I got this bag to go to Italy. I knew I would be dragging it up stairs, around on the trains etc. I had read the other reviews and figured it's go for it. Since it is really big, you tend to fill it! I had it at 44 pounds and still had room! I'm only 5'4" so it was a little unwieldy to pick up. The top handle ended up losing some of it's stitching where it connected to the bag. I'm guessing due to the weight put on that top handle. The other bad thing was that it did not stand up on it's own. Unless you had the weight managed perfectly it fell over. I'll definitely use it for travel by plane, but not for europe! If you want this bag- go to the smaller size! The zippers stayed together and the bottom compartment came in handy.