Would have been nice, but ...
The design of this bag is ...
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The design of this bag is terrific for a business traveller: two large separate well-padded main compartments (with lots of inner pockets) and one smaller front pocket with organizer features. And it's Swiss Gear, one of my favorite brands, with a snappy brown plaid fabric.Unfortunately, this suitcase just doesn't seem to hold up to normal Swiss Gear standards. This arrived with the zippers split, was very difficult to re-join the zippers which then split almost every time I zipped or unzipped any of the main compartments, and one of the zipper pull tags broke off almost immediately when I was trying to re-join the zipper and really wasn't tugging on it all that hard.Contrary to some of the reviews I've read of this piece, BOTH of the larger main compartments can be laid flat. One of them is held from flat by quick-release straps, and also can be adjusted to open-and-hold at a 90 degree or greater angle. The other has side panels that can be easily unsnapped to allow it to fully open to flat position.Everything is well-padded, even the front-most pocket which might be ideal for stashing a netbook, and the fabric is sturdy. The small wheels, however, marked up pretty fast just rolling on pavement.I'd also be happier if there were a tote bag to match this and slide over the handle, rather than just a larger suitcase and a duffel bag. I did buy a similarly-colored tote from another store, but would've preferred a matching set; apparently this Aubonne design was used on only three pieces.Just a bit more attention to manufacturing quality, and I'd have been very happy with this suitcase. As it was, with all the zipper issues and flaws, I had to return it after sort-of using it for half a trip. It's priced pretty typically for Swiss Gear (not cheap), but the quality is just completely absent and therefore not worth the price, no less the bother of returning it for repair under the 10-year warranty.Perhaps the issue is just a single careless worker at the factory, but whatever the reason, my experience with this bag has caused me to have new reservations about the manufacturer.I also have a major beef with Target because the website information about this bag doesn't provide nearly enough detail about the interior or size; it's definitely larger than the usual "Overnight Bag", and quite a bit wider than most small suitcases.
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