This was the horror moment of a recent trip. The carry on suitcase zipper for the Delta flight broke. This is when you zip up and see a gap at the base. So what to do after crying? Tape the case? Then no access to carry on contents. Buy a luggage strap if you see one at the airport? My experience is they stretch and break. Tape is messy but it works on hostages and suitcases.
Now you are going ‘to invest’ in a new carry on suitcase. Invest because they are no longer cheap: $100++. Here is Forbes’ article on ‘carry on size’. Confusing? Double check with your airline. Suitcase numbers are like tv sizes; the numbers are in a private language.
COLOR Get a dark color but not black to distinguish your case.
OUTSIDE POCKETS When the broken zipper was taped, I had no access to magazines, snacks etc. Two outside pockets are ideal. The top one might be big enough for gloves/hat, a folded magazine or your PBJ snack. The bottom should be ample for an iPad or small computer you need in flight. Put too much in the bottom, be prepared for your case to fall over. If you are old like me, you will also fall over.
SECURITY Items in outside pockets are not secure in the overhead. This might sound neurotic. Tuck anything precious like a good scarf into the bottom of the case.
ZIPPER A good one is a must. YKK zippers are considered the best zippers. Generally the bigger the zipper, the stronger. A case with two zippers which meet up in the middle is easiest to close.
LOCKS There should be an area on the zipper to lock it. I am a firm advocate you lock an overhead suitcase. At this point, everyone should be aware of TSA locks. Travel with an extra TSA lock. When you arrive at the hotel you are tired, you unlock your case, you lay the lock down. You forget where you put it. Personally I still prefer a simple TSA lock that can be hacked off if it fails over an embedded lock on the suitcase frame.
HANDLE It should have two heights. If you are pulling the case from behind, the higher height is appropriate. For a side pull, you need a lower handle. Oldies need to be able to switch around to save on ibuprofen.
WHEELS Definitely get 4 wheels that spin so you can drag then side pull. Beware on the escalator; the wheels seem to have a life of their own.
BAG TAGS These are strangely hard to find. I found plastic ones in Target after an on line hunt. Buy extras. I put email and cell number on the tag not name or address. Smart tags? Stay tuned, now, aren’t we looking at our phones enough?
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