Away Travel is offering a trade-out program for their previous generation bags in a move that is smart and helpful. Customers who previously purchased a piece of luggage from Away Travel can swap out their now out-of-compliance styles for new.
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Old Style
New rules went into effect with most carriers prohibiting the passage of lithium-ion batteries operational in luggage making previous versions of Away ineligible for travel in their intended state. The previous model used a fixed lithium-ion battery secured into the bag with screws. In order to comply with new airline rules, one would have to either check their carry-on (which I will add does not make it any safer, perhaps less so) or leave it at home.
While Away is not responsible for airlines and security agencies ever-changing rules, it makes sense they would want to find a way for their first customers to utilize purchases that may have been made within the last year and are now effectively useless.
New Style
I recently recommended the current style to a colleague because of the excellent innovations for the price point in which they operate. For example, the battery is no longer fixed but ejectable which makes it far more useful and easier to charge. On the previous model, you would plug your suitcase in the night before a trip to charge it and use the battery as you traveled. But charging a suitcase and charging from a suitcase is completely different than ejecting the battery and charging that the night before. It’s far easier now, it avoids arguments at the gate or mandatory checking of your luggage.
Separately from that, the front pocket version is one that I am personally eyeing though I have not tried it out yet.
The Program
Owners of the original Away Carry-On have been contacted regarding a switch-out program for their newer ejectable battery module.
Hi from the Away PR team—we hope you’ve been well since the last we spoke!
Since launching our very first suitcase, The Carry-On, we’ve implemented a few rolling changes to our product based on feedback we’ve received from our customers.
We’re excited to offer those with Away the opportunity to switch their battery for one latest ejectable version (on us!). This will allow you to have your original model carry-on (with a battery removable by screwdriver from the inside) switched to our newer model (with a battery that ejects in seconds from the outside with a simple press down on the battery).
To do so we’ve created a variety of options to ensure there’s a convenient way for everyone—mail it in, visit a store or do it yourself. If you’re interested, you can visit awaytravel.com/battery-switch and fill out the necessary information to begin the process. We’re happy to help answer any questions you may have along the way, just shoot us an email at press@awaytravel.com with any questions!
Talk soon!
The Away PR Team
The Switch-out Process
Away offer customers three ways to make the switch: Send it in, Stop in or DIY. Their team will handle everything if you can part with your bag for four weeks. Just print off a provided mailer, send the unit back to them and they’ll return it to your doorstep. The second option is available to those customers located in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Austin – or those who may be traveling through those cities. Customers can make an appointment in advance and make the switch in just 15 minutes. Lastly, they will send you the kit and you can do it yourself if you are so inclined – that option is not for me.
Smart Move
Away doesn’t have to do this. It’s really not even their responsibility as a vendor who sold their product in good faith to willing customers, some of whom purchased many years ago. Frankly, if I owned Away Travel, I am not sure I would be so generous. After all, it’s not a government mandate that made their previous product nearly unusable in the US, it was the carriers. Away has done nothing wrong and is under no obligation to make their bags compliant. I can’t imagine Tumi or Rimowa doing the same, as much as I believe in those brands.
As someone who tested their bag and found some flaws but still liked the overall features of the product, this move makes me even more likely to acquire one of their new products. They stand behind their luggage 100% and I think you have to award bonus points for offering returns even when another company limits the usefulness of their bags. That’s a company I want to support.
What do you think? Is this the right move for the brand to make? Are they being too generous? Do you have one of their bags that you intend to swap?
This is a great article but you mentioned a few times that these bags would need to be checked. I have an Away bag from 2016 and did the battery swap and just want to clear this up, smart luggage with permanently attached batteries are not allowed to be checked at all. Away’s batteries were always removable (albeit the screws were a hassle). The larger bags were unable to be checked unless the battery was removed, and you would encounter the same issue if you needed to gate check your carry on you would also need to remove the battery before it could be checked (on a recent AA flight from DFW to BOS the overhead bins became full by group 4, I was literally yelled at when handing over the Away bag before pulling the battery out of my pocket). The issue isn’t that these bags would need to be checked but rather preventing unpacking and repacking the bag in the airport if checking it was necessary
Matt, you are correct but let me explain where I am coming from. On my last AA flight, the placard at the gate pointed out the smart bag restriction in the cabin and I witnessed one explaining it would need to be checked. Perhaps they had a screwdriver handy and pulled it out without me being any the wiser, and perhaps you have had a diligent crew and my experience was not as thorough. I’ll consult the advisories again and update the post accordingly.
More importantly, how was the process of the switch-out? Do you like your bag more? Are there aspects you prefer about the original design?
I suspect they looked at the number of bags affected and decided that the costs would be offset by the positive PR. It’s certainly a calculation I would agree with. When you see a company that truly stands behind their product doing the right thing even when they don’t have to you notice. It’s a factor which certainly influences my purchasing decisions.
Thanks for you very informative article about the Away carry-on. I am in the process of returning my bag for the battery switch. Unfortunately, the address away.com/battery-switch is not functioning or are any of Away’s other e-mails. Do you know where I can get instructions on how to remove the battery? Thanks for your help.
Mary
I agree that away did not have to support the consumer by offering the free changes. I think their customer service is amazing compared with competitors. On a recent flight, I forgot to take out my retractable battery before checking it and ended up losing the battery in flight. When I explained this to Away customer service, they sent me a new battery and that was very much appreciated.