Torn off handles, broken wheels: the luggage clinic fixes all types of damage

«There’s no piece of luggage that can’t break,» says Marion Klein, CEO of the Swiss luggage manufacturer Pack Easy. «Regardless of the brand or how expensive it was.» And she should know. At the luggage clinic, which belongs to Pack Easy, suitcases and travel bags are repaired every day in Emmen, Lucerne. Luggage from a wide range of brands and manufacturers ends up in their workshop. Anyone who owns a defective piece of luggage can bring it into Pack Easy’s luggage clinic.

I’m one of those people. My damaged luggage has been stowed away in my storage room for quite some time now. On the one hand, it’s too good to be thrown away; on the other hand, I can’t use it because it’s defective. One of the pieces is a travel bag I’ve used a lot because of its handy size. Now, it’s worn through at the front and has holes in it. Then there’s a suitcase, which was an impulse buy at the time, that suffered a tear on its first flight.

I make an appointment at the suitcase clinic. Before going into the repair service, I ask Marion Klein for tips when buying suitcases and about new developments in the industry. Find out in this interview:

The luggage clinic as it is today was created twelve years ago and grew out of Pack Easy’s in-house repair department. However, as they received very few warranty claims, the Swiss luggage manufacturer considered closing the department and outsourcing their service. But that was out of the question for Marion Klein.

A new chapter for the repair department and damaged cases

Instead of closing the department, she turned over a new leaf. Since then, Pack Easy’s luggage clinic has been repairing pieces of luggage, bags and cases by other brands as well as luggage damaged during a flight and accepted as a service case by the respective airline. This extends the lifecycle of the suitcases and bags. In the best case, they’re back on trains and planes instead of ending up in landfill.

I meet the two suitcase docs, as the repair professionals call themselves, on the top floor of the Pack Easy building in Emmen. There’s shelf after shelf full of bags and cases waiting to be serviced. The spare parts stored in the same room are also impressive. There’s a plethora of zipper slides, wheels with various designs, telescopic handles and pretty much all other parts that can break on pieces of luggage.

My luggage issues

Claudia Casanova and Lukas Theiler receive my battered suitcase and bag. Both of them pose a challenge. Fixing a cracked plastic case is very expensive and would exceed the purchase price.

My suitcase’s no longer suitable to withstand the strains of air travel, but suitcase doc Lukas asks me if I’d like to donate it. The donations go to Zurich-based «Chrischtehüsli», a contact and advice centre for marginalised people. There, it’s given to people who’ve received donations of clothes, for example, and need to transport them. Or to people who live in accommodation with little privacy and would like to store their belongings in a lockable suitcase. Before my suitcase is given a second life at «Chrischtehüsli», Lukas will repair it to make it suitable for everyday use.

Creative solutions and flair required

At first, Claudia and Lukas aren’t very hopeful for my bag, either. The clinic doesn’t specialise in fabric sewing, as most pieces of luggage they receive are hard-shell cases made of plastic or aluminium. I’m just about to say goodbye to my beloved travel bag forever, when Claudia has a brain wave. She goes over to a spare parts box and pulls out a piece of bent plastic. «This could work,» she says promisingly.

Wielding a hot air dryer, Claudia and Lukas manage to bend the piece of plastic into shape before riveting it onto the bag. The front of my travel bag is now more than repaired. It’s also protected against further abrasion.

It’s this creative aspect they both love about their job – finding a solution for all types of damages. Claudia and Lukas usually fall back on their huge stock of spare parts. It includes parts from their own brand, Pack Easy, for models from the last ten to 15 years. There’s also a selection of wheels available in various designs, but there are always models that are difficult to obtain.

Lukas spent around three months trying to get his hands on wheels for a high-end suitcase until he found what he was looking for in Italy. Obviously, extensive research like this costs money. But the owner was so attached to his case, he was willing to pay for it.

Specialists for frequent problems

My bag’s ready for use again, but Claudia and Lukas notice that the pulls on the zippers (I didn’t know they were called that) have been torn off. They pick out a matching one from a range of zipper pulls. Who knew there are so many types and sizes!

«He’s Mr Zipper,» Claudia says about Lukas. Apparently, broken zipper pulls are one of the most common reasons for repairs. Unfortunately, the docs can’t replace entire zippers. Broken wheels are also common problem. In any case, I’m happy my bag’s ready for use again so it can come with me on my next trips. And more importantly, doesn’t end up in landfill.

Luggage has emotional value for many people. And I’m no different. They’re a reminder of beautiful journeys and give you itchy feet just from looking at them. For Lukas and Claudia, this also accounts for a large part of why they enjoy their job. Seeing their customers’ happy faces when they get their mended luggage back also gives the suitcase docs a boost.

The two pros have one more tip when it comes to damaged luggage. If your suitcase or bag was damaged in transit, you should immediately report it to the airline or the coach or boat travel provider. Repair often falls into the responsibility of the airline, which sends the suitcase to the luggage clinic.