Suitcases

[oldbluefox]

I have just cleared out two huge suitcases. I suppose with the advent of a maximum 23kgs weight suitcases have become smaller and lighter but at one time of day I obviously used to lug these massive monstrosities about. One of them was a plastic Delsey case which, looking at it resembled something which was virtually bomb proof. Put that against one of these lightweight cases and you see how far we have come in suitcase design.
No wonder I've got a bad back!!!
I wonder how many more of you have got these things up in the attic.

[qbman1]

Thought I had one, but turns out it's the water tank !

[Manoverboard]

Had a heavy one at one time that weighed 14lb .... empty !!!

We converted to our much lighter 26" cases many years ago.

[wolfie]

We have a few Antler, hard bottom soft top, suitcases that can be secured by straps to accommodate more or less packed into them. Matching luggage, no way!!! BTDT and they are all very heavy!
I think we have 2 of what you describe and they were last used circa 1997!! We used them last in 2008 when we took a large number of cases on a worldie. Thanks OBF, off to the charity shop with them very soon. h

[david63]

I have a pile (literally) of suitcases in the garage - I am told that we will need them when we move house (I didn't know we were even moving!).

If anyone is looking for lightweight suitcases then I can recommend the "IT" range - they may not look substantial but looks are deceptive - they are probably the best cases that we have ever had.

[oldbluefox]

We now have 'IT' suitcases. So far we haven't tried them out for a cruise, apart from a little one we use for overnight stays but they are certainly light and do seem very strong. I also had a Tripp suitcase but found the design of the wheels was not so strong and, on a trip to London, one of them gave way resulting in having to virtually drag the suitcase. Wheels on the 'IT' cases seem to be a much better design. Btw we got our larger case from Primani at a very good price so they are well worth looking for there.
Hopefully my new cases will survive being 'thrown' onto the conveyor belt at Southampton and then tipped out of the lift.

[david63]

Hopefully my new cases will survive being 'thrown' onto the conveyor belt at Southampton and then tipped out of the lift

We first got ours when we went to India and they survived five weeks of being thrown in the back of cars, on planes, trains and boats so a Southampton conveyor belt will pose no problem.

Incidentally they do honour their guarantee. After India we had a minor problem with one of the cases and it was fixed without any issue whatsoever.

[Manoverboard]

Ours are Antler, we had a free 7 year guarantee with them and one of the zips failed at 6 years and 10 months ... they pointed us to their website and invited us to choose a free ( and similar of course ) replacement.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We have lightweight Antler these days. They survive the normal rough and tumble and are so light they are full before they reach the weight limits. The only time an airline actually managed to break one it was replaced FOC by the airline. Oh I nearly forgot. Another airline managed to damage a handle and refused to cough up for the spare part. They then went out of business. Shame!

[Manoverboard]

We have lightweight Antler these days. They survive the normal rough and tumble and are so light they are full before they reach the weight limits. The only time an airline actually managed to break one it was replaced FOC by the airline. Oh I nearly forgot. Another airline managed to damage a handle and refused to cough up for the spare part. They then went out of business. Shame!

Freddy Laker was it ?

[qbman1]

B.O.A.C. more like!

[Mervyn and Trish]

We have lightweight Antler these days. They survive the normal rough and tumble and are so light they are full before they reach the weight limits. The only time an airline actually managed to break one it was replaced FOC by the airline. Oh I nearly forgot. Another airline managed to damage a handle and refused to cough up for the spare part. They then went out of business. Shame!

Freddy Laker was it ?

Excel by name but not by nature.

[The Tinker]

I have a pile (literally) of suitcases in the garage - I am told that we will need them when we move house (I didn't know we were even moving!).

If anyone is looking for lightweight suitcases then I can recommend the "IT" range - they may not look substantial but looks are deceptive - they are probably the best cases that we have ever had.

Useful info - thanks David. We are looking to replace our suitcases and bought a cabin size hand luggage Tripp one for our recent land based holiday.

I looked at the 'IT' range online and in the shops and was put off as they don't look at all substantial but will look again at the range as need something to last!

[cruisin_duo]

Not sure whether we should start a new topic, but in 2015 when one of our suitcases arrived in the cabin we noticed that one of the four feet had been broken off, and there was a hole at the bottom of the suitcase. Went down to reception to ask if they had anything we could use to cover the hole. We were asked to give the suitcase to our Steward, and someone would have a look at the suitcase.

Anyway, a couple of days later the suitcase came back and it had a replacement 'foot', and it was so well done that you had to look hard to notice the difference. One of the engineering
crew in their spare time had repaired our suitcase, so as a thank you, and because this was more than we had expected to happen, we placed some money in an envelope and asked that it be given to them.

[oldbluefox]

Useful info - thanks David. We are looking to replace our suitcases and bought a cabin size hand luggage Tripp one for our recent land based holiday.

I looked at the 'IT' range online and in the shops and was put off as they don't look at all substantial but will look again at the range as need something to last!

I would certainly buy IT again (although I now have three of them). They are much stronger than they look and come with a good guarantee.
I hope your Tripp suitcase fares better than ours Tink. One of the wheels on ours failed resulting in me having to drag the thing through London to our hotel. I looked to see if it could be mended but it would have cost as much in the spare part as to buy a new case so it ended up at the tip.
(I think it would have been covered by the guarantee but we didn't have the receipt).

[wolfie]

Not sure whether we should start a new topic, but in 2015 when one of our suitcases arrived in the cabin we noticed that one of the four feet had been broken off, and there was a hole at the bottom of the suitcase. Went down to reception to ask if they had anything we could use to cover the hole. We were asked to give the suitcase to our Steward, and someone would have a look at the suitcase.

Anyway, a couple of days later the suitcase came back and it had a replacement 'foot', and it was so well done that you had to look hard to notice the difference. One of the engineering
crew in their spare time had repaired our suitcase, so as a thank you, and because this was more than we had expected to happen, we placed some money in an envelope and asked that it be given to them.

Similar experience when one small case was delivered to our cabin with the handle completely detached and placed on top, so it had obviously happened on delivery to us. It wasn't the extending handle for the wheels, it was the other one. Went to Reception just to report that the case had been damaged on handling and they said to leave it with them.

A few days later the case was returned with the handle reattached and it has done some more years service since then. It was also a very professional job. We also wrote a letter to be handed to the person who had done the job with a little extra thank you enclosed.

[Kendhni]

At the minute we are running an average of 'losing' 1 case per holiday ... across the last 5 holidays. I don't know what baggage handlers are doing these days, but on two occasions the suitcase has been so badly damaged that we have had to buy a new case to get home. Most recently we were all having a good laugh at a case that had obviously burst open and was in bits on the baggage carousel ... then I realised it was mine.

I have sent emails to the airports and travel companies involved and they all want to wash their hands off it ... the usual statement is that there are many touch points and they have no way of knowing which one caused the problem and therefore it is 'not their fault'. So far I have managed to use the baggage claim agents to refund the costs of cases ... although I still have a couple of claims outstanding.

With our last claim we have just bought a couple of hard shelled IT cases from Tesco Direct. They will not get their first outing until later this year so it will be interesting to see how they do.

[qbman1]

Good to hear from you again Ken.

That sounds like another good reason to avoid airports. Luggage may get a few scratches getting on and off a cruise liner but they are seldom totalled !

[david63]

but they are seldom totalled

Unless they fall into the water

[qbman1]

Don't be so negative - at least they don't run the risk of ending up in Ulan Bator when you are in Benidorm !

[david63]

Don't be so negative - at least they don't run the risk of ending up in Ulan Bator when you are in Benidorm !

Could do if they load them on the wrong ship - just saying

[qbman1]

I'm not sure Mongolia is a particularly favourite cruise destination !

[Mervyn and Trish]

Ooooh. I must check if it's on the 2019 itineraries

[Kendhni]

I'm not sure Mongolia is a particularly favourite cruise destination !

I would say it is only second to those wonderful cruise destinations of Switzerland and Austria

[towny44]

I'm not sure Mongolia is a particularly favourite cruise destination !

I would say it is only second to those wonderful cruise destinations of Switzerland and Austria

Vienna is one of the top river cruise destinations in Europe........just saying.