American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Luggage Review — Is It Worth It? [Video]

American Tourister has earned a reputation over the past 90 years for producing fashionable, functional luggage that doesn’t break the bank. The brand was acquired by Samsonite in 1993, further expanding its global reach in the midrange luggage market. Today, American Tourister luggage is sold in over 90 countries and remains a popular choice among travelers of all kinds.

American Tourister is renowned for its bold, eye-catching designs and iconic collaborations, including its popular partnership with Disney. At the same time, the brand also offers more subtle and classic options, such as the Bon Air collection featured in this review.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Luggage

American Tourister’s Bon Air collection consists of reliable, practical luggage pieces that are versatile for most travelers. Whether you’re looking for a suitcase to bring on your next business trip or the perfect bag to take on a family vacation, the Bon Air line has a piece for you.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Luggage Review

For this review, we tested out the medium checked bag, which is the perfect middle-ground suitcase for travelers. While it’s too big to be accepted in the cabin, it does provide extra space for a week or more’s worth of clothing. It’s also lighter and easier to transport than a large checked case.

While not the trendiest bag on the market, this sturdy, timeless case is guaranteed to be just as useful in a few years as it is today.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Overall Rating

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Luggage

The American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Spinner is a sleek and understated luggage collection that is lightweight and easy to transport.

Check on Amazon

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Style and Look

The American Tourister Bon Air won’t win any design contests. Its understated appearance allows it to fly under the style radar, but we think that actually works in its favor. It has a very classic luggage look that won’t look out of place in any setting, so you can use the same case for business and leisure trips.

The Bon Air isn’t entirely without style in mind, though. The line comes in a surprisingly wide array of colors, ranging from classic options like black and navy blue to brighter hues like pink and yellow. You won’t miss these vibrant shades on the luggage carousel, while the muted options may easily blend in with every other suitcase.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Size and Compartments

Measuring 26 x 18 x 10 inches, the medium case is within the size limits of virtually every airline and mode of transportation. It’s also incredibly lightweight for a medium suitcase, weighing just 6.9 pounds. We’ve reviewed carry-ons around the same weight.

We were a little surprised the bag doesn’t have an expansion zipper that can grant a little extra space if needed. If the expanding feature is important, you may want to consider the medium American Tourister Soundbox as an alternative.

Typical of a hard-sided suitcase, the American Tourister Bon Air has no pockets on the exterior of the case. You need to carry your quick-access items or travel documents on your person or in a carry-on.

The case opens like a clamshell with 2 same-sized packing compartments. This design makes organizing and accessing items easier, especially if you like to separate your belongings (e.g., clothing on one side, shoes and toiletries on the other). However, it requires more space to open fully compared to a traditional top-lid suitcase.

With an X-shaped compression strap on 1 side, this area can be used to strap down your clothes and prevent wrinkles through movement. If perfectly pressed clothes are a must, we’d recommend using a garment bag or packing a travel steamer.

The other area can be fully closed via a zippered divider. This zippered panel has 2 mesh pockets for small items, and there’s an accessories pocket along the spine of the case.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Durability and Materials

American Tourister created this collection using polypropylene, a material known for its lightweight properties and resistance to cracking and denting. During our tests, we could see that the exterior flexed under pressure, absorbing the impact to prevent damage.

Additionally, the bag features large ridges and a textured shell, designed to minimize damage from everyday wear, such as scratches and scuffs. Even if the suitcase slides or skids on its side, it’s unlikely to leave noticeable marks on the case.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Wheels

Considering how lightweight the Bon Air is, it’s not surprising that the case has single-spinner wheels. Double wheels would add extra bulk. We were pleased to see that the wheel attachments were slightly recessed in the frame for protection; however, the wheels felt loose and rattled around quite a bit.

On the bright side, the wheels rolled smoothly and quietly on a variety of surfaces. As the single wheels are quite small for a medium case, they did struggle a bit when maneuvering around tight corners.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Handles

The telescopic handle was sturdy and pretty well-made. It has 2 different height settings, which we were able to adjust smoothly with the push of a button. There’s nothing worse than the telescopic handle getting stuck when you come to check your bag at the counter.

Two height settings are pretty standard for American Tourister checked cases, but we would have liked another 1 or 2 positions to find the perfect setting for your height.

There are 2 carrying handles as well, on the top and side of the case. To minimize bulk and prevent snagging, they retract back into place when not being used.

The handles are so tightly attached to the case that there is limited space for larger hands to grip them comfortably. As a result, quickly grabbing your suitcase off the luggage carousel might be a bit challenging.

American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Locks and Zips

As this is a checked bag, we were happy to see that there’s an integrated lock on the Bon Air collection. It’s TSA-approved, so it should be suitable for most security checkpoints worldwide. You can set your own 3-digit combination, and the zipper pulls slot neatly into the luggage lock, securing the main compartment.

We have no concerns with the zippers on this case. They feel pretty sturdy without being stiff, so they open and close smoothly. The pulls were large enough to grab and pull comfortably, and since they’re part of the lock mechanism, they didn’t rattle around much either.

American Tourister Brand Warranty and Customer Service

American Tourister offers a pretty standard limited global warranty on all its bags, typically 3 years of coverage. According to the company, the brand will cover the costs of repairing any damage caused by manufacturing defects.

Unless your luggage arrives damaged, proving later that it was due to a manufacturing defect rather than mishandling can be challenging. Some companies, such as Travelpro and Briggs & Riley, offer no-questions-asked warranties for repairs.

Other American Tourister Bon Air Hardside Luggage

Like most American Tourister lines, the Bon Air collection consists of 3 main pieces. In addition to the medium checked bag, there’s also a carry-on and a large checked option. A set this small covers all the bases as far as travel is concerned, but it doesn’t have more niche bags. If the range is ever expanded, we’d love to see the addition of a travel tote or underseat bag.

Final Thoughts

The Bon Air line of bags by American Tourister is a great example of the brand’s ability to balance functionality and affordability.

While we were a little disappointed in some design features, like its lack of size expansion and limited maneuverability, the case more than made up for it with its organizational capabilities, lightweight structure, and value.