E-MAIL CHRIS   PRINT   2008 COLUMNS   ARCHIVES   SEARCH ARCHIVES THE FIX IS IN AT TEXAS LUGGAGE RETAILER By Chris Barnett October 2, 2008 -- New restrictions on carry-on luggage and fees slapped on checked bags haven't sent baggage designers back to the drawing board just yet. Steve Geller is the general manager of Airline International Luggage, a 30-year-old Texas retailer and repair shop for a half-dozen airlines. Among the recent innovations he's seen are a computer bag by Paragon that folds open and saves you from removing the laptop--but it depends on the mood of the security-checkpoint agent. Also new is a laptop sleeve by Tumi that protects the laptop on the conveyor belt when it's being screened. But the Transportation Security Administration will have to modify its stringent regulations before you see radical new bag designs. And before traveling to Moscow or Mozambique, where English isn't spoken, you should consider the difficulty you might encounter trying to clear security with creative carry-on bags. "Everyone wants lighter luggage and there are plenty of brands and designs in the marketplace," says Geller, who is based in El Paso. For example, he says, Landor & Howa introduced lightweight, but protective, hard-sided luggage a few years ago. Prices start at $99. "We recommend not buying luggage bigger than 27 inches for check-in, or more than 22 inches for rolling bags for carry-on," he adds. "With bigger bags, it's a natural tendency to pack heavier." Airline International Luggage isn't a high-pressure retailer, probably because it has a long-standing baggage repair department that works for airlines as well as passengers. At the moment, Geller is fixing or replacing broken bags for Southwest, United, American, Delta, Continental and US Airways. I consider Airline International a straight-shooting source for finding the toughest, best-made, problem-free brands of mass-market luggage. With so many names and claims out there in stores and on Web sites, who can you believe? And who makes the best bags? Geller believes Briggs & Riley and the Swiss Army brand "make the best luggage. Their ballistic nylon material holds up very well." Briggs & Riley still has the best warranty in the travel goods industry, he claims. Back in the day, if any Briggs bags were damaged, even by an airline, it would repair or replace it — no questions asked. That was no empty promise. An outside pocket on my Briggs & Riley garment bag was torn off on an American Airlines flight from Brussels to Chicago and a new one was sewn back on so skillfully I couldn't see the original tear. And there was no time-wasting hassle of filing a claim with the airline. Unfortunately, that superb customer service has a new wrinkle. A few years ago, U.S. Luggage bought the once-independent Briggs & Riley. "They now want to see the bag and, if it's really pulverized, they want the customer to file a claim with the airline," says Geller. However, the brand will repair any Briggs claim up to $40 "in-house." Geller says Southwest is the best airline to deal with on damaged luggage, but he would not divulge the most difficult carrier. A luggage retailer in Los Angeles who didn't want to be identified gives that dubious honor to American Airlines. "They'll resist. You have to be persistent, let them know who's boss." Despite the difficulty in getting an airline to repair or replace a bag today, Geller says, travelers should press on if they think they are in the right. "Most of the damaged bags we see occur when the luggage is unloaded and falls off the conveyor belt or off the cart," he says. A fall can break the wheels on an upright rolling bag or the "feet" on non-wheeled bag. "Most of the problem," he adds, "is just carelessness." Airline International Luggage carries the best-known and established mass-market brands, including Tumi, Hartmann, Delsey, and Skyway. It also carries the Mosaic and ProLite lines, which are made exclusively for members of the National Luggage Dealers Association. Like other retailers, Geller claims the action today is in travel accessories. They're not pricey, but they're profitable. "We sell the daylights out of Easy Go, Swiss Army and Eagle Creek. They make 'neck safes' and 'waist safes' for hiding money and travel documents on your body, out of sight and out of the reach of skilled pickpockets," Geller says. Geller is a huge fan of Eagle Creek Travel Gear line of zippered mesh bags for your gear, electronic plugs and anything small. Eagle Creek also offers a packet system for rolling up shirts, jackets and slacks, then unrolling them wrinkle-free at your hotel. There are now different travel accessories for computers including a microscope that connects to your laptop and projects a slide show or Power Point program onto your screen. Other gadgets? A camera that hooks on to your computer. A compact, $13 power strip and a cell phone quick-charge power pack ($49.95) that can be rigged to recharge a laptop.

ABOUT CHRIS BARNETT Chris Barnett writes about business-travel tactics and strategies that save time and money and help minimize hassles. He is based in San Francisco and has written for a wide variety of major newspapers and national magazines. Barnett on Business Travel is syndicated by Creators Syndicate. THE FINE PRINT Joe Brancatelli makes this space available to Chris Barnett in the spirit of free speech and to help encourage editorial diversity and the wider discussion of important travel issues. All of the opinions and material in this column are the sole property of Barnett. This material may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of Chris Barnett. This column is Copyright © 2008 by Chris Barnett. JoeSentMe is Copyright © 2008 by Joe Brancatelli. All rights reserved.