Amen on the spinners -- I have a 21" Samsonite, and several times now it has been the sole reason I've made a connection after a long sprint through the airport. That and my Bose noise-canceling headphones have made 50+ flights in the last year bearable.

I have a green overhead bag that I got in 8th grade. It's been all over the world with me any never broken; whereas the fancy set I got for Christmas a few years ago broke after just a few trips.

I did get a spinner bag recently, and it's great until you need to brace it (like, if you're on a tram and it starts or stops quick). Because the wheels rotate, it's hard to place it in a position where it won't slide!

I covet a spinner bag. I feel I don't travel quite enough to merit one.

I do have two favorite bags though - one old, one new.

My new one is a generic "boarding bag" I bought for $11 at TJ Maxx. I swear it's got anti-gravity built in - with the amount of stuff I can pack in there the bag has no right to be that light, and it fits into small corners of overhead bins.

My old one is a nylon Lands' End "Lighthouse" piece, bought in 1990 that they haven't made in years. It's a cube - one side opens up completely, one zips up about 1/3 of the way down. It has gone with me many places where I don't have to worry about looking crisp and unwrinkled upon arrival, and also fits into odd corners of the overhead bin.

My husband tries to steal both on a regular basis but I won't let him...

Amen, amen on the spinners. I too have the smallest Samsonite spinner, & it's great! In addition to its other advantages, what I like about it is its supreme organizational features. Pockets galore, even shoe bags, a nice-looking laundry bag & a sort of garment bag that packs easily, then hangs in your hotel room.

For 500 bucks it better do more than spin!! A nice suitcase can certainly make things a bit more pleasant in getting from point A to point B, but with an eye on both function and value I have been getting good service from a bag sold by Case Logic.
http://www.caselogic.com/18_lightweight_upright_roller/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=90742

On sale, it was about 1/4th the price of the one suggested. I also can't keep from flashing on images of a $500 bag being crushed, slung, and generally beaten upon when checked. And if I'm using it as a carry-on, the spinning top function, as amusing as it may be during a 6 hour lay-over, would come at too steep a price.

Liz, you are so right. Every time the ferry lurched, my bag would take off on its own. You really gotta brace those things when you're on any kind of incline -- they want to MOVE.

And Cheap, I hear you. These bags are super-pricey. But they are built to last. My colleague Cindy Loose did a road test when they first came out and threw hers down the stairs, then roughed it up with some gravel -- nary a mark.

Personally, I'm quite fond of Costco's Kirkland Signature line of suitcases. Great quality and design for the money, smooth easy rolling with inline skate like wheels, and being a non electronic item from Costco, they can easily be returned or exchanged for any reason at any time, without limitation, at any Costco, even without a receipt. Been around the world with mine quite a few times and they perform and wear very well.

I have this luggage: http://www.ebags.com/diane_von_furstenberg/lizard_on_the_go_24_expandable_a_frame_upright_aqua/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=98284 in the small and large sizes and it's awesome. I've had it for years and still can't believe how much stuff I can cram into one suitcase.

I agree--I'd never buy a $500 bag. I've bought expensive bags, & I find they don't last any better than cheaper bags. My 21" expandable Samsonite Spinner cost me about $80. The line has been slightly redesigned, I think, & I believe my precise model was discontinued....

We have Briggs & Riley - almost indestructable, and guaranteed for life-will repair for free - just small shipping cost - depending on where you take for shipping. Newer ones are lighter, which is great.

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