I am about to buy yet another overnight bag and wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions on which ones are holding up the best for their dollar. I usually spend about 5-6 days out so I need a decent size bag....22" would work. Ive noticed that more ppl are using Travel Pro these days instead of the PNG bags? Is thi simply because of the price of PNG or is the Travel Pro really a better value? I appreciate the help because Walmart bags just aren't holding up these days

 

The travel pro that I got when I started with the airlines lasted about 2 years of the regional airline life before it went to the big luggage bin in the sky... The PNT bag that I've had since has made it through 3 years of airline abuse and 2 years of corporate flying.

Aside from a worn wheel bearing (which was caused by one two many drags through the mud on the way across a gravel parking lot and is easy to replace), and a few minor scratches on the back where curbs rub up against the frame, it still looks almost as good as when it came out of the box.

The downsides to the PNTs that I have seen (or heard from other people):

-the zippers have a tendancy to break (I haven't had this problem, but know folks who have... I think a lot has to do with over stuffing the bag)

-they are expensive (however if you can make it to a stopover store, minor repairs and "tuneups" can be done on the spot and are very cheap or free in some cases)

-When packed full, they don't fit into the overhead on some regional aircraft. (For instance if you fill the side pockets, you wont get one into a CRJ bin)

 

The overnight I have had for the past year is somewhat large and has been gate checked when riding on an RJ so I guess that wouldn't be too bad but I thought the zippers on those PNG bags were suppose to be so much tougher because they were larger than other zippers? Well, thanks for the responses anyways. Where is the best deal on the PNG or the tavelpro...looked at crewgear.com and outermarker.com any others?

 

Personally I've never had an issue with the zippers. I think the issue comes when you stuff the thing so full that it weighs about 90 lbs and is bulging at the seams... I can put 5-7 days worth of clothes, sneakers and a medium size shaving/toiletries kit in mine without any problems. If you get one of the snap on bags that clips to the front you can take even more along (I attach my laptop).

I bought my PNT through http://www.luggageworksonline.com. They offer reduced rates for crewmembers if you can provide some company/crewmember information.

 

I've carried TravelPro for about 20 years. I get 5-6 years out of them but I do some repairs along the way. I've replaced wheels/bearing, and handles (both fixed handle and sliding ones). I just ordered a new one from luggageonline. $142 for the 22" including shipping (also used a discount coupon found online). Haven't used it yet and not sure how I'm going to like it. Some of the storage space seems smaller than the older ones. We'll see.

Skydawg

 

I think I like the old Travelpro's better than the new ones. All the same, here is their web site. You can click on the Buy Now link and it will give you a list of retailers so you can shop around for the best price.

http://travelpro.com/

 

Try the Costco ones with the lifetime guarantees! I know of a couple guys that have returned one a yr for the past couple yrs!

 

I used Travel Pro for a very long time, but had to have new zippers sewn into it once too often. I finally got tired of the expense and down time on the bag and went looking on the internet for a replacement. I settled on Victorinox Werks Traveler 1.0, otherwise known as Swiss Army. The same guys who make those knives. Anyway, I've had it for two years now and the only thing so far that has gone wrong was a screw fell off and got lost within the luggage. I called the company and a few new ones arrived in the mail in a day or two. Try this web site: http://www.luggagebase.com

 

Well, after looking through all the sites on this thread, and asking a few friends what they thought about theirs I decided to get the Stealth 103 bag from PNT...If it doesn't last I guess there is always next time. Thanks again for all the helpful info.

 

I also initially bought a $180 Travelpro, but after a couple of years it also broke down. I looked at getting a company-sponsored bag that is cloth with a heavy metal frame as a replacement, but decided the extra 10 lbs of weight and $280 price tag were just too much.
I shopped around and found a pretty good variety of bags at Ross, Dress For Less stores at $25 to $40. These are overstocked bags in various sizes (a lot of 22 inch expandables) such as Travelpro, U.S. Luggage, and other name brands. These bags normally go for $80 to $150.
So now, when a zipper fails, or a wheel bearing explodes after 1 to 2 years of heavy use, I simply trash it, buy another light-weight $30 bag, and write it off on taxes. In this case, at least for me, cheaper is better.