Holiday luggage: the best carry-on bags to take on board

theguardian.com:

First it was the extra charges applied by some airlines that made travelling light appear attractive. Now, reports of horrifically long bag drop queues, lost luggage and baggage mountains have provided extra reasons to squeeze your holiday gear into a carry-on bag.

Your chance of getting to your destination with everything you need will be greatly enhanced by keeping your hands on it at all times and, depending on the airline, it will possibly save you considerable sums.

However, there are restrictions on what and how much you are allowed to bring on board the plane – and if you get it wrong, you could have a nasty shock at the airport if you find you have to check it in after all.

Buying a suitcase specifically designed as carry-on luggage, and which can be put into the overhead lockers, will help take the stress out of packing and avoid any unexpected surcharges at the airport.

The consumer body Which? recently published a list of the top luggage retailers selling bags specifically designed to fit in the overhead locker on a plane.

Its survey of shoppers ranked Eastpak bags as the best, followed by John Lewis, Antler, IT Luggage, Samsonite, Cabin Max and Marks & Spencer.

Customers were asked to rate their purchases on their durability, packing space and value for money.

Guy Hobbs, the acting editor of Which? Travel, says:“There’s no need to pay over the odds for your cabin luggage this summer. Our research based on the experiences of thousands of holidaymakers found there are bargain bags that closely match their pricier rivals for quality.”

We’ve rounded up some of the best-value options from the highest-rated firms, and worked out which airlines will accept them as carry-on luggage.

The John Lewis Girona four-wheel cabin case