month mark but that's because the design is obsessed with light weight as opposed to durability. Had to send the entire unit back to them because they wouldn't sell me the part to replace it on my own. Cost me $20 to UPS it to their NYC facility (I live in NJ). They returned it earlier than planned. Truth be told, for the first 4 months of the bag's life I ran it in two wheel mode because my carrier was the last to get EFBs and I was dragging my old flight case with 30+ pounds of paper in front of the bag like many people do with two wheel arrangements and my flight bag and cooler, perched on top of the bag, put a lot of bending stress on the handle. The B&R bag doesn't really have a bag hook in the tradition of LW, etc. but rather a plastic clip-type strap that has the upside of never dropping your bag but it takes a few more seconds to open and close the clip. It attaches to the bag via a plastic clip that has broken once on me. I resorted to keeping an extra strap / clip in the bag as a backup, though I no longer use it in that mode. Everything sits on top of the bag slipped down over the telescoping handle. When the clip / harness failed, I called B&R and they replaced and sent an extra for free. The bag is collapsible, which means you can pack it for 6 days, possibly longer in summer months (less bulky clothes) and then when you need to cram it down to fit in the overhead you just set it on the ground and step on each side. The downside to collapsing it for extensive travel is it tends to fall over if it is top heavy (i.e. you put lots of bags on top of it). If the bag is not collapsed, the wheels are spread farther apart and it serves as a more stable base. Moving the bag is a bit more difficult in 4 wheel mode vs. 2 wheel when on even thin-pile / commercial carpet as some of the terminals have, but I still prefer a 4 wheel bag when I have to huff it through the terminal since again, the weight is largely on the floor as opposed to my shoulder or back. I have a 2 wheel strongbags 21" and it's a fine bag -- certainly better than the other variants because the structure of the bag is far stronger as it is not just an open frame with fabric cover, but solid aluminum panels that significantly strengthen the overall frame of the bag. The strongbags is my backup to the B&R and I've only used it for a single trip when I had to send the B&R in for the handle swap. |
Originally Posted by Imapylot
(Post 3221523)
Which B&R did you get? If their warranty is as awesome as they claim, I’m just trying to figure out why I would ever get their $550 bag instead of the $350 one. Even if the cheaper one doesn’t last as long, who cares? It’s the same warranty so they’ll fix the $350 one for free just like they’ll fix the $550 one for free, right?
If you're doing locals, standups, the occasional 2 day trip, or fly an airbus with as much space as a Manhattan studio apartment, you can go with a B&R or literally any other bag. Otherwise, a SB or LW is the only way to go. A strongbags isn't going to bend like a LW will, nor will it ever get overstuffed or have to worry about side pockets. It's a bit cheaper than a LW which is a plus. |
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