An Alternative to Away Travel Luggage...

...or any of its competitors.

Away Travel offers first class luggage at a coach price, according to their website.  They have been advertising in podcasts that I listen to, and so I checked it out.  The cheapest luggage they have is priced at $225.  With a promo code, you could get it for $200.

An additional feature they tout is the built in charging ports and battery.  Recently, airlines have published new rules around batteries in luggage, and have caused at least one competitor to close shop.  You may have heard of Raden and Bluesmart, outlined The Wirecutter.

Checking in luggage is always a bad idea for business travel, but if you are low in the totem pole in terms of boarding priority, you may have to check in your luggage at the last minute, so a removable battery is always a must.

At $200 dollars, these luggage aren't cheap, and considering all the YouTube videos out there showing how baggage handlers throw around your luggage no matter how expensive they are, I can't bring myself to spend $200 on luggage.

Here is a cheaper alternative:

First, buy AmazonBasics luggage.  This one starts at $50 dollars.

Second, buy a battery pack.  It's not integrated into the luggage, but it can be inside the bag, and can be removed quite easily without any tools.  And you can move it to any other bag, or even hold it in your hand.  If you search for Anker or RavPower on Amazon, you will find one from $20 to $60 depending on capacity and size.

With all that same functionality for under $100, you can still buy a $10 Anker charging cable.

What If Apple Buys Disney?

Note: this isn't a unique idea.  A few other folks, I am sure, have thought about this.

Apple has over $250 billion in cash and cash equivalents, most of it overseas.  The most recent changes to the tax laws will allow them to repatriate this.  Companies generally have three choices with their cash: reinvest in the business, acquire another company, or return it to shareholders.

Apple has been buying back shares with debt, and certainly they can continue to do so.  They have certainly bought other companies in the past.  But with $250 billion dollars, they can actually buy Disney outright and still have $100 billion left over.  Or they can buy Netflix.  Either one of these companies will get their foot into the video streaming service.

Personally, I'd like to see them buy Disney.  I would like to think this was part of Steve Jobs' grand vision to own great content, which is why he wanted Pixar to succeed so badly.

Apple will own all the current and future Disney content, and expand their recurring revenue beyond Apple Music.  I am not an Apple Music subscriber, but once Disney starts their own subscription service, I will certainly consider signing up because of their great content.

And as an Apple shareholder, I would welcome this venture beyond iPhone sales.