Jerseygirl

I find 26" cases when full just about confirm to the current weight restrictions.

Lion in Winter

That's because when you fill a case with handbags and shoes there is a lot of airspace that doesn't weigh anything...

Mummy in the foothills

Jerseygirl

I am very resourceful you know. I stuff things into the bags and shoes...so they keep their shape and are not crushed.

Mummy in the foothills

I still think cardboard boxes would weight less. More shoes and purses for all.

Bob

Anyone have any luck with those vacuum bag things that shrink the clothes up?

We got some knock off ones cheap when we moved, which were quite handy for sheets and the like, but they aren't half shite for storing anything more than a few days...just curious if the ones advertised on the tele were any better?

Bob

teabags and cheese don't count

Mummy in the foothills

I had some name brand ones like on the telly, they were no better. My Mum used one of mine to pack her smaller suitcase and it managed to hold till she opened the suitcase once home, I'd hate to have seen what would have happened if customs had opened the case, no way they'd have got everything back in for her to get home.

SEL_boy

We've been very happy with our bottom-of-the-range Samsonite cases, I think they were about $100 several years ago -- but the best decision we made was to buy them in red and green - it makes spotting them as they come out on the carousel a doddle, and I bet it makes them less likely to be taken by someone on the lookout for a free case.

Jerseygirl

Samsonite are well worth investing in if you can afford the initial cost. We have a set retired to the basement that are about 30 years old. The old heavy duty hard shells...with two wheels and a small handle at the side of the case. They have travelled hundreds of thousands of miles over the years and are still in good condition.

As I posted earlier...Samsonite now make ultra lightweight hard shell cases for Costco...selling under the Kirkland name. It said made by Samsonite for Kirkland on the price sticker...don't know if these were the ones I saw.

lansbury

But that case weighs 11.5lbs, that is 23% of your allowance gone just with the bag. That's why the duffle type cloth bags are better, they weigh less.

lansbury

That site is a bit out of date. The AC bag allowance to UK is now one free bag at 23kg and a second bag for $70. So you get about .4kg extra for free

RICH

When I emigrated, I brought with me a trad. suitcase with clothes etc, and a cardboard box full of all kinds of stuff. It was about 3 ft cubed, but weight wise it was still in the allowance, whatever that was. That was 2004, but a well packed cardboard box still ought to hold more and be cheaper than a suitcase, right?

old_motters

Having had both hard and soft cases of the Samsonite brand, I would go for the soft sided in future. The hard case took a lot more abuse and the catches are vulnerable to damage where zips less so.

For emigration my wife took cardboard boxes - 10 of them in total on BA. Since they were for 1 use only we weren't worried about them getting trashed. Probably not good in the wet with hindsight so I might wrap them in polythene if I did that again.

Jerseygirl

I think most hard sided cases have zips now...many are expandable also.