India, Aug. 20 -- I have always understood the appeal of an expensive suitcase. There is something lovely about opening one and noticing the quality of the shell, the finish, the colour, the wheels and all those little details that make a premium product feel different. If you genuinely enjoy that experience and have the budget for it, I completely understand spending Rs.20,000, Rs.25,000 or even Rs.30,000 on luggage. But after using suitcases for years, I have reached a slightly different conclusion. I no longer look at the price first.

Quite often, I will unwrap a suitcase, use it extensively and form an opinion about how well it is actually working. I pack it, wheel it around airports, put it into cars, take it on trips and live with ...