I agree 100%. Costco Kirkland Sig is the best bag. I've had mine 2 years...thrown in and out of the RJ and it's still in perfect condition. It's definitey lighter than the steel framed bags.

How about because they WANT to. Stupid thread. Tomorrow on APC forums, "Why do some pilots like the color orange!? I don't get it!"

I got the nice bags myself. If I had been in a worse position I prolly wouldn't have bought them. If you have to buy them out of your first year salary, it may not be the best idea. I would definitely advise you to get the pnt bags, but only if you can afford it. Just cause you can pay doesn't mean you can afford it. If you are like the thousands of first and second year fo's out there it might be wise to go to costco now, and come back in a few years to get the bag you keep. All I can say is don't kid yourself, there is a big difference in quality. I've seen captain after captain with the cheap bags have their handle break right in front of me. Must be five or six in one year. If you do get the costco one nobody in their right mind could critisize you. We know what it's like. Don't go into debt to get the nicer bag.

By the way, it's Bren awhile since this thread started. Did you end up buying a bag from this thread or were you just venting? Has anybody made a desision based on the content of this thread?

What a blast from the past. I might as well tell my story. Last year, I bought the luggage works (top grain) Flight case for $200, which I thought was expensive at the time (I wanted to go for quality), instead of the $50 OfficeMax one. A year later, the bottom is falling out, the flight case itself is deformed, there's a hole on the side, mind you I used to commute with it and carry it back to the crashpad since leaving it in the Trans State crew room sucked if you had a United trip. Needless to say, I was afraid the bottom was going to eventually fall through at the worst possible moment, over deice liquid and snow or something... I replaced that with the Coyote Works this year.

So lesson learned, with any flight case or bag, you can make it last longer than some people if you baby it, really take care of it and stow it in the crew room to use only when you have to fly. I'm not that type of guy, I don't want to have to worry about it and carry it up a curb or a couple of concrete stair steps going to a hotel. I want it to be able to take abuse, especially for you Saab drivers, plane siding your bag in the cargo every flight will take its toll eventually on any bag, expensive or not. The Saab cockpit is made of sharp metal edges and other stuff that even I will get cuts after flying it. But, to each their own...

I started with cheap luggage. The rollaboard lasted two years (mostly reserve, not working) but I had to take it for repairs on a regular basis. Especially the wheels, which were special luggage wheels, not readily swappable skate wheels.

I then went with PNT, and of course it has not had any problems.

The vinyl flight bag lasted almost five (but two years reserve). I sprung for a leather replacement...which is heavier BTW. I probably could have gone with vinyl again, but those are $70, so assuming they last 3 years it's about break even after ten and the leather will probably last much longer than that.

If you commute, definitely go with the good stuff. Cheaper in the long run, and less of a PITA.

Going three years now on the ABS plastic PNT. Two years on the leather flight kit from Anil (bomcrewmall).

They're not just bags, they're furniture. I've used the roller bag as a table, chair, nightstand, stepstool, ottoman, holiday decoration, wedge, flight case (short, short trips but with lots of Jepps), legal case, ballast, and, oh yeah, luggage. The flight case has served in all of those roles except as a stepstool, and has the added benefit of being a moving advertisement.

The only thing that's killed the PNT bag was NWA sticking a forklift through it. The clothes were ruined, my toiletries and chargers were still contained within and fine.

One trip around the country is all it takes for your bags to look well-used. One toss from the top of the jetway to the bag card by a lazy ramper is all it takes to destroy most bags. Not the PNT. Other than a few scuffs on the fabric, the thing is holding up great and I expect several more years of use out of it.

For the flight kit, it's just now starting to look slightly broken in. The new leather smell has yet to depart.

Costco gets irritated once you've returned the same item four times.

I'd rather spend $250 once than $100 + tax + time to replace + no loaner available.

I dont care if the flight case is plastic or leather, as long as it holds my Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. An episode of "Wings", had one of the guys loading it in his flight case. Great laugh.

Thats funny!!!!!!!

coyote works makes skid plates for those worried about the bottom getting wet and contaminated with de-ice fluid. the plates fit scott leather flight cases as well

Yeah I would've got one for it but it was too late... I figure I'd just get a new one.

Hey just wanted to chime in. If you can't afford the Purdy Neat stuff, get the ebags pilot 22" upright (not the expandable one). Mine's been going strong for two years, I got it for a little over 100 bucks, and I've seen it on sale for as low as 80, and the customer service is really good. I've been pretty rough on mine too, commuting from Boston and dragging it around on the cobblestone, and I figure as long as I get 4 years or so out of it, it was well worth the price. The only thing I changed were the wheels, which rolled nice, but plastic roller bearings just won't last that long. Fifteen bucks later, courtesy of play it again sports, I had a new set of roller blade wheels, which have lasted a year and a half with no problems. I can still roll my suitcase-lunch cooler-flight case combo, which weighs 80 lbs. or so, along with one finger, and the bag weighs half as much as the Purdy Neat and is nearly as strong.

So, when NWA put a forklift through your PNS, what'd you do? You had to get a loaner, or did the Purdy Neat heal itself? If so, that is 'purdy neat'!

With my Costco bag, I just go to Costco, get a new one. I've got 6 returns so far - I replace mine once ever 2 years, never an issue with my Costco. No need to worry about a loaner, or time to replace - I got a new bag. Scuff marks - time for a new bag. A ramper throws it off a jetway set for a 74 in Korea- time for a new bag (yes, seriously). Wheel squeaks - you guessed it, new bag! I keep the receipt in the bag, under the liner so I can always go to any Costco to change it, any time I want, anywhere in the US.

I will say the Costco bags aren't as good as they used to be. Metal pull tabs are now plastic, and the latest one has a plastic 'auto-expander', which is silly, but not an issue for a regional guy b/c you never expand your bag, making it too big to qualify for carry-on status. The hangers that come in the garmet bag (garmet bag?! Oh, yeah, that's included, with 3 hangers, and a 'dry bag' for dirty laundry or swimsuits or whatever too!) are now plastic hooked, rather than metal, but since I have 18 of the darn things, it's no big deal:D).

All that jazz you can do with the PNS (chair, ottoman, julian fries, whatever) you can do with the Costco too, but the best part is when you're done parading around your bag like a show pony, you can lift the bag into an overhead b/c it doesn't weigh as much as that show pony. If you plan to ever fly cargo, that kind of stuff is important, since you have to actually carry your bag up the stairs, and there's a lot of stairs on a 74, particularly when you got to go to the upper deck (both as the pilot, and as a passenger when you are positioned in business class to asia).

I gotta' say the PNS bag does do one thing the Costco bag can't do - ever see it go head to head with a lower lobe cargo door? Since it's all metal (the bag, though the door is too), its amazing, it turns into a freakin' pretzel, as does the owners face as they try to perform surgery and unravel their new $250 origami sculpture.

PNS makes a god bag, but you'd think the darn things can roll on water after reading all the posts about them. Trust me, all that metal, they sink. Did I mention the Costco bag floats too?:)

They are Tax deductable. Besides, expensive stuff makes me a better pilot, and hides the fact that i make less than a school bus driver.

Nah, it was at MSP, so a visit with the Stopover Store had me in a loaner and I had the repaired bag the next time I was through MSP (a week later). I found the metal bags to be rather uncomfortable to sit on and handles flimsy, thus went with the ABS plastic bags. Unfortunately, they're not the same plastic used in cutting boards, so not "self-healing."

I've heard the new PNTs are not as durable as their ancestors, but haven't needed one for years, so can't comment.

They have a couple versions of bags..... The older style is still available and seems more durable, the newer style has some plastic parts as opposed to metal.

Regional guy here with a purdy neat bag, scott flight case and a bose x. Never once have I been sorry I bought a quality item. Can't say the same thing about buying junk. These are tools that make my life better.

Very few actually take there bags up stairs into the upper deck on the 74Fs. We time them down by the L1 door. Since there are no overheads in any 74 upperdecks I have been in, only sidewall storage and they will not accomidate most rolling luggage anyway.

Have you ever had a luggage blow-out on the first day of a 2 week trip? It really really sucks. If you can afford it, get a quality bag.

Best deal out there
 

I don't know how many of you have to pay for your Jepp Binders if they get trashed. I have a perfect binder with two inch rings that I don't know if I ever used. I was going to pitch it but figured someone might want it. PM me with your address.....you pay postage.

I'm with Jedinein. In addition to everything else, I loathe wasting my off time to go into any retail environment.Not to mention, I prefer to not have my suitcases go to the landfill just because I went the cheap route.

I pack a PNS 26" for 2 week trips and the whole thing weighs 40lbs. When I do ride a 747, my bag stays on the main deck anyway.

There's a good reason why there are lots of posts with good reviews of the PNS bags.

In any case (no pun intended), to each their own.

But, does it float with your stuff in it? If it does, then you may have sold me.:D