looking at a b&r carry-on bag. any suggestions as to which one? i was looking a the very 2 pilot carry-on.

i currently use the lw stealth and i love it but i want something lighter going forward.

in advance i appreciate the suggestions about other options, i have looked at them for years probably and decided this is the best route for me.

 

I don't have it, but I've heard nothing but good things. I've talked with businessmen who use it, as well as pilots. Great bags. Lifetime warranties. It's on my radar as a next bag. The Domestic Carry-On two-wheel specifically. The four-wheel would be nice, but I just see me breaking wheels or them getting in the way too often.

 

The LW Stealth Air is 4 pounds lighter than the regular Stealth and also almost half the price of the B-R. Just FYI.

 

I know. I've got one of those. But in two years it's mangled. Plus, I'll use uniform allowance.

 

The Executive is even lighter (plastic frame model), and I've had two over the course of 15 years. That said, the B&R is nicer, and the warranty is better.

 

Bought a couple B&Rs for personal travel back in 1998. Still have them both and they are phenomenal bags. It's an investment, but you get what you pay for.

 

I bought a B&R Domestic Spinner (4 wheel) about 7 months ago. Have taken it a lot of places since. After using a two wheel bag for many years I'm now sold on spinners. They put all the weight on the ground where it belongs, as opposed to your shoulder. The only place they kind of suck is on high pile carpeting or sloped surfaces (like a jet bridge)...in which case I just throw the bag on it's two main (larger) wheels and drag it behind me as I would a 2 wheel.

The weaknesses of the B&R bags are the wheels and the handle. They are not designed to handle more weight than what might be stuffed into the bag itself or maybe a reasonably loaded extra bag on top. Add a cooler and I could see the wheels or handle breaking. I have pointed out these faults to B&R but I'm not holding my breath until they fix it. Of course, if anything breaks B&R will repair it for free (allegedly...I've never used their repair service) so that might be worth it.

FYI, B&R does offer airline employees a 20% discount....but unlike in the recent past you *will* need a company ID to take advantage of the discount now because too many people were apparently caught lying to get the discount. All this means is if you are planning to buy B&R, do so after you're hired.

 

I've done a few million miles of pretty serious business travel with my B&R. I've used the repair service a few times but only for cosmetic things like the rubber inset in the handle, never anything structural.

Haven't paid a single penny for those repairs. The warranty does work, no questions asked.

The handle is stronger than you'd think. I have a 2 wheeler and I used to have a lot of heavy-ish stuff in my "personal item" which I had on top of the suitcase so leaning against the handle, often 30lbs or more. Not a single issue, ever.

I'll never buy another brand.

 

Go to the travelpro website and register with your airline id number.
22" pilot (looks like the fa 22" plus heavy duty overlays, maybe a bit beefier) is like $120 shipped after the discount.
Light enough, stuff hasn't fallen off of it yet, and if it does - for $120 I'll just get another one. Warranty for "commercial use" is 5 yrs I think