The 5 Best Luggages for Pilots and Flight Crew (2024 Reviews)
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You need luggage that will keep up with your constant travels. The last thing you want is for your suitcase to fall apart on the plane or tarmac on the first day of a trip. It has to endure vans, cabs, airport stairs and escalators, overheads, cockpits, and sometimes baggage compartments. There are plenty of suitcases to choose from, but you need something elite to the average passenger roller.
First, here’s the information you need to narrow down your search for the right bag.
Our Luggage Buying Guide
There are three main features to look for when you’re choosing luggage: size, weight, and warranty. Price and appearance are also important, but you can consider these aspects once you’ve narrowed down your options.
Luggage Size
You want the luggage to be large enough to hold your clothes and personal items, but not too big that it won’t fit in the overhead bins. Bags that measure around 22-inches are roomy and still fit in most baggage compartments in US. Also, keep in mind that in Europe, carry-on size limits vary and can be as small as 16 x 8 inches, and airlines weigh and use sizers more often. Many manufacturers, including those recommended below, offer smaller versions of the same bag better suited for European travel.
Luggage Weight
Optimally, your suitcase should weigh around 10 lbs. before it’s packed. Even for short trips, you’ll be packing it full, so you still want it easy to carry. You will be lifting it over your head to put in the overhead, putting it in the cab or van, or carrying it up stairs many times per day. You’ll appreciate a bag where most of the weight is from your own things. Save the arm workouts for the gym.
Luggage Warranty
Look for luggage that comes with a manufacturer’s warranty. Even a limited one will give you some protection. Undoubtedly, all the bags we recommend are very durable, but a warranty covers your investment even further. Again, as a pilot or member of the flight crew, you’ll be putting a lot of miles on the luggage.
Straps, wheels, and zippers can and do break. Other problems can also occur with suitcases over time. If the damage is due to normal wear and tear, a warranty will ensure you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket to get the luggage repaired or replaced.
Additional Features
Finally, think about whether you need interior pockets or ones on the side. Extendable handles and 4 “spinner” wheels on the bottom are other features you might want to have. A “suitor” is a nice feature to pack and keep your uniform blazer wrinkle-free. For maximum durability, luggage that comes with metal frames can last for years.
The following bags are our top picks, designed with the important qualities mentioned above and airline personnel in mind.
Our List of Best Luggage for Pilots and Flight Crew
LuggageWorks Stealth PREMIER 22” Rolling Bag
Standout Features:
- Metal frame with aluminum handle rods
- Fitted ballistic fabric shell with new protective padding and reinforced handles
- Rubber wheels with steel Bearings
- Optional airline logo and monogram text
- Limited 3 year warranty included
- Ergonomic grip handle
Briggs & Riley Spinners, Black, 22-Inch
Standout Features:
- Unconditional Lifetime guarantee
- Garment pockets
- Lightweight
- Durable construction, made with ballistic nylon outer fabric that resists wear
- Expandable/collapsible design to increase packing capacity 34%
- Powerpocket: Conveniently store battery pack for charging on the go
Vortex 21 Flight Crew Luggage Roller
The Vortex 21 is another extremely durable bag with an aluminum frame, designed with flight crew in mind, at a very reasonable price. It weighs at 12.8 lbs. There are plenty of outside pockets to hold keys, passports, and magazines, with a mesh pocket inside. Also, it comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame, but the outer fabric is only covered for three years. Further, the “skin” is replaceable, so if it wears out, you can keep the frame and buy a skin. Pilots report that it fits well in the CRJ200, better than other crew bags.
Standout Features:
- Stainless steel rivets and reinforced bolts
- Highly tear & abrasive resistant waterproof cordura ballistic nylon
- Smooth wheel action
- YKK stainless steel zippers
- Includes personalized embroidered top handle
- Lifetime warranty on the frame
Travelpro Platinum Elite Softside Expandable Luggage, Black, Carry-On 22-Inch
TravelPro’s newest product for flight crews is selling quickly and builds on prior models. It uses the same durable and lightweight materials, weighing only 7.7 lbs. Most important, the Limited Lifetime warranty covers wheels, zippers, extension and carrying handles. A 3-year “Companion Promise” warranty covers all repair for damage caused by an airline. A USB port is built into the suitcase, with a dedicated battery pocket, however you must provide your own battery pack. An ergonomic, heigh adjustable handle makes it easy to control the suitcase through crowded airports.
Our favorite feature is the built in, fold out suitor. Many times we need to travel with our blazer, without needing to constantly wear it. The suitor keeps our uniform blazer wrinkle-free during travel. Furthermore, for non-work travel, we love the removable quart sized wet pocket for toiletries. It makes life easy, especially after the increased KCM randoms.
If you prefer four 360-degree wheels for upright gliding, click here.
Standout Features:
- Built-in USB charging port, however you must provide your own battery pack
- Limited Lifetime warranty plus 3-year Companion Promise for handling damage
- Lightweight
- Built in fold out suitor
- Removable quart-size TSA compliant wet pocket
- High quality ballistic nylon construction
- Stain and scratch resistant DuraGuard coating
- Option for 8 ultra-durable, 360 degree magnatrac spinner wheels using precision glide system.
Timbuk2 Co-Pilot Luggage Roller Suitcase
The Timbuk2 Co-Pilot is sleek, stylish, durable and weighs less than 10 lbs. This affordable bag comes with a lifetime warranty that covers defects in materials or workmanship for replacement parts. It does not cover normal wear and tear or cosmetic damage. A padded outer pocket protects electronic devices, and there’s a mesh divider inside to help keep your belongings organized. Owners love the removable smooth, quiet, skateboard wheels, and the reinforced grab handles on all sides for easy loading in overheads. Make sure to get the medium (22″) or small (20″) to use as a carry on.
Standout Features:
- Lightweight
- Lifetime warranty in materials and workmanship
- Removable skateboard wheels
- Mesh divider inside and padded outer pocket
- Bike-inspired comfort roller handle system
