RIP Samsonite

Dear Samsonite,

Upon receiving a job offer for a traveling position, I researched luggage and decided that you were the brand that I trusted most to carry my gear. Your lifetime warranty, wide selection of options, and though a bit expensive, price tag was quite fair in comparison with your competition.

Well, four years into said traveling job and you are being retired. Why? About a year into traveling all my zipper pulls broke. I could live with that. The outer zipper that hides the collapsible handle? Gone beyond repair. And speaking of that collapsible handle; you only collapse about one out of every five times. Not a good thing in the hurry-up pace of boarding a plane. But the last straw? The top handle went kaput. As in I’m lifting the bag on the shuttle and the pieces fly all over the Philadelphia Airport. I may, or may not have, exclaimed expletives.

So Samsonite I’m done with you. I tried to take you to a repair store but they told me that it would be less expensive than purchasing a brand new carry on.

Luggage search begins. I had a few basic criteria: Smaller than my current 22″, spinner wheels, and lots of compartments. I received a tip from a friend to try ebags. I would highly recommend checking out their site because they truly do have fantastic prices. But when I went to try the bags in person I nixed one of my criteria immediately — spinner wheels = smaller room inside carry on. I’m already downsizing inches, I don’t want to lose any more for silly wheels.

Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Mori Luggage, even Belk. We tried them all. Macy’s had a ridiculous sale on luggage and I scored this new beauty. Say hello to my Delsey Helium Pro H Lite 21″.

Isn’t she pretty? Well, at least for a business suitcase.

 

And of course I needed a new luggage tag. I mean come on, what luggage is complete without a Lilly Pulitzer alligator luggage tag? Professional Smeshinal. At least it’s black.