Each guide answers one buying question and shows the figures behind the answer.
3 guides
How to choose
Choose a cabin case that clears the airline you really use: external measurements including wheels, the empty weight that eats your allowance, and what the CAA says.
Photo: Sachi Gahan · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Budget and prices
What a suitcase really costs per trip over the years you keep it, plus the £135 customs threshold and 20% import VAT on a case bought from outside the UK.
Photo: Bryan Ledgard · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Packing and load
Pack to a cabin weight limit without repacking at the desk: the 100ml liquids rule, one 1-litre bag per person, and the 7 and 21 day baggage claim deadlines.
Photo: Angelina Litvin linalitvina · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons