I've been traveling professionally for eight years now, and generally find myself on over 100 flights a year.  This can be tough on luggage, and for quite a while I was content to use a budget brand and simply kick it to the curb every 6-12 months.

I did a lot of research about the higher end bags, and wanted a non-hard side bag this time.  Too many of them are a clamshell design which makes them very difficult to perch on a typical hotel luggage rack.

I recently had a bad experience with Samsonite, having sworn off them for years, I tried another one only to have the zipper fall apart within a month.  And since they own Tumi now, this put me off that brand.  Also it has to be said the Tumi equivalent of this brand would cost at least the cost of a premium carry on bag on top of what this Briggs & Riley would cost.

Although the warranty for Briggs & Riley is much touted, I think it is useful only up to a point.  I have a feeling that eventually a bag would look so fatigued after hundreds of flights that one might simply replace it out of pride.  It would take a particularly dogged individual to refuse to let it retire gracefully sooner or later.

So far, after after a few business trips the bag is outstanding.  Very tough, very hard wearing, well built.  The CX compression system works amazingly well.  Pack the case easily, then squash it down after you close it.  Works great, and is the best system of its kind I have ever tried.

As far a flaws go, I'd argue that because the handle is on the outside, the bag has a slightly smaller base, resulting in the wheels being closer together.  This in turn means that when this bad boy is loaded to the max and has another bag on top, it is not a fan of carpeting.

All in all though, I think this luggage sits in a wonderful sweet spot.  It is significantly cheaper than some other premium bags, yet it is more expensive than even the best mainstream bags.  That warranty is a nice touch, and since I live fairly close to an authorized dealer, I believe I could get my case promptly repaired if I do encounter any damage.

I've seen some videos of these bags lasting a very long time and accepting a lot of miles and a lot of abuse.  Time will tell if mine will hold up as well, but so far I am feeling most pleased with my purchase.