Customer Reviews

Travelpro Crew 7 22" Expandable Rollaboard Suiter, Black, One Size

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I kept on hearing about the good qualities of Travelpro and that it was the choice of the airline pilots and attendants. I began to look in my travels and sure enough that was the predominant brand selected. After reading up on the product I chose the 'Crew 7' for it's durability and abililty to replace the wheels. In my travels, the demise of a rollerbag is a failure of the wheels. I have now traveled out of the country twice and several trips throughout the US and it is still like new. Great product.

I bought this in December of 2008. The first time I used it the zipper on the main compartment broke off. I did not check the bag, the damage was caused by normal use.

The second time I used it the main handle broke just as my cab was pulling up to take me to the airport. Again, totally normal use. The bag wasn't even heavy--I was only going away for a night.

I brought the bag to the authorized repair center here in San Francisco and they told me that had a number of these bags (some waiting as long as 6 weeks for a replacement part from Travelpro) all with the same problem. He said he thought it was a poor handle design. So unless you would like to spend your time bringing your bag to and from the shop, I'd choose a different brand or model.

I've been a long time Travelpro customer. Crew 3 is where I started many years ago. Unfortunatley, the extension handle would no longer extend on my Crew 3 bag. Without question, I bought another Travelpro bag, a Crew 7 22" upright. On my first trip, the extension handle locked up and I had to carry the bag by the side handle through the airport. After much frustration, the extension handle did start to work again. On my second flight, I checked the bag. When pulling my bad off the carousel, the top handle came off. Needless to say, very disappointed. I returned the bag and got a replacement. As soon as I got home and unboxed the new bag, the extension handle would not extend! Deja vu. I'll be returning it again. Deja vu. Unfortunately, I am going to have to part ways with Travelpro.

I am not a road warrior, and travel by plane only 3-5 times a year. My 2004-vintage Kirkland 22" rollaboard was destroyed by an airline handling crew: they bent/broke the retracting handle after I boarded a full flight and the gate agent forced everyone to check their rollaboards due to lack of bin space. Before buying a replacement bag, I queried three friends from high school who work for airlines (one pilot, two FAs) and all three of them answered "Travelpro". My pilot classmate has a twelve year old bag that flies every week, which is a good testimony to the rugged construction, but I am aware that airline employees handle their own bags: ground crew never touch their luggage.

I bought the Crew 7 as a close-out from eBags.com; at the time I ordered, Amazon did not carry this bag. The reviews at eBags.com were better for the Crew 7 than for the Crew 8, plus I had a discount coupon from eBags. The bag is noticeably lighter (8 lbs vs. about 14 lbs) than my 2004 Kirkland. This is a plus for me, because I generally travel to Europe once a year and fly within Europe as well. While US carriers generally require only that a carry-on bag be 45" combined dimensions and do not fret about the weight, in Europe carry-on bags are often weighed, with limits as low as 8 kgs (18 lbs). Last year I boarded a flight from Paris to Kiev (last leg of a California-Houston-Paris-Kiev itinerary), and while Continental and Air France didn't care about the weight, the third carrier (Ukraine Airlines) DID weigh the bag at Paris, and forced me to check it because it was above the allowed 12 kgs (26 lbs). Because I was in Business Class, I was entitled to a third checked bag, but had I been in Economy, checking this additional bag would have cost 10 Euros/kilogram, or 170 Euros. In this setting, a lighter bag does help, because the overall weight will be lower.

The Travelpro's interior has a flat bottom. The Kirkland bag had the two support rods for the handle running through the bottom, reducing the usable space inside. The exterior pockets are better designed as well: small pocket in front to stow phone, watch, electronic devices, watches, belts, and other stuff you ditch before security; and a rear pocket that will hold newspaper, book, magazine, printed travel documents, etc.

I only have two "cons" for this item:

1. It has a suiter insert, but it's oddly shorter than a man's suit jacker or blazer, and about 8" of the suit protrudes beyond the bottom of the insert. I'm sort of at a loss of how to fold the jacket properly so it will fit. However, I saved the tri-fold suit insert from the Kirkland bag (this one encloses the suit) and may simply use it instead of the Travelpro insert. For someone who lacks a separate leftover insert, however, this could be problematic. Normally I don't need to bring a blazer or suit, and if I do I just carry it on board with me.

2. Instead of separate tie-down straps, this model has a central zippered pouch (like a compact toilet kit) attached on one side by elastic straps, and two free elastic straps on the other side. When you have finished packing, you bring the pouch on top of the clothes, then stretch the free end straps on the other side and attache them to the clips on the pouch. It works fine once in place, and does a better job of preventing shifting of contents (because the pouch has a bigger footprint than two criss-crossing straps), but it's difficult to fish out the elastic straps from under your clothes. Kirkland had two nylon, adjustable length straps which could be laid outside (overlapping the sides of the bag) during packing and then fastened at the end of packing. Minor annoyance.

Fit and finish are excellent. So far have taken it on only one airplane trip, but it performed well on board and in airports. Wheels roll smoothly and silently. Retracting handle stops at two heights to accommodate users of different statures. I am 5'11" and the taller height works fine for me. The bag can stand on end without tipping over, if packed WITHOUT using the expansion feature. It might be too end-heavy to stand up if overpacked using the expansion feature (which also might make it impossible to fit in a bin, though the expansion would be fine for a car or train trip, where it need not fit inside a bin). Have not had to check the bag, and so have no input as to durability when subjected to baggage handling crews.

Note for travelers to/from/through the UK: the UK allows bags to be 22" long, but they INCLUDE the wheels/handle. The body of this bag is 22", but overall more like 23.5" when you include the wheels and handle. UK security screening requires you to be able to lay your bag FLAT inside a tray that is exactly 22" long. If it won't lie flat, you have to check it. Germany also requires bags to be laid inside similar trays, but allows bags that won't lie flat (i.e. a US 22" rollaboard). Go figure. Whether there is a charge to check a US-sized 22" bag when you connect via London depends on the airline and how many bags you checked through at initial check-in. I was on an American-British Airways joint trip, connecting via London, and had checked two bags in California. British Airways checked the Kirkland (too long to meet the rules) at Heathrow and did not charge me, but they may have been more lenient on me as an American Airlines (partner) customer, knowing that the bag had been "legal" for the first two legs of my trip on American. Someone who checked in at Heathrow, rather than a connecting passenger whose carry-on was "legal" for the first leg of the itinerary, could have incurred some hefty baggage charges. I was given a free zippered tote and asked to remove any essential items, which I could bring on board in the tote, and then I didn't see my Kirkland bag until my final destination. Having learned my lesson last time at Heathrow with the Kirkland, I would bring a rolling backpack rather, than the Travelpro, to meet the UK rule. Some luggage websites like eBag advertise "international carry-on size" bags in their rolling luggage sections; these bags are generally 20" long (i.e. under 22" with the wheels/handle included), and "international" refers to UK regulations.

I just received this bag in the mail. I bought it after all the positive reviews. I need a carry-on suiter that will conform to the dimension requirements. The general US domestic size requirements are 22"x 14"x 9". They state that the Travelpro Crew 7 22" Expandable Rollaboard Suiter is exactly that. But when measured from actual edge to edge (i.e. wheel to top handle) it is 24.5" 14.5" x 10". So it won't fit in the size box. I'll be returning mine.

3 stars because otherwise it seems to be a well made durable bag. The handle seems very solid to me.

I purchased the Travelpro Crew 7 to replace a Travelpro Crew 6. By moving the suit holder to the upper expandable shell, you get more space in the lower cavity. The 22" is the perfect size whether you carry on or check your bag. The handle is solid, pulls and retracts easily and completely disappears. Rolls smoothly. Zippers are improved for better grip. I'm very satisfied with this case.

I am an airline pilot and cannot recommend this product at all. I use my luggage extensively (no surprise) and was sorely disappointed by the interior compartment setup (some weird convoluted zip out thing) the exterior compartment layout and the flimsy hook strap for clipping on another bag (it broke soon after I got it). It's also too thick to fit in the overhead compartment of a 737 when packed just moderately, let alone stuffed. The only thing positive I can say about the bag is the wheels. Many of our flight attendants dislike travelpro as well. I ended up getting new wheels put on my costco Kirkland bag, and am happy with it (costco stopped carrying the Kirkland bag when the company went out of business- supposedly). There's a reason you won't see any of us in the airline industry using travelpro- it's a waste of money.

Had purchased a high end brand 22 inch that was advertised as a carryon. While the luggage looked good and was of high quality, it would not fit in many overhead compartments without placing it sideways. While this may not seem like a issue, some airlines require that overhead storage be end to end. This was returned and the Travelpro 7 22 inch was purchased. This is as good if not better quality and readily fits in overheads (end to end). The only exception found was on 757s. The Crew 7 is lighter than the prior purchase but very sturdy and rolls easily. The handle appears stronger than my previous Crew 3 which has never had a problem.
This has become my 5 Travelpro piece, all of which are still in use, trouble free.

I've always thought the Travelpro logo looked a little cheap, but that's not the case with the quality of their bags. I have never had a problem with any of the Travelpro bags I have had. Wheels = great, telescope handle = great, zippers = great, interior space = great. Even more so- the telescope handle is flattened for more interior packing room. The color chestnut is perfect and different, easier to spot at the airport for sure!

I am quite happy with this product, which surprised me. I had an old Travelpro platinum model that I really liked, and I wasn't too happy with some of the design changes I perceived in this model.. in particular I missed the zip pouch in the front that could open completely and hold some extra clothes that could put in flat, and also the fact that the folding jacket/dress insert wasn't self-contained.. but this works far better than I thought it would, is lighter, and so far is wearing better under the occasional bag-checking that I do.