Carry on Luggage: Briggs & Riley worth it?

T

Taylor814ce

Well-Known Member
Hi,

*Yes I read the old threads/posts*

looking at the newly designed Strongbags 21"(Evidently they shortened their luggage by an inch to accommodate request by many pilots) and Briggs & Riley(BR).

I understand BR has life time no questions asked warranty. Besides the warranty and great customer service, what makes these bags special enough to cost almost twice? Looking online, they don't seem any stronger or anymore pilot friendly than its counter part. I.e., Aluminum structured Strongbags or Metal framed Luggageworks. So I'm not clear on what makes these bags extra $$$.

Again, are the materials, structure, wheels, design superior to that of Strongbags/Luggageworks? If so, how? Or is it simply paying extra for that life time warranty?

Also, what you know now, and if you had to start over, which Luggage would you buy?

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
I've got the new Strongbags roller board (@PhilosopherPilot) and it's worked well. Doesn't fit well in old 737 overhead bins, but havent had a problem in any other aircraft. Now that I don't live in a place where I can get a luggage works bag repaired easily, it's easier to be able to do the work myself with the strongbags bag.
 
A warranty sounds great until you have to send your bag off to get fixed. Now what do you use?

I had a Purdy Neat bag for over 6 years, the thing was destroyed even after I "fixed" it myself numerous times including sewing the bag back together.

Instead I went a cheaper route, the Travelpro Pilot 22", $150 has lasted 2.5 years so far - at 3 years I'm at breakeven on a new PN with a six year lifespan on them for $300, I will buy another and keep the other used one as a spare for my wife who travels...

I much prefer a new bag over a used refurbished one, they are never quite right after getting damaged/used up.
 
My dad has had his for ~15 years and only had to have it fixed once when an airline broke the wheel. Been rocking mine now for 9 months and going strong. Customer service and warranty go a long ways in my eyes and is worth the price.
 
Meant to add....the problem I had was the body of the handle assembly separated from the main part of the suitcase. It was still usable but I had a 2 week stint at home so I took it in for repair.

They fixed it, but they updated some of the parts, too. Cosmetically the bag has some wear, but it's still as strong/good as the day I bought it. It's the one that is a little shorter but wider. Can't remember what they call it, but it's been a fantastic piece of luggage. I paid a little over $200 for it seven years ago. Worth every dime.
 
wheelsup said:
A warranty sounds great until you have to send your bag off to get fixed. Now what do you use?

I had a Purdy Neat bag for over 6 years, the thing was destroyed even after I "fixed" it myself numerous times including sewing the bag back together.

Instead I went a cheaper route, the Travelpro Pilot 22", $150 has lasted 2.5 years so far - at 3 years I'm at breakeven on a new PN with a six year lifespan on them for $300, I will buy another and keep the other used one as a spare for my wife who travels...

I much prefer a new bag over a used refurbished one, they are never quite right after getting damaged/used up.
Click to expand...

NECROPOST, I KNOW...but...Are you still pulling your Travelpro? The Flightcrew 5 seems like a pretty good mix of quality and price. I've made the decision not to carry a LW and the B&R is too expensive for my first year pay self.
 
Travelpro Pilot
Something like $125 shipped through their website with the airline discount. Changed wheels once due to the ORD ice melting agent crap in 3 years of use, 5 yr "commercial use" warranty. I don't commute though, so the bag doesn't get thrown around as much, but for the $ it's a good bag
 
ahw01 said:
Luggageworks is da bomb
Click to expand...
I'll probably be shunned for saying this, but after having 2 I'm never buying another one from them. Granted I was relatively hard on mine, but the level of degradation they had after less than 5 years and the repair costs being almost as much as a new bag put me off.
 
jtrain609 said:
Strongbags Vortex 21. Can't beat the thing.
Click to expand...
My only gripe is it fits kind of awkwardly in some overhead bins and you have to be "that guy" and put it sideways and take up way more space. The handle feels a little janky too but at least it seems easy/cheap to replace if it goes out.
 
BigZ said:
Travelpro Pilot
Something like $125 shipped through their website with the airline discount. Changed wheels once due to the ORD ice melting agent crap in 3 years of use, 5 yr "commercial use" warranty. I don't commute though, so the bag doesn't get thrown around as much, but for the $ it's a good bag
Click to expand...

This is what makes it attractive to me. It seems like a good value, and I haven’t heard anybody just really negative about them. I’m also interested in the Strongbags.

I’m also going to hang my neck out there…LW does not appeal to me. I’m sure the metal frame was a necessity when you had to carry 30 pounds of charts around with you, but those days are gone. Now it’s just extremely heavy, prone to getting bent, and it beats the hell out of everything it touches. It also screams “I’m a pilot” when you travel out of uniform.

This all probably seems like a millennial screed, and I’m not sorry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I've had two Briggs bags and I enjoyed them both. Very well made, doesn't look like a "pilot bag" and a great warranty. If you have a luggage shop near you that handles Briggs stuff, turn around can be fast. The one that sold me my bags is now out of business, but I have a cheap bag to use if I have to send it out, which is rare. Turnaround in a week or a bit more (they will rush it if you tell them you're a pilot) They will ship you stuff that you can replace like the wheels.

Mine is three years old now and I've gone through wheels and zippers, but as a regional pilot and a commuter, my bag sees a lot of handling. Still wouldn't change my mind, I've always been happy with Briggs and Riley.
 
Have had the Briggs bag for 20 years - will probably last the rest of my life as I'm not on the road much anymore. Warranty is great, but takes a while to get repaired, so you need a backup bag. Under heavy use, it is going to be in for repairs every 4 or 5 years. The J-hook or strap isn't permenantly attached, my only gripe. So, either buy a bunch of those, or bolt one to the bag.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Have had the Briggs bag for 20 years - will probably last the rest of my life as I'm not on the road much anymore. Warranty is great, but takes a while to get repaired, so you need a backup bag. Under heavy use, it is going to be in for repairs every 4 or 5 years. The J-hook or strap isn't permenantly attached, my only gripe. So, either buy a bunch of those, or bolt one to the bag.
Click to expand...

My Briggs bag is about 3 years old and the strap for adding a flight kit or whatever is sewn into the bag and has a pocket to hide in when not needed. Of course, the clip broke once, which means sending the whole bag out instead of just getting a new strap, but it's ok.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top