Suitcases have a max 2 trip usage limit!

We’ve never paid more than £40 for a suitcase and they’ve all lasted years.
DD’s friends bought her a new one for her 25th birthday as they were sick of the noise of her wheels and her sticky handle. She’d had it since her first school residential age 7. It cost £17.50.

Like pps on this thread, have had Antler cases for 15 or so years that have survived multiple round the world trips. One was replaced under warranty when the zip failed but otherwise no problems at all, they’ve been hauled on and off trains, in coaches and car boots as well as extensive air travel

I’ve been using the same case for 20 years, and the same rucksack for 15 years- and I travel often.

If they're not really broken then just keep using them. So wasteful otherwise. They're not designed to be wheeled around loads, if you need portability buy a rucksack. Or at least buy better quality so they stand a chance or can be repaired.

I’ve seen people online who replace the wheels on their cases with wheels meant for inline skates or even skateboards. The bearings in those wheels are generally very robust. DP replaces the wheels on his roller chairs with skate wheels for the same reason.

I used to have this problem with cheap suitcases but samsonite has been great.

It's an it depends.

Bags don't get.much TLC but on a lot of aircraft nowadays the bags get put in small containers (Unit Load Devices, ULDs) in the terminal before going to the aircraft so there's not quite as much scope at some airports for the handlers to hurl them the length of the hold.

The one significant exception to.that might be the 737 which AFAIk is still bulk thrown loaded.

OTOH I worked as.long haul crew our cases were normally individually thrown into a bulk hold, but even so people got hundreds of sectors out of the old style Delseys and Samsonites.

Personally I'd still recommend a hard shell but try and avoid anything with small heels or flimsey handles, if such exists.

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That's what we have used and in the past year it's been used in New York, Paris and will go to Belgium soon (family member going soon).

IT suitcases are fab.

Funnily enough, I bought a secondhand Antler suitcase yesterday. It looks incredibly sturdy. It only has two wheels so has to be pulled from behind, and I don’t know if that will prove annoying! But it’s incredibly well made.

Another vote for Samsonite. Had for years and done many trips and still all good.

IMO you pay for what you get with suitcases. I find cheaper (hard case ones) tend to crack easily.

Obviously in any case, avoid over packing.

It's the hardshell ones. I saw a video of an airport worker talking about them. They said because essentially they get jossled/thrown being put in the plane and then off again, they always recommend the soft shell ones. I have soft shell only and never had any issues.

DD and I both got a Kipling Teagan in in 2013 (I remember the year as she was going on a school trip in Yr 12). We both have the same suitcases, they have been on every holiday and trip. They have been to Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, all over Europe, China, all over the US, Cuba, Barbados and half a dozen ski trips. They are a soft shell and expandable with two sections. A bit battered now but still in excellent working order. Not cheap though, although I bought ours both from an outlet.

I have a Dunlop mega cheapo one i got for ds school trip about 13 years ago and it's still going it's done him 3 school trips, 2 florida trips, multiple Europe trips and UK trips probably 20+ total and apart from some scuffs it's perfect. However I have recently purchased a whole new set of iT luggage ones. They've done 2 trips so far and immaculate.

Me too, the smaller one is 35 years old, the medium one 10 years old. A trifle battered but still going strong.
I bought DS a Samsonite hold-all for university 25 years ago, it went all over the world with him and he only replaced it recently.

Everyone except Ryanair! I've had suitcases damaged by Wizz Air, BA and Ryanair. Wizz and BA sent a replacement. Ryanair weaseled out and gave nothing claiming a 2 year old suitcase had depreciated to nothing.

Airlines are a pain for treating luggage like crap. Mine always seems to get oil on it! I’ve never had it fully broken though.

I can’t say I’ve ever had a problem with failing suitcases. But I do tend to go on ordinary holidays - airports, flights, beaches, foreign cities, that sort of thing.

I wouldn’t swear to my suitcases surviving a climb up Everest or two weeks trekking in the Peruvian jungle.

Presumably the airline replaces them each time though? I had one cracked by handlers on a Jet2 flight, they replaced it with a new Antler one, and they messed up and ended up sending me two as well!

The soft sided ones are better in many respects, but not good if you are transporting anything fragile and much easier to steal from because people can slash them open. Otherwise, yes they are much more resilient to knocks and being thrown around in airports, and more forgiving to pack as well.

Yes agree, my indestructible cases are those very hard shell Samsonites exactly like you describe. The problem is that they are a PITA to use so I'd almost rather use cheaper, lighter ones that swivel easily and don't require lifting off the ground at all to wheel them, and accept that I am going to have to replace them more often.

Mine were cheap ones from an outlet village which are at least 15 years old and have survived countless airline flights and transfers. They are soft sided which I think makes them more resilient.

I think you are right actually. Most of my broken wheels have been due to dragging cases over lumpy pavements and cobbles rather than anything that has happened in an airport.

I fly very frequently and often long haul (or at least I used to, until quite recently) and although I agree that modern cases don't last as long as I might hope, I don't think it's accurate to say they only last two trips either. I've got at least 8 or 10 uses out of even my cheapest cases, although the shell will crack or the wheels or handle will go eventually.