International travel means that your bag can be subjected to being opened and inspected, so not sure how well that wrapping idea will work.

had my suitcase 10 years and the outside has the usual scrapes and marks but the interior is perfect . I am thinking of getting a new light weight one and hope it lasts as good as the one I am using now

Smudge marks and dirt give the bags character and make them easier to identify..........

Unless it was an Louis Vuitton or Halliburton ZERO luggage I would not worry to much.

International travel means that your bag can be subjected to being opened and inspected, so not sure how well that wrapping idea will work.

Plastic wrapping works great. Never had my bags opened for any reason, unless the thieves or customs re wrap perfectly.

Just sayin...... Cheers.... Mal.

I feel your pain. This is one of those times when life is speaking to you loud and clear; karma, flee Thailand but not via Don Muang. This is an opportunity to get ahead of the curve in this world.

This is the very reason that all my luggage is black. I used dayglo green tape on the handles so i immediately spot them on the carousel.

Well all the advice was EXCELLENT. I couldn't say it any better.

"American Tourister"... did you fly with a middle eastern carrier?

I use one of these,the same, for nearly 20 years now, disabled lock, with a bright orange strong belt arround it (through the handle) for keep it closed safely and identification. No wrapping to not attract customs.

The best luggage looks sturdy, drab, old and cheap, like a middle-aged expat wife. That way you won't attract the hordes of thieves among the baggage handlers. Fancy hiso luggage in poofy pink or effete purple will definitely be noticed by the pilferers.

If you want luggage to last, have a look at the luggage flight attendants use ie: Samsonite

I buy second hand bags, looks are not important, their stand alone weight (cutting into the limit) is ... I fly budget, take bags over, leave them there as it is cheaper than paying to take them back; and to identify them, I tie a plastic bag to the handle to separate them from other people's bags (that likewise only care about the contents) ...

Probably why so many take advantage of the film wrapping nowadays.

Not nice to have your luggage messed up like that.

You know, I never even thought about that but it's a good idea. I'll do that next time.

Yeah the colors may not be to everyone's taste but for sure I like not searching for a black bag among all the other black bags.

I'm still hoping for some recommendations on cleaning grease or oil from fabric.

Any suggestions?

I worked as a baggage jammer for a year. My job was to clear all the baggage jams that occurred on the conveyor belts. You should have seen the condition some of those bags were in after they were cleared from a jam. Your bags look pretty good comparatively. As someone said, if your that fastidious about your bags, cover them. At a good luggage store, you should be able to find commercial covers.

This is a true story.

AirAsia misplaced my bag once on the flight from Bangkok to KL (they were OK about, delivered to my home address by Taxi a week later ... no complaints from me).

So, while I was standing at that luggage carousel at the old KL LCCC, waiting hoping that my bag would appear.

First there were many around me ... then just a few people ... then, just one ... me ... I felt damn lonely.

Almost as lonely as this one fragment of luggage kept going round and round on that carousel.

A bag handle with a luggage tag. No bag ... just the handle.

Going around, and around, and around.

No bag with no handle mind you ...

BS story by you. Rhod Gilbert has been telling this one for years!

He's in the running for Poster of the Year... it's not BS it's PR.

Its a BAG!!!! if it was badly damaged I would understand your post and would recommend you report the damage to the airline.

I imagine the hold of an airplane and the areas that bags are held / transported between the plane and luggage belt are not the cleanest.

I recommend if you buy a new suitcase buy a good hard backed case (Samsonite / American Traveler etc...) they last a life time even thought they look rough with holiday battle scars after a few trips.

As someone said, if your that fastidious about your bags, cover them. At a good luggage store, you should be able to find commercial covers.

Bag cover? I thought the bag was the cover for your stuff.

it happens to all of us, at least once. it is part of the travel experience. However, if you bring it to the attention of the airline VIA their web page. Which has worked for us more than once. You may get compensation. It didn't work once, I wasn't polite.

The best luggage looks sturdy, drab, old and cheap, like a middle-aged expat wife. That way you won't attract the hordes of thieves among the baggage handlers. Fancy hiso luggage in poofy pink or effete purple will definitely be noticed by the pilferers.

.

tubby,

That smaller piece is a Bangkok brand I believe. I'd never heard of it before. The price was 1000. THB from Carfour.

Surely you aren't suggesting a thousand baht luggage piece is hiso, are you? 555

omg, hope this is a wind up.

As someone said, if your that fastidious about your bags, cover them. At a good luggage store, you should be able to find commercial covers.

Bag cover? I thought the bag was the cover for your stuff.

Hey, I bought a really expensive bag cover from Louis Vuitton and it often gets all dirty and greasy, how can I clean my bag cover or better avoid it getting dirty? Do you know a place selling covers to protect bag covers?

These cases look as though they have had a serious kicking!

use a rice bag next time but then may might take it and put back in lost property