I travel a lot & I always check a bag. Unfortunately I am not a light packer but I am working on that. I have recently been given standby flight privileges so I will be flying more & I will be forced to have a carry on only. I have read the bag size restrictions on AA. Just looking for suggestions for any reasonably or cheap priced bags that hold the most stuff. I prefer 4 spinner wheels but that might not be my best option as far as space. At minimum I will need a bag w/2 wheels.

Rarely do I ever check a bag while on business traveling. Be nimble and now you can switch flights for free, assume you got some sort of status upgrade, so don't do it now for sure.

My Aggie son is an American Eagle pilot so I get standby flight benefits on American! Planning on trying to take advantage of those benefits. I am planning for a trip in 3 weeks so we will see how it goes. The larger luggage that I currently use came from Marshalls so I will check on a smaller piece. I will checkout Travelpro as well.

The house brand for eBags.com has a good quality bag for a good price. Amazon bought eBags.com a few years ago, so you can find them there.

I am completely sold on eagle creek.

Have a carry on and medium sized check bag from them that still look like new but are pushing 10 years old.

I hate cheap bags because they always fail at the most inconvenient time.

I flew back from Europe last week and had a $100 Samsonite wheel blow out halfway between the train and ticket counter.

That bag is now in the trash and will be sourcing another eagle creek.

I got two go-to brands for BIFL bags:

1. Tumi; and,

2. Pelican brand Laptop Backpacks.

Stuff is not cheap, but I'd have a lot more cash if I subscribed to buy-once-cry-once, earlier on in life.

I have LongChamps bag and a saddleback bag that are my go tos. They don't have wheels though

AA carry on size is 22 x 14 x 9 including handles & wheels. How much wiggle room is there to go beyond those measurements & still fit in the overhead? It seems like I see people w/bigger bags.

Texas Ag Mom said:

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AA carry on size is 22 x 14 x 9 including handles & wheels. How much wiggle room is there to go beyond those measurements & still fit in the overhead? It seems like I see people w/bigger bags.

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That's pretty much standard size for all US airlines. The 22x14" dimensions are easy to accommodate; the harder dimension is the 9". If you have a soft top/expandable bag, it's pretty easy to exceed the 9". But I've never had any issue except on very small, regional jets (some of which make you check your carry on at the jetway anyway).

The size of the overhead bins depends a bit on the size of the plane itself. I've never had an issue on a 737 or 767, although, on our flight a 767 the other day, I noticed that the bins over the interior seats were a different size than the bins over the seats along the two sides of the plane.

I'd be willing to bet my carry on this trip was stuffed to about 11 or 12", and I had no problems fitting it in the bins of a 737, 767, and 717. It was heavy, though, which makes it hard to lift over my head.

My son traveled with a Delsey that I bought specifically for European trips (they have much smaller, stricter carry on requirements). He really likes that bag, and it's the lightest one I've ever used.

This is the Delsey we have

https://www.amazon.com/Delsey-Luggage-Chatillon-Carry-Trolley/dp/B019PDQ6SW?keywords=delsey+chatillon&qid=1528125014&sr=8-4&ref=mp_s_a_1_4

I'm constantly amazed at how much I can squeeze into this bag, even though it's a bit smaller.

I don't like spinner wheels because they count against the height of your bag. To meet the 22" height requirement (or 21" on some European airlines), the bag itself has to be smaller to account for the height of the wheels. I like this bag because the wheels are recessed - which means you basically get the full 21" in usable packing volume.

Tom Bihn...Best bags I've ever owned especially since subscribing to the single bag travel philosophy


https://www.tombihn.com/collections/travel-bags/products/aeronaut-45?variant=16381010567

or the smaller version

https://www.tombihn.com/collections/travel-bags/products/aeronaut-30?variant=16381008775

If you can start travelling lighter, many companies make a tri-fold garment bag. Mine is from Sharper Image and can fit three days of clothes, including an additional pair of shoes. Mine doesn't have wheels so it would get heavy if I didn't pack light but some brands make them with wheels.

Mine fits in the overhead bin of every plane I've flown including the small side of MD-80s, the CRJ series, etc. It also fits under the seat and the agents never ask me to gate check.

I'll also second Eagle Creek. I don't have a business travel bag, but have two of their big rolling duffles and they've been through a lot of trips and banging around, but still look and work great.

I have an osprey bag that the backpack will zip off the main bag. I really like this because i can separate them and put the backpack under the seat and the other part in overhead. They make different sizes. This is link:

https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/ozone-convertible-50l-22-OZONCVT22_302.html

I have same Delsey bag as TxTransplant. It's my favorite carry on. Can fit more than you think it would. Very lightweight.

I second eBags. I can pack for a week plus, no problem, and still fit the bag under the seat in front of me if necessary.

Osprey Farpoint 40. When I bought it a few years ago, I was convinced that the internet had officially deemed it "the best bag". I've been happy with it. It's a backpack. No rollers.

snarkynomad.com is a pretty good travel blog that covers a lot of different gear options

I'm a big fan of Victorinox - it is a good balance between quality and value. Whatever you end up with, just remember that material is much more important than brand. If you will be using it frequently, I'd highly recommend going with something made with ballistic nylon.

I do not like roller bags. I have been using a Red Oxx Air Boss for several years and have been very happy with it. The size is such that if I stuff it full it is right at the upper limit of what I can "comfortably" carry.

https://www.redoxx.com/air-boss/91018/product

The only time I check a bag anymore is if I have to take more than 3 days of business attire.

Lots of good suggestions on this thread, I'll have to check them out.

What do you have against rollerboards? Why would you want to haul a bag, however light it is, across the airport when you could just pull it? Just curious.

Osprey Porter 46. It's a little bigger then the Osprey bag mentioned above but will still fit in the overhead bin.

My wife and I fly standby all the time.... Just got back from a ten day trip to Croatia and Belgium. This is our bag and it's the best bag to use for standby.

It's 22x14x9 and is designed to cinch tight to fit in overhead bins. Plus it's not a hard case so easier to stuff it in smaller bins like RJ jets or other regional European jets.

I don't know if it may be out our your price range but it's the best carry on bag you can buy. It also has a companion bag you can buy that straps on to it. Designed to be your personal bag you place under the seat while the Porter goes in overhead bin.

https://www.rei.com/product/112654/osprey-porter-46-travel-pack



EDIT: Just watch some youtube videos on how to pack a carry on bag. You'll be surprised with how much you can fit in them. The trick is rolling everything up tight. (not folding them) Plus I'll pack an extra pair of shoes in my personal bag and just use the carry on for clothes.

There are some people with bigger bags that make them fit but the only way is to place them longways which takes up so much of the bin. These people are straight up *******s and are detrimental to non rev travelers like us so I don't have any problem calling them out. Most of the time the flight attendants will force them to check their bag. They are never happy with me when I do that.

You will learn that you will not be able to ever check your bag. Flying non rev is tight and forcing you to go back through security could mean your'e stuck an extra night or not getting to where you wanted too. So make sure your bag fits and you board early so don't run out of bin space.

I've heard great things about the Osprey Porter lines, but 46 liters seems huge. We are traveling in a GoRuck 25 liter. It's heavy, but after 10 months on non stop use, it looks the same as when we started. Not a mark or scratch on it.

Have you looked into REI brand luggage. Tends to be a bit pricey but they have a great warranty on their own products. I travel regularly international and my REI carry on has been good for 7+ years. Not sure if they make it anymore but whatever the replacement is will probably be great.

For quick trips I travel almost exclusively with a backpack. My pack is the Patagonia Refugio, but any ~30L bag will do. If you can condense your needs, it's by far the most convenient way to get through the airports. If you need a roller, I recommend Briggs & Riley.

http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-rolling-carry-on-luggage.html

I have a Timbuk2 Copilot that I really love. Has smooth rolling skateboard wheels and a clamshell design that I was hesitant about at first but my last few trips I've noticed I'm not even filling this thing up for even a three day trip.

Tumi might be considered expensive but without a doubt the best bag on the market.

the Away carryon is fantastic.

Talk to your son about this. They are his benefits, and anything you do reflects on him.

Interesting. When I posted about them a few weeks ago I got nearly unanimous negative feedback.

i didn't see that thread. but i've had mine (the large carryon) for about a year now and am using it just about every weekend since i bought it due to my travel schedule. i had the battery thing upgraded to the new design so it pops right out to make the airlines happy. having the battery to charge your phone up is great.

cheapest and lightest one you can find. Cheap because you don't really care about the quality (if price == quality) since you'll most likely not have to subject those bags through the wrath of luggage handlers... and lightest - well, duh.... not all bags are created equal... but the lighter one the better.