Stay AWAY from Away Luggage – Away Luggage Review


KatWalkSF carrying the The Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition, AWAY Luggage Review


forget the sales – check out the QUINCE  travel section


CYBER SALES


AWAY – up to 45% off

if you must!

CALPAK – up to 60% off

the best packing cubes

TUMI – up to 40% off at Nordstrom


Stay AWAY from Away Luggage – Away Luggage Review

AFFORDABLE 3 Piece Set Suitcase Spinner <- top-rated AMAZON SET

HUGE BÉIS RESTOCK 

WHAT I REPLACED MY AWAY LUGGAGE WITH


scroll down for a little storytime 

featuring how not one but four away bags have busted during travel


before that, I polled my audience for the BEST carryon bags and this is what was shared ->

CALPAK

Béis

Briggs & Riley 

iFLY by Walmart

Lo & Sons 

Tumi Luggage

Victorinox


and if you are STILL interested in Away luggage ->  save $20 on your first suitcase or bag


* trigger warning: AWFUL customer service *


Away Luggage Review, AWAY customer service, AWAY Luggage, Broken away luggage


Away Luggage Review


I’ve shared a couple of quick Away luggage reviews on my Instagram stories over the past couple of months, but I finally had the time to give you the proper Away luggage review that you deserve and need.

It all started on September 9, 2020.

AWAY launched their first-ever online sale and I snagged an Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition for 50% off! I was oh-so excited because I had a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the books and I was ready to take my shiny gold suitcase for a spin.

Flash forward to October 1, 2020. I extended my time in Jackson Hole (because Jackson Hole is amazing) but it was time to return home to San Francisco. There are very few direct flights from Jackson Hole to San Francisco, so I had to connect at O’Hare to get home. The flight from Jackson Hole to Chicago was short and sweet. I popped out of my seat in my new suede fringe jacket that I scored in Jackson Hole to find that my new Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition had BUSTED open in the overhead bin like an overstuffed burrito! This is where the Away Luggage Review gets good…My personal belongings were popping out of the overhead bin and I started to sweat and immediately regret wearing the suede fringe jacket.

Now I want you to close your eyes and picture me walking through O’Hare wearing a suede fringe jacket and holding my BUSTED Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition like a baby across one of the world’s largest airports. That’s right my friends I was cradling that bag between terminals and doing my best to not lose any of my personal belongings.

I finally made it to my new gate with enough time to slam a glass of sauvy b and write to Away about my BUSTED Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition PROBLEMS.

I share my busted carry-on story with Away and this is what I get back ->


Hi there,

Thanks so much for getting in touch. For the past few weeks, we’ve been overwhelmed with gratitude by the response to our sale. Because of this, it will take up to 14 business days for us to get back to you. We know this isn’t fast enough and we’re doing everything we can to speed up the response time.


Needless to say the up to 14 business days wait for a response wasn’t going to work for me. I was FIRED up and sitting at a Maggiano’s drinking white wine out of a plastic cup. I needed a response and I needed it now…

So I went to the Twitter (something I usually try to avoid) and got the immediate response that I wanted. They were very apologetic and offered to send me a FREE shipping label to exchange the bag.

Trust and believe me when I tell you that I did NOT want to exchange the bag. The BUSTED dual locks on the side of the Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition have a SERIOUS design flaw and this was not the bag for me. I am an avid traveler and this bag was made for the gram NOT the overhead bin! The team behind the Away stayed strong and only offered me an exchange. They did however make an exception and allowed me to exchange the bag at the San Francisco store due to the fact that I was only home for two days and then heading to Utah.

So I exchange the BUSTED Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition for a new Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition and head to Utah.

Did it BUST again?

YES

I’ll save you the story (you get the picture by now).

I return home to San Francisco and after nearly a hundred DMs and emails, Away lets me keep the 2nd busted Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition (why?) and decides to send me the Expandable Bigger Carry-On pictured below.

The Expandable Bigger Carry-On is fine, but honestly, nothing to write home about. I prefer my current replacement set that has never let me down and won’t bust open mid-flight. Away really let me down and I can honestly say that every time I look at my Away bag I flashback to me cradling that bag across O’Hare and I immediately get fired up!


Stay away, my friends. Stay far far away!


AWAY Luggage Review, The Expandable Carry-On, The Everywhere Bag


the one item from Away that you don’t need to stay away from is the

The Everywhere Bag

This water-resistant nylon travel bag is made to keep you organized. With thoughtful compartments, including a 15″ laptop pocket, a zippered waterproof umbrella pocket, and a roomy interior, it can fit anything from an extra pair of clothes to in-flight essentials. It’s designed with a trolley sleeve that perfectly secures to any suitcase and fits overhead or under the seat in front of you.

Why I love the Everywhere Bag ->
  • It is easy to clean! The water-resistant nylon looks good as new after one Clorox wipe.
  • THE ORGANIZATION SYSTEM – I am not an organized traveler, but this bag has seriously helped me get my shit together thanks to the six interior pockets and the padded laptop sleeve (which fits my MacBook Pro), the exterior pocket is perfect for quick phone access + your passport.
  • A trolley sleeve on a travel bag is a MUST. It secures the Everywhere Bag to any suitcase <- your bags will NEVER topple over again.
  • Meets the airline requirement as a personal item

[I have the black nylon Everywhere Bag]


The Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition


Now that you know why you should  stay AWAY from Away Luggage 

stay away from the toptote too <- only buy this if you want to lose your hat in the middle of an airport


Here’s a list of my travel must-haves -> that won’t let you down


Did you enjoy my Away Luggage Review? Let me know in the comments.

20 Comments

  1. Hi. I enjoyed your review and purchased the Brush toothbrush via the link in your article.
    You only mentioned the aluminum Away luggage having bursting open due to faulty zippers. I own the 5 pieces of the traditional Away luggage and never had a single problem. Thrown about, stacked under other heavy luggage, even left outside overnight in below freezing weather the luggage has held up nicely. The aluminum luggage is also pricier and may require more gentle handling. Your piece should be more specific: Stay away from Away Aluminum luggage.

  2. Can you please expand on this…
    “The BUSTED dual locks on the side of the Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition have a SERIOUS design flaw and this was not the bag for me. I am an avid traveler and this bag was made for the gram NOT the overhead bin!”

    How did the locks “bust” and what is the specific design flaw?

  3. I wouldn’t have purchased the aluminum style. My 3 friends all have several pieces of Away luggage. They travel extensively for business and pleasure and have never had ANY problems.

  4. I hate Away. I’m stuck in Europe with a medium away bag that will not lock! I’ve watched videos and read their instructions. Will not stay locked. Pops open! Cannot be reached.

  5. Thought you might explain why you think the claps on the Away bigger Aluminum is designed poorly – given it’s the same/similar design as the rimowa as tumi. 🤔

  6. I’m wondering the same as SCOTT-
    Can you please expand on this…
    “The BUSTED dual locks on the side of the Away Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition have a SERIOUS design flaw and this was not the bag for me. I am an avid traveler and this bag was made for the gram NOT the overhead bin!”

    ???How did the locks “bust” and what is the specific design flaw???

    • I’m not a suitcase engineer! The suitcase opened up midflight and I was not able to close it again. The locks stopped working and could not be fixed. Why? I would ask Away.

  7. I am looking at the Travelpro Travel and Leisure luggage you are currently using. I am traveling internationally and have a flight on United. The published dimensions on the medium checked Travelpro bag exceed United’s stated checked bag depth limit of 12” by 1”. Have you traveled internationally with yours and if so, did you have any size problems with your bags?

  8. As a road warrior, I absolutely love my Away carry-on. It’s by far the best piece of luggage I have ever owned. I bought one for my wife too. It has been abused and overstuffed with ZERO issues. My only complaint is I did not buy it sooner.

  9. I wish I had seen this post before purchasing my Away Bigger Carry-On. On my first trip using the bag, the handle got stuck in the upright position. Away replaced it immediately. Now on the second trip using the new replacement suitcase, the hard shell pulled away from the zipper (it wasn’t even fully extended because there wasn’t that much stuff in the suitcase). The outside also scuffs pretty badly (I have the grey asphalt) after one trip – I’ve never really seen that happen with other suitcases after only one trip.

    I have been eyeing these bags for the last few years and was really excited to get one. I can handle the scuff marks but cannot handle suitcases breaking on mte mid-trip. I took 26 flights last year so unfortunately, after two brand new suitcases breaking, I can’t trust that this suitcase won’t break on me during a trip.

    Just want to say that I also have the large black Everywhere Bag and love it so I would definitely recommend that also.

  10. love your suggestions for travel, will definitely have to check out the travel steamer! Also love your travel look! xoxo, Midori

  11. Their customer service is terrible. They tell me that they are looking into things and will get back to me. They never do and when I contacting them, they ask me for the same details over and over. So far they have emailed me 9 times without giving me any information that would help.

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