CBS News
Best Labor Day luggage deals: Save on Samsonite, Monos, Tumi and more
Samsonite/Amazon
Labor Day is almost here, which means so are major deals on luggage. The shopping experts at CBS Essentials have scoured all the biggest luggage retailers to find the best sales on carry-ons, backpacks, checked bags, roller bags and other travel necessities.
Our selection features hard-shell and soft-sided luggage options that work for airplane travel, weekend road trips, cabin getaways and so much more.
If you haven’t upgraded your luggage in a while, you’ll love the new options available to you this year. You’re not going to want to start packing for your next trip until you’ve scored these must-see Labor Day luggage deals.
The best Labor Day luggage deals to shop now
Find the best deals on top-rated luggage by Samsonite, Monos, Tumi and more. Many of these reviewer-loved bags can be in your hands in two days — and in some cases, even earlier.
Samsonite Winfield 2 28-inch carry-on: $123 (39% off)
Amazon
With 22,000+ Amazon reviews and a 4.5-star average, this affordable hard-shell carry-on offers great value. Weighing under seven pounds, it’s adored by customers for its spacious pockets and roomy interior.
This suitcase comes with multi-directional spinner wheels for effortless mobility. It’s also expandable to help you pack everything you need for your next trip. Other great features include a TSA-compatible lock and a retractable telescope handle.
“I recently used this suitcase on a three-week international vacation and was amazed at what I could fit in this thing,” a verified buyer on Amazon says. “With the help of some packing cubes, I was able to pack all of my clothes and toiletries for my trip with ease. Additionally, the zippers are high quality and easy to zip up,” they write.
The Samsonite Winfield 2 check-in is currently 39% off on Amazon. Get it now for $123 (regularly $200). It comes in 14 colors. Prices vary by color.
Why we like the Samsonite Winfield 2 carry-on:
- It’s available at a great price point for a top-rated suitcase.
- It comes with a 10-year warranty.
- It’s built with four-directional spinner wheels for better maneuverability than other suitcases.
Samsonite Centric expandable carry-on spinner: Starting at $117
Samsonite
This Samsonite Centric hard-side expandable suitcase is an ideal checked bag for longer trips thanks to its durability and flexible capacity. It’s made with scratch-resistant polycarbonate and measures 19.6 inches by 14.75 inches by 9.5 inches. The design even comes with expansion for added packing capacity when needed. This suitcase comes with a 10-year warranty.
“This suitcase has already gone overseas twice and all over the US a half-dozen times. It is holding up well and I really like this suitcase,” one Amazon reviewer shares. “I was concerned it might not age or wear well, but it is, hardly showing any scarring on the outside,” they say.
The popular suitcase is currently on sale in select colors at Amazon.
Why we like the Samsonite Centric expandable carry-on:
- It’s made with scratch-resistant polycarbonate to keep your suitcase looking new.
- It comes in seven color options.
- It can expand for added space if you pick up some extra items during your trip.
Tumi 19 Degree International expandable carry-on: Save $225
Tumi
This durable hardcase polycarbonate luggage is made from recycled materials with a matte finish. It comes in three colors and features retractable top and side handles as well as a telescoping handle for easy maneuvering. This carry-on also has a built-in USB-C charging port that supports up to 65W USB-C 2.0 cables and fast charging up to 65W 3A.
This hardcase luggage piece is currently on sale for $525, reduced from $750.
Why we like the Tumi 19 Degree carry-on:
- It features a three-stage adjustable design, accommodating various heights for comfortable maneuverability.
- The four recessed dual spinner wheels provide smooth, 360-degree movement.
Rockland Melbourne 20-inch expandable carry-on: $65 (54% off)
Amazon
The Rockland Melbourne 20-inch expandable carry-on spinner is made out of ABS, a lightweight and durable plastic. It features multidirectional double spinner wheels with telescoping handles, along with interior zip and mesh pockets. Choose from multiple colors. Price varies by color. Right now, you’ll get the best deal on the carry-on in the shade purple, it’s currently 54% off.
“I was able to fit a lot more than I thought in this little suitcase,” an Amazon reviewer shares. “It’s easy to maneuver and even with the extension added to it it’s small enough to fit airplanes’ carry-on requirements.”
It’s usually $140 but right now you can buy this carry-on for just $65.
Why we like the Rockland Melbourne 20-inch carry-on:
- The carry-on meets size restrictions for most major airlines, including United, American, Delta, Southwest and Allegiant.
- It earned a 4.5-star rating with over 8,500 reviews.
- The ergonomic handle and seamless spinner wheels make it easy to maneuver.
Monos Carry-On: $230 (10% off)
Monos
Monos manufactures high-quality, affordable polycarbonate suitcases for the discerning frequent flyer, plus a line of hybrid suitcases that incorporate aluminum into their construction. Right now, you can save 10% on top-quality luggage pieces from the brand in select colors.
The Monos Carry-On features a telescopic handle, plus lots of zippered pockets and compartments and an easy-to-use lock. It offers an ultra-strong polycarbonate hard shell exterior and a TSA-approved locking system. Monos boasts a 100-day trial period and lifetime warranty. We’ve also tested the Monos carry-on and found it durable and easy to maneuver.
Why we like the Monos carry-on:
- Monos Carry-Ons are made with aerospace-grade, water-resistant polycarbonate hard shells for enhanced durability.
- The carry-on fits in the overhead bin on most airlines and is easy to store in my car trunk for road trips.
- The 360-degree spinner wheels provide a smooth glide.
- It’s available in 13 colors.
Travelers Club kids 5-piece luggage set: $48 (31% off)
Amazon
This five-piece set includes everything your child needs to travel in comfort and style. It comes with an 18-inch hardside carry-on, a backpack, a lunch bag, a neck and a luggage tag.
“The Travelers Club 5 Piece Kids’ Luggage Set has proven to be a delightful and practical purchase for my family’s travel needs,” one enthusiastic Amazon reviewer says. “Designed with young travelers in mind, this luggage set offers a range of vibrant colors and playful patterns that instantly captivated my kids’ imagination, making packing and traveling an enjoyable experience.”
This set is recommended for kids ages six and up. It’s currently 31% off on Amazon.
Why we like the Travelers Club luggage set:
- It’s made with smooth-rolling wheels and a telescoping handle for easy maneuvering.
- It’s available in ten adorable prints.
- It’s an affordable matching luggage set for kids.
Tumi McLaren Just In Case duffel: Save $71
Tumi
This versatile Just In Case duffel bag combines function and durability, featuring a double-zip main compartment, convenient shoulder straps, top handles, and an additional adjustable shoulder strap for various carrying options.
This Tumi McLaren duffel is currently $279, reduced from $350.
Why we like the Tumi Mclaren Just In Case duffel:
- It offers multiple ways to carry comfortably.
- The sturdy nylon exterior is easy to maintain.
Tumi Sport Excursion backpack duffel: Save $240
Tumi
The Tumi Sport Excursion backpack duffel is a versatile and durable bag designed for both travel and active lifestyles. The main compartment features a zip closure while the water-resistant bottom compartment helps separate items. There are multiple front pockets for easy access to necessities and adjustable backpack straps that can be tucked away when not in use.
Why we like the Tumi Sport Excursion backpack duffel:
- The water-resistant bottom compartment of this travel backpack is perfect for keeping wet and dry items separate.
- Adjustable backpack straps can be tucked away allowing the use of leather handles for versatile carrying options.
Tumi+ travel hanging kit: Save $70
Tumi
The Tumi+ travel hanging kit is a practical and organized solution for your travel essentials. It folds down compactly and features a hanging hook, mesh zip pocket, two open pockets and a removable zip pocket with a clear window for viewable easy storage.
What we like:
- The anti-microbial lining helps keep the interior fresh and odor-free.
- The G-hook and chain allow for easy integration with other Tumi bags.
Roger Carstens, the Biden administration’s top official for freeing Americans held overseas, on Friday arrived in Damascus, Syria, for a high-risk mission: making the first known face-to-face contact with the caretaker government and asking for help finding missing American journalist Austin Tice.
Tice was kidnapped in Syria 12 years ago during the civil war and brutal reign of now-deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. For years, U.S. officials have said they do not know with certainty whether Tice is still alive, where he is being held or by whom.
The State Department’s top diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, accompanied Carstens to Damascus as a gesture of broader outreach to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, the rebel group that recently overthrew Assad’s regime and is emerging as a leading power.
Near East Senior Adviser Daniel Rubinstein was also with the delegation. They are the first American diplomats to visit Damascus in over a decade, according to a State Department spokesperson.
They plan to meet with HTS representatives to discuss transition principles endorsed by the U.S. and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan, the spokesperson said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Aqaba last week to meet with Middle East leaders and discuss the situation in Syria.
While finding and freeing Tice and other American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime is the ultimate goal, U.S. officials are downplaying expectations of a breakthrough on this trip. Multiple sources told CBS News that Carstens and Leaf’s intent is to convey U.S. interests to senior HTS leaders, and learn anything they can about Tice.
Rubinstein will lead the U.S. diplomacy in Syria, engaging directly with the Syrian people and key parties in Syria, the State Department spokesperson added.
Diplomatic outreach to HTS comes in a volatile, war-torn region at an uncertain moment. Two sources even compared the potential danger to the expeditionary diplomacy practiced by the late U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who led outreach to rebels in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 and was killed in a terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound and intelligence post.
U.S. special operations forces known as JSOC provided security for the delegation as they traveled by vehicle across the Jordanian border and on the road to Damascus. The convoy was given assurances by HTS that it would be granted safe passage while in Syria, but there remains a threat of attacks by other terrorist groups, including ISIS.
CBS News withheld publication of this story for security concerns at the State Department’s request.
Sending high-level American diplomats to Damascus represents a significant step in reopening U.S.-Syria relations following the fall of the Assad regime less than two weeks ago. Operations at the U.S. embassy in Damascus have been suspended since 2012, shortly after the Assad regime brutally repressed an uprising that became a 14-year civil war and spawned 13 million Syrians to flee the country in one of the largest humanitarian disasters in the world.
The U.S. formally designated HTS, which had ties to al Qaeda, as a foreign terrorist organization in 2018. Its leader, Mohammed al Jolani, was designated as a terrorist by the US in 2013 and prior to that served time in a US prison in Iraq.
Since toppling Assad, HTS has publicly signaled interest in a new more moderate trajectory. Al Jolani even shed his nom de guerre and now uses his legal name, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
U.S. sanctions on HTS linked to those terrorist designations complicate outreach somewhat, but they haven’t prevented American officials from making direct contact with HTS at the direction of President Biden. Blinken recently confirmed that U.S. officials were in touch with HTS representatives prior to Carstens and Leaf’s visit.
“We’ve heard positive statements coming from Mr. Jolani, the leader of HTS,” Blinken told Bloomberg News on Thursday. “But what everyone is focused on is what’s actually happening on the ground, what are they doing? Are they working to build a transition in Syria that brings everyone in?”
In that same interview, Blinken also seemed to dangle the possibility that the U.S. could help lift sanctions on HTS and its leader imposed by the United Nations, if HTS builds what he called an inclusive nonsectarian government and eventually holds elections. The Biden administration is not expected to lift the U.S. terrorist designation before the end of the president’s term on January 20th.
Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder disclosed Thursday that the U.S. currently has approximately 2,000 US troops inside of Syria as part of the mission to defeat ISIS, a far higher number than the 900 troops the Biden administration had previously acknowledged. There are at least five U.S. military bases in the north and south of the country.
The Biden administration is concerned that thousands of ISIS prisoners held at a camp known as al-Hol could be freed. It is currently guarded by the Syrian Democratic forces, Kurdish allies of the U.S. who are wary of the newly-powerful HTS. The situation on the ground is rapidly changing since Russia and Iran withdrew military support from the Assad regime, which has reset the balance of power. Turkey, which has been a sometimes problematic U.S. ally, has been a conduit to HTS and is emerging as a power broker.
A high-risk mission like this is unusual for the typically risk averse Biden administration, which has exercised consistently restrained diplomacy. Blinken approved Carstens and Leaf’s trip and relevant congressional leaders were briefed on it days ago.
“I think it’s important to have direct communication, it’s important to speak as clearly as possible, to listen, to make sure that we understand as best we can where they’re going and where they want to go,” Blinken said Thursday.
At a news conference in Moscow Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had not yet met with Assad, who fled to Russia when his regime fell earlier this month. Putin added that he would ask Assad about Austin Tice when they do meet.
Tice, a Marine Corps veteran, worked for multiple news organizations including CBS News.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.