JayBee

you mean like the ones passengers use that leave wheel carcasses scattered throughout the airport ?

DarkSideMoon

Switched from travel pro to StrongBags this year. Big fan so far. The wheels are super easy to clean/replace. Shell seems sturdier and replacing the Kevlar outside looks like it won’t be difficult when the time comes.

Meanwhile my buddy destroyed his LW trying to replace the wheels and they ended up shipping him back someone else’s bag, definitely a different model than he sent them.

CentrlIL

I’ve had my LW stealth bag for 5 years and it’s been a piece of junk since day 1. When I received my first bag one of the wheels rubbed so much it hardly moved. I returned this bag and received one that squeaked and rubbed but at least rolled. I should have sent this one back too but I didn’t.

Almost every screw has gotten loose even after adding locktite and bigger screws. Zippers are breaking off left and right and now the stitching is coming apart. The frame is bent and oh yea the bag weighs like 50 pounds empty. It’s likely you’ll end up with shoulder problems at some point from lifting this thing into the overheads. I strongly recommend going with any except for LW.

A guy I flew with recently had one that looked almost new. When I asked how long he had it he said 15 years. I was shocked especially when he told me that he’s done next to nothing to it except replace a zipper. That leads me to believe these were once very good bags but are not anymore.

PilotBases

LW exists because people keep buying them, but they are overpriced and overweight for their quality. Only one I think looks decent is the Aurora. Bought it for the wife on discount and it holds up well, while not looking like a pilot bag. I don’t know why people still buy the full metal frames when Jepp cases are long gone.

highfarfast

Agree with this. I’ve never owned the traditional LW bags because, for one, my research said don’t bother. But also, I was never impressed with what they provided visually... they actually look like they hold less than a lot of other bags, reviews indicate their quality has dropped over time considerably, they’re really heavy, and they just look like a hazard to everything around them due to their sharp edges. Anyway, when others here criticize LW in general I won’t argue here because I assume they’re talking about the traditional boxy LW bags of which I’ve only researched and never owned.

This lead me to buying the Briggs for my first airline bag thinking it would last a lifetime (it has a warranty for it anyway). I knew I’d need a second bag at some point to use when I sent the Briggs off at some point for it’s lifetime warranty. I THOUGHT that second bag would be the cheap Costo bag guys used to by. But by the time I needed it, the cheap Costo bag has been replaced by another version that didn’t seem adequate. After a bit of research, the LW Aurora seemed like the best short term deal. It wasn’t as cheap as the Costco bag I thought I’d need but it was cheaper than all the other professional pilot bags and seemed to have reviews that it held up well so I ordered it to use while my Briggs was in service.

What I found was that the LW Aurora held more than my Briggs, rolled smoother, and the expansion tech worked better. As a result, the LW Aurora is now my primary and the Briggs is the backup. Didn’t expect that. I’ve now been using the Aurora as a primary longer than I did the Briggs as primary and I’ve yet to have to send the Aurora in for service which means it’s lasted me longer than the Briggs. Didn’t expect that either.

PilotBases

Yep, I bought the metal LW and hated it, screws fell out, metal got burrs. Broke when the axel rusted into the bag and the metal had stress cracks trying to free it. Bought the plastic and it’s better, but I’m getting the Aurora next time, I don’t commute and don’t go on RJs so the frame seems like overkill. I bought the “you need the metal one to hold up” line and it failed miserably for me. $300 for a bag that might last a few years is a ripoff, when I could spend half that on a lighter bag and probably get the same amount of time out of it.

njd1

I have their cooler and I agree it's very well built. Been lugging that around for over a year and it still looks new inside and out. I bought their roller as a backup to my Briggs and it's finely crafted except for its handle, which feels and looks like flimsy garbage, much like my Briggs handle. I've seen better handles on generic consumer rollers.

FlannelDaddy

I never understood that. I've never been approached by anyone because of my bag. Yes I suppose other crew members will, but that's not a problem unless you're acting unprofessional. Which that'll come back to bite you no matter what bag you have. If you're worried about non revving out of uniform and getting a drink on the plane or at the bar with a "crew bag" I think you're overthinking it.

highfarfast

Funny you should say that. About a month ago, not in uniform and no visible badge, I was standing in line trying to read the posted menu at a counter service restaurant and some dude behind me, also not in uniform and no ID, starts up a conversation asking who I fly for. I assumed he recognized the bag.

I must admit, I was kinda annoyed. If I wanted to talk airplanes, I d at least be wearing the badge.

FlannelDaddy

Ugh that's annoying. Must've just been at best a chatty Ned Flanders or at worst a socially awkward dude. But honestly often it's not the bag that gives folks away. To me it's usually uniform pants with a pilot shirt. Or the 37 valet tags on the bag. Either way it never really bothered me. I'd rather have them guess that I'm a pilot than a drug dealer haha.