Since this summer, I’ve been pretty good about sticking to my Tuesday/Friday posting schedule. All day yesterday, I had been drafting this post in my mind. I had an idea of what I wanted to write about, but I couldn’t conceptualize the direction to take. So I shelved it and went about my day.
Like most Fridays (when I’m at home, that is), I came home from my day job, did a few errands, and opened up a bottle of wine (in case you were wondering, it was a bottle of 2012 Justin Cabernet; yes, I like to drink myself). I had about an hour to kill before I had to head to an event, so I thought I could work on the blog and watch the previous night’s episode of Project Runway (I admit it, I’m hooked on reality TV).
In this episode, the remaining designers were going on a trip to Italy and they were shown in the airport with their fancy new luggage. TUMI luggage. I’ve previously recommended (here, here, and most recently here) the best suitcase out there is the Tumi Vapor Continental CarryOn.
This hard-sided bag always fits in the overhead bin on planes and holds enough clothes for a weeklong trip. The interior is fully lined, has tie-down straps to secure your clothes, and half of the interior has a zipper closure so you can keep some of your clothes separate. The best feature of this bag is the fact that it is hard-sided – you can only fit so many clothes in it and the overall size doesn’t change!
I’ve had the Tumi Vapor suitcase for almost three years and it has literally gone around the world with me. It is the best suitcase I have ever owned.
Tumi has a very customer-friendly warranty on their products. From the TUMI website:
If your TUMI product is damaged during the first twelve (12) months you own it– including damage caused by normal wear and tear, airline handling, or other transit damage–TUMI will cover all repair expenses, including shipping costs to and from our repair facility.
From the second through the fifth year you own your TUMI travel item, TUMI will repair any item that is damaged due to normal wear and tear, or defective in materials or workmanship, including any structural defects (such as defective handles, zippers, or locks).
If we determine that the product is damaged beyond repair, we will replace it. If we determine that a replacement product is not available, we will provide you with a product of comparable value.
Up until last month I’ve had no issues with my Tumi. One day last month as I was packing for a trip, I noticed some cracks in the shell near the handle. I had about a three week window where I wasn’t traveling so I went to my local Tumi store to inquire about getting it fixed. It was the store associate’s first week of employment (bless her heart) and she quickly filled out the product warranty form and informed me that the only charge would be $25, which covered shipping costs to the repair center and back to my house.
After a week, I received a phone call from the Tumi repair center. My beloved Tumi Vapor was damaged beyond repair and they were issuing me a credit of $495 for anything on the Tumi website. Wowza! All I had to do was pick which new product I wanted and they would ship it directly to me. I was a little bummed that they had discontinued the two-wheeled version and only had the model with four-wheels, but oh well, a brand new suitcase!
Thursday evening, UPS delivered my new bag:
Loved this UPS delivery! My new TUMI is inside!
After unpacking and setting the code on the TSA-approved lock, I was ready to go, that is, once I put my American Airlines Executive Platinum luggage tag back on the handle!
And my AA ExecPlat bag tag completes the look. All ready to hit the road!
Do you have a Tumi suitcase? What have been your experiences with getting damaged luggage fixed? What is your go-to luggage?
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