I bought one last year and I think it's great. I didn't go for cheap, and I wondered should I have got the larger size, but I needn't have worried. I've had 3 trips involving flights using my holdall and it's absolutely fine, just a small scuff on one of the corners where it is rigid with the trolley/wheel bit. When I packed this year I honestly thought I hadn't packed enough as it closed with no problems and room for more on top.

Strange, cos I use it for weekends away and don't feel like it holds much when I've got things like jumpers, jeans and boots in there, then when it came to holidays and needing a fortnight's worth it all went in like a dream!

I bought mine from a camping equipment place and whilst it wasn't 'cheap as chips' I think it's going to last me years.

Thanks for that info. Once packed do they stand up on their end ok? I don't want it falling on me or anyone else for that matter!!

We have got fairly large ones - there is probably quite a bit more space in them than our normal cases.

Pippa

Mine isn't huge, hence why I wondered should I have got the larger size. I don't know if yours work the same as mine. When the handle is pushed in it's best placed on the floor like a normal holdall would be. It does stand okay when the handle is up but with having the wheels there it's a little more precarious than a rigid case. I tend to have my hand on it anyway when I've got the handle up as I'm invariably in some sort of queue when I'm doing that - otherwise I am actually wheeling it.

My travel companion has one and has been using it for three years now, one 6week round the world trip (lots of stop offs), a trip to Australia last year with lots of flights and a few European trips. It is still going strong with no noticable damage. I am almost amazed at what she can get in it, she bough loads of handbags and clothes when we were in Kuala Lumpur last year, they all fitted in the bag which I thought was already full. The bag does tend to tip over if left standing upright as a trolley so she uses it at times as a normal holdall (as stated in previous post).

We have a couple of trolley holdalls but although they are strong and adequate, these are made by Antler they do not have the extending pull part which when you are pulling keeps the bag away from running into your legs and adds to the control which we feel very neccessary. Although we have used these for the last three years on at least three occasions each year we have changed them for two which have the longer pulling section. Holdalls travel well and our Antlers are as new after considerable use.

We bought a very large trolly bag, thinking it would do away with multiple smaller ones - which it does. The only problem is, because it holds so much it does tend to get very heavy, and can be a bit awkward lifting on and off carousels, etc.

Ours do have the pull out handle.

We went for the 27inch size which is the same length as our cases - but of course they are narrower but deeper. Getting them on and off the carousel shouldn't be any different than getting a case off.

I too will probably have my hand on it when in the upright position although we always use an airport luggage trolley if at all possible!

We will see how we get on with them - they certainly look as though they will be easier to pack into a small hatchback car!

Pippa

I find carousel easier because there's the double handles that you use to carry them traditional holdall style and there is also handle each end, perfect for grabbing with.

Unless, like me, you pack so much into it (they do hold a lot more than conventional cases) that you do your back in trying to lift them on and off the carousels!!!
Wendy

There is a weight limit anyway so will try not to exceed that!!!

Pippa

I bought a very cheap one, thinking that it wouldn't stand up to being chucked about etc.!! I paid 17€ for it, thinking that if it was useless I hadn't lost much money. It has been brilliant, bumping up and down the stairs on the Madrid metro, quite a few times now. I have actually broken one of the covers on one of the wheels, but will be using it again next week!! Yes it does fall over if I try to stand it on its end but that's a minor thing after the amount of abuse I have given it, never mind what it goes through when it's not in my sight

Theres always one with a bad experience and thats going to be me we got a brand new one for a long haul holiday to the DR on arrival it got stuck coming onto the carousel now if there had been a visible stop button all might have been OK but there wasn't so one of my fellow tourists decided he was going to try to free it but it was firmly wedged with other luggage coming behind it so he kicked it and it ripped apart spilling everything everywhere some of Mr P's clothes were damaged by getting caught up in the belt and he lost most of his toiletries. The bag was too damaged to use again and we couldn't get another in the DR so had to pack his things with mine for the return journey (and leave some behind )
While the problem was made much worse by the action of the tourist, soft type bags are more likely to get caught up as they don't bounce off the sides like a suitcase.

Sorry but you did ask
Lynn

What did it get caught on?

I'm not really sure but it got wedged as it came up onto the carousel from wherever they come from it seemed to be caught in the mechanism, maybe because it was soft and not able to bounce off the sides?

I bet you were secretly glad it was your hubby's and not yours?

Hi, We used wheeled holdalls this year for the 1st time, they are so light compared to cases, but, after one of ours came off the belt the handle wouldn't pull up. This was because they are thrown around & are not as sturdy as cases - hence it must have been bounced on the side where the handle retracts inside & it had got bent, it pulled up about 3 inches, which made it difficult to pull as you can imagine. We had to use it that way coming home too. Hubby managed to straighten it somewhat with a hammer when we got home although it is still very tight to pull the handle up even now. Having said that I will certainly use them again as you can get so much more in them without being overweight!! PS. They were only £17 each from matalan.

Hi
Hope someone can answer me the following - Flying on Sunday with Thomas Cook Airlines. Know my baggage allowance is 20kgs per person. We usually take 3 cases and a cool bag. This year we have got holdalls for the kids. Are we allowed 4 items of baggage and a cool bag so long as the total weight does not exceed 80kgs.
Irene

Irene,

I believe that if TC are like Thomson then you have 20kg of checked luggage per person with a seat..........ie: babies and toddlers don't count for allowance if they don't have their own seat. So in short yes you should get 80kg allowance for 4 people. You are also allowed 4/5kg of hand luggage per person so the cool bag should also be fine.

Be very strict with your weight though, they're clamping down massivly of late and I've been charged twice this year Also don't assume the foreign check in staff will not be bothered about the weight. I was charged £63 excess in Lanzarote by the handling agents at Lanza airport even though it was a Thomson flight and the Thomson rep tried to intervene it made no odds.........."don't pay excess charge don't get return boarding pass"

Also some tour operators are not allowing you to pool your allowances so don't assume because someone is 5 kilos under that someone else can be the same amount over. They will give everyone the same allowance of say 20 kilos and if one person is over then they he/she will pay excess charges even though collectively they do not exceed the 20 kilos per person allowance

Example

Baggage allowance per person 20 kilos

4 travelling 4x 20= total 80

1 pax 25 +1 pax 20+1 pax 15 + 1 pax 20 = total 80

Number one could be charged for excess baggage of 5 kilos