Tumi or not Tumi? That is the question.
When buying a carry-on, do you go for the high-end Tumi, the lowest-end no-brand option, or somewhere in between?
I've always chosen the low-cost version.
I travel pretty regularly - perhaps 25 weeks on the road per year. My latest carry-on bag has lasted for at least two years: 50 round trips, or about 100 segments. I paid $25 for it at the local discount store. So it has cost me twenty-five cents per usage.
There is a carry-on Tumi bag on sale at Zappos for $395. At that rate, the bag would need to last me 1600 segments without being replaced - which is more segments that I hope to fly for the rest of my life.
I can't understand the Tumi phenomenon. Not only does it cost more that it ought to, it looks the same as everybody else's Tumi. I don't think any business traveler is likely to take my no-brand carry-on by mistake, which I see as an advantage.
Now, what I might be willing to pay extra for is a Design-your-own carry-on bag that would reflect my sense of style (well, if I had one) as well as be clearly distinct from every other traveler's bag.
You can design your own Converse sneaker, but I haven't seen mainstream luggage makers offering a mass customization option. Disney will sell you a slightly customized carry-on - but they just sew on the patch that you ask for and some initials. I'd be interested in a much more fully customized one, where I can choose a wacky fabric that no one would ever mistake for his own.
When buying a carry-on, do you go for the high-end Tumi, the lowest-end no-brand option, or somewhere in between?
I've always chosen the low-cost version.
I travel pretty regularly - perhaps 25 weeks on the road per year. My latest carry-on bag has lasted for at least two years: 50 round trips, or about 100 segments. I paid $25 for it at the local discount store. So it has cost me twenty-five cents per usage.
There is a carry-on Tumi bag on sale at Zappos for $395. At that rate, the bag would need to last me 1600 segments without being replaced - which is more segments that I hope to fly for the rest of my life.
I can't understand the Tumi phenomenon. Not only does it cost more that it ought to, it looks the same as everybody else's Tumi. I don't think any business traveler is likely to take my no-brand carry-on by mistake, which I see as an advantage.
Now, what I might be willing to pay extra for is a Design-your-own carry-on bag that would reflect my sense of style (well, if I had one) as well as be clearly distinct from every other traveler's bag.
You can design your own Converse sneaker, but I haven't seen mainstream luggage makers offering a mass customization option. Disney will sell you a slightly customized carry-on - but they just sew on the patch that you ask for and some initials. I'd be interested in a much more fully customized one, where I can choose a wacky fabric that no one would ever mistake for his own.
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Almost there. Timbuk2 sells customizable messenger bags and standardized roller suitcases. I don't think they offer customizable roller bags, but you could ask.
ReplyDeleteI do think we need a name for the fallacy of extreme comparison shopping. If the Tumi were $4.00 and comfortable to pull and the no-name bag 25 cents and uncomfortable to pull, the former would clearly be the better bargain. So the question is whether the average Tumi buyer would notice the absence of $370.