Ravenna rolling bag for business travel?

The top handle of my Ravenna rolling bag broke off during the second week of using it. I've had two other RS rolling bags and both had telescoping handle problems. (The guide on my RS tour when the Ravenna broke said RS bags having problems was a common issue.)

Is there a reason you are limiting yourself to those two bags when there are so many others bags out there that are better made?

(I know I am going to get attacked for this because there are people here who swear by their RS rolling bag.)

I just purchased 2 Ravenna bags - have not used them yet but I love the layout. We are leaving in a week - I will report back how it goes.

Go to a store that sells luggage so you can touch, see and feel for yourself. Also the sales people in those departments are usually very knowledgeable about regulations. It does not necessarily have to be a Ravenna bag.

I have a Ravenna bag that I use for business travel. It works great. It fits in all overhead bins with the exception of the smaller regional jets...most backpacks have a hard time with those bins. I have not had any trouble with it. I do only travel about 50% of the year and check minimally. I think that has help keep the wear and tear down. I would recommend it.

Thanks for the valuable feedback, all.

I'm still looking more broadly for the right bag, but honestly I love my convertible bag so much that the RS products were interesting to me. We bought very similar convertible bags for our kids about the same time we bought the RS ones for ourselves, and the RS bags are far and away superior, in little ways I wouldn't have known to look for. Also it's easy to spend a LOT of money on a bag, and the RS bags seem to be good design and quality for the money. But yeah, a bad handle would definitely not be in that category.

Hmm.

Glad to see Mollie's feedback too, thanks for the comparable of a female business traveller! In my experience the smaller jets have the little trolley on the jetway, where you can leave your bag and collect on landing, which is fine by me. Christie, yes would love your feedback after you've used it.

I have the Ravenna rolling bag but have only flown w it a few times. I don't know how well it will balanve a heavy computer bag, though

There are many companies that offer good bags.

Eagle Creek and Lipault are two brands whose bags I have used and taken all over without a bit of a problem. I'm currently using a Samsonite but the model is not available in North America. It is very lightweight and surprisingly durable. (I bought it to replace the Ravenna and it weighs nearly half as much.)

Eagle Creek has a lifetime "no matter what" warranty and Liapult is a French company now owned by Samsonite.

Of course, Tumi and Briggs & Riley are the two best known brands for business travel but they tend to get pricey. Delsey is another brand that makes quality bags but less expensive. Travelpro now gets mixed reviews but they basically invented the current rolling bag design.

Some company's bags include "suiters" which are special packing compartments meant for suits. These help keep jackets and pants free from wrinkles.

I have a related question. We are traveling via British Airways to/from Spain/Portugal next month. We have looked high and low for bags that will give us the maximum space while fitting the airline's dimension restrictions: 22" x 18" (no bag is 18" wide!) x 10". My cousin is a flight attendant with Delta, flies internationally, and sweetly loaned me her old Travelpro wheeler - Delta buys them new bags periodically. She said it is "exactly" those dimensions. It is in fact 23" x 14" x 10". We don't intend to check luggage, we don't want to spend the time waiting for them and take the risk of the bags not arriving with us. Is the airline going to grab this bag because it's 23" high and make me check it?

Marsha

No one can defninitively answer that question except the gate agent before you board the flight.

I have never seen bags being checked for size for flights across the pond but Ihave seen them eyeing bags for intra-European flights. Since you will be on one of those, it is possible.

Are the specs you gave your measurements or the official ones?

Griffsma.... ok, problem is its an inch too tall when you are roling it? Id try a bit of camoflouge....be rolling it w handle extended and something like a soft fleece kinda gathered in the pulling hand... also if there is a zipper pocket on the front tie a few bright ribbons to the zipper handle. :)

I bought the RS rolling bag and have used it only once on a domestic flight. It fit fine with room to spare (Southwest 737-700overhead bin). I can't speak to durability, obviously, but so far, so good. Plenty of room, well organized, and not too heavy. And its size should do fine for my next European trip, assuming the airlines don't get any more restrictive than they are now.

While I appreciate the "hands on" approach one poster noted, these days it's simply more economical to shop online, unless you know in advance of a good sale, or if money is no object (see high end brands like Tumi, which are out of my price range). I use eBags fairly often and trust their reviews, as those folks tend to be a little more of the "serious traveler" type than, say, Amazon. This forum is a good place to get solid info too, particularly on RS items.

My personal preferences in luggage are Travelpro and Eagle Creek, with High Sierra being a less-expensive alternative. Never had a problem with any of these brands, and I've bought a lot of luggage (the quest for the "perfect bag", I suppose:). If you shop a site with a liberal return policy, and save the shipping box, you shouldn't have any problem returning an item that doesn't make it for you.

It also looks relatively casual, and I like to be a bit more polished while travelling for work.

Do you take your bag to your business appointment? If not, I am puzzled why this is a concern for you

Use the bag that does the job. As a "practical" type, for me the job luggage has to do is be a good container, not a piece of art.