Alaska Airline smashed my hard side bag. I was unable to replace it with a matching one. I was also reluctant to purchase another hardside international bag. I bought this instead. It wasn't quite as light as the hard side but I like it so much more. I am used to the outside pockets of a soft side and this has two, one of which can be locked. The wheels push/pull effortlessly. It expands to hold my hardside bags for storage. It is also easy to find at baggage claim. My last trip required a lot of handling by porters-airline, multiple hotels and cruise ship. It still looks like new.