<p>Eagle Creek DOES have a lifetime warranty. I’d call them & see what they can do. I have had good success with them with a waistpack that I’ve had forever! They’ve replaced parts & even repaired the zipper–all free of charge! Luggage is a challenge for me–I’m proud of S that he has no issues & is fine with what he has. Fortunately, he is a very neat and light packer who doesn’t get as cold as I do.</p>
<p>i didn’t read the prior posts, so sorry if I am repeating an earlier suggestion. I have a Travelpro rolling bag that I love. It stands up to lots of handling without a scratch and has some nice features such as a water bottle holder that zips shut when not in use. I have the piece that is the max size to carry-on.</p>
<p>If one is going to be tramping through airports in the US and abroad, my chief suggestion would be to make sure that whatever case you buy has four fully pivoting wheels and a good warranty (and that you know a good repair shop!). It seems to take more time and longer walks to get from point A to point B in any airport, so the free rolling wheels make things much easier, but know that airlines will not pay to repair any wheels they destroy- and they do that a lot- read the fine print on your ticket. Certain carriers are rougher than others!
I don’t care for soft-sided luggage- again, it’s doubtful that your cases will appear on that carousel in the same condition that they were when you checked in. Hard-sided bags “give” but provide more protection for what’s inside. It also depends upon where you are going to travel- security rules are different in the EU as are weights allowed by carriers and the size of carry-on bags permitted. Makes me long for the days when divas traveled with train cases and hatboxes!</p>
<p>OK…late to the thread. DD has High Sierra luggage. It is much more light weight and durable (in our opinion) than many others we saw. She was traveling abroad with a stringent weight limit and needed 2 years worth of “stuff”. The High Sierra bags we bought her at Macys were the most light weight we saw…and she is very happy with them. We got a regular suitcase size (small pullman model…just a tad bigger than a carry on) but they make carry on bags too.</p>