u/away_official

Hi r/awayluggage! Sarah here 👋 I’m the SVP of Brand at Away, and I’m hosting an AMA to give you a very first look at Series 3, our next generation of luggage launching next week.

A little about me: I first joined Away in 2017 (!!), leading Creative, and rejoined in 2022 as Chief of Staff. Today, I oversee Brand, Creative, and Product Design. I spend a lot of my time understanding what travelers need and making sure that shows up in everything from the products we design to the experiences we create.

A lot has changed at Away in the decade since we launched, but one thing has always been true: we start with the traveler. Millions of suitcases later, we’ve learned a lot about what people need from their luggage, and where even the smallest changes can make a real difference. Series 3 comes from obsessing over those details and asking what travel needs next.

About Series 3: It’s not a new Away, it’s the next Away. We kept the things that made our luggage iconic and rethought nearly everything else. We focused on three things that matter every time you travel: protection, motion, and capacity. There’s a lot that’s new, including our WhisperGlide™ 360° Wheels, an Infinite Height Trolley, hands-free hooks, StopLock™ wheel brakes, and plenty more we can get into during the AMA.

Bring your questions about:

• The design process behind Series 3
• What features we decided to prioritize and why
• What I’ve learned over the years at Away
• How customer feedback shapes what we build
• What else you’d like to see from Away

A few ground rules:

• Please keep your comments on topic for this AMA. I’ll do my best to answer as many questions as I can.
• Please be kind and respect the r/awayluggage subreddit rules.
• For specific order questions, send u/away_official a DM.

 

I’ll be live answering questions from 12-1pm ET on Tuesday, September 22nd. Drop your questions below ahead of time if you can’t make it live.

Can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on!

Sarah

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Hi r/awayluggage! It’s Louis, Head of Customer Experience at Away 👋

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into making an Away suitcase, how we test our products before they launch, or what happens behind the scenes when you reach out to our Customer Experience team, this AMA is for you.

I’ve been at Away for 4.5 years and have spent nearly 15 years working in retail across operations, product design, technology, and customer experience. Through it all, my heart has always been in customer service. I've done a bit of everything - from delivering newspapers, to working as an enumerator counting people for the US Census, and working in a call center.

These days, I spend a lot of time working with teams across Away to make sure we’re creating a great experience for our customers, from product quality and durability to customer support and our retail stores. I also spend a lot of time listening to customer feedback. Some of our best improvements have come directly from the people who travel with Away.

I’m excited to answer your questions about:

• How we approach quality and durability when designing and testing our luggage
• How our Customer Experience team supports customers behind the scenes
• How our retail stores help customers throughout their Away journey
• And anything else you’d like to know about Away

A few ground rules:

• Please keep your comments on topic for this AMA. I’ll do my best to answer as many questions as I can.
• Please be kind and respect the r/awayluggage subreddit rules.
• For specific order questions, send u/away_official a DM.

 

I’ll be live answering questions from 12-1pm ET on Friday, August 21. Feel free to share your questions below ahead of time if you can’t make it live.

Looking forward to chatting with you all!

Louis

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Hi r/awayluggage! It’s Henley Vazquez, co-founder at Fora 👋

I’m excited to be here representing Fora, Away’s official travel agency partner, for an AMA about all things travel.

I’ve spent a big part of my career thinking about travel: not just where we go, but how we experience it. What makes a trip feel truly special? How do you find the places that aren’t in every guidebook? 

Those questions are a big part of why I co-founded Fora in 2021. We’re building the platform that makes it easier for people to plan incredible trips with the help of a trusted travel advisor, while also creating a more flexible, modern career path for people who love travel and want to help others experience it.

A few things about me:

• I’m taking this AMA from Costa Rica - one of my favorite places on earth - and where I lived briefly during Covid and the start of Fora in 2021. It’s also where I rescued our crazy dog Vida and brought her home with us. So for many reasons, I love Costa Rica.
• I’m obsessed with my Away Topside suitcase that’s designed for cruise cabins (it opens from the top instead of the side so it takes up less floor space). I got to try it on the Orient Express a few months ago (for one night) and I’ll be taking it back when I go on a week-long vacation with them next month.
• I love boxing (never ask me to do a dance-style workout)

Feel free to ask me anything! A few ideas…

• My story co-founding Fora in 2021 and where we're headed next
• My favorite destinations and the places I can’t wait to visit
• How to become a Fora travel advisor
• The travel trends I’m most excited about
• What I never travel without

A few ground rules:

• Please keep your comments on topic for this AMA. I will do my best to answer as many questions as I can.
• Please be kind and respect the r/awayluggage subreddit rules. 
• For specific order questions, send u/away_official a DM. The Away team will help you out after the AMA.

I'll be answering questions from 12–1pm ET on Monday, July 27th, and I'll come back the next day to reply to any I missed. Feel free to share your questions below in advance if you can't make it live.

Looking forward to chatting with you all.

- Henley

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Hi r/awayluggage! It’s Jess, CEO at Away 👋

It's hard to believe, but this year marks 10 years since Away shipped its first suitcase. A lot has changed since then: in travel, in our company, and in what travelers expect from the brands they buy from. 

Since joining over a year and a half ago, I’ve immersed myself in the brand and business. As an avid Redditor (lurker), it felt like the right moment to come here and have a real conversation with our community about what I’ve learned and what’s next. 

A bit about me: I've been a consumer goods operator for the last 15 years, growing and building brands in beauty, fashion, luxury, tech and now travel. I have a passion for retail, great products and strong brand stories. I'm from France originally but have been living in the US for the past 20 years, and now living in NY with my husband and two young kids.

I’m here to answer questions about:

• What I’ve seen during my first year as CEO
• The state of travel, from what I'm seeing in the industry, and from our customers
• My approach to leadership and my career experience overall
• What I’m most excited about for Away, both this year and for the next 10
• My bucket list travel destinations
• And more.

A few ground rules:

• Please keep your comments on topic for this AMA. The more specific, the better. I will do my best to answer as many questions as I can open and honestly.
• Please be kind and respect the Subreddit rules. 
• For specific order questions, send u/away_official a DM.

I'll be live answering questions from 12–1pm ET on Thursday, June 25th, and I'll come back the next day to reply to any I missed. Drop your questions below in advance if you can't make it live.

Talk soon,
Jess

We're not crying, you're crying 🥹

We received this handwritten note from an Away wedding couple last week and it brought up all the feels. We can't help but take a stroll down memory lane as we dream of summer travel.

What was your most memorable adventure with your Away?

Bonus points for photos.

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The first unofficial summer weekend is finally here. Where are you headed? And most importantly, how are you fitting it all into your suitcase?

Looking for all the tips and inspiration.

She's here 👀

Meet the newest member of our lineup: Topside.

Topside opens from the top, packs deeper, and features our first-ever StopLock™ wheel brake system—so your suitcase stays put while you keep moving. Learn more from our Head of Design, Hannah (some of you met her last week in her AMA!).

https://reddit.com/link/1tb2whc/video/28pu9iqjsp0h1/player

All new features include:

1. Topside Access: By opening from the top, its deep main compartment packs smarter in tight spaces, with zipper expansion that adds nearly 2" of extra space.
2. StopLock^(TM) Wheel Brake: Our first-ever patent pending wheel brake system puts an end to the “runaway bag” on slanted sidewalks and moving trains. One click to stop, one click to glide.
3. The PackAway Closet: We made packing wayyy easier. The removable PackAway Closet lets you organize once, then lift the entire system out and hang it up on arrival.

Who's taking it on their next trip? 🙋 We can't wait to hear what you think.

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Hi r/awayluggage! Hannah here 👋

I joined Away as Head of Design last year, and I'm doing my first Reddit AMA on Thursday, May 7 at 12pm ET to talk about the design and engineering behind our suitcases—specifically the process behind our newest innovation, Topside.

A bit about me: I've spent my career designing across categories, continents, and teams, and I've held onto one belief through all of it: great design improves the human experience. At Away, that means thinking hard about how people actually move through the world. Topside is a product of a lot of those conversations.

About Topside: You heard it here first. We’re introducing our first non-clamshell hardside suitcase! Topside features top-loading access, deeper packing, and our first-ever StopLock^(TM) wheel brake. It's truly our most innovative suitcase yet, engineered for tight spaces and easy unpacking.

I’m happy to answer questions about:

• Why we chose a top-opening format
• The design and engineering process behind our new features
• How we make new product decisions more generally
• My approach to design leadership
• What else you’d like to see from Away

A few ground rules:

• Please keep your comments on topic for this AMA. The more specific, the better! I'll prioritize questions about Topside, its design, and our process.
• Please respect the Subreddit rules. For specific order questions, send u/away_official a DM.

I'll be live answering questions from 12–1pm ET on May 7, and I'll come back the next day to catch any I missed. Drop your questions below in advance if you can't make it live.

Looking forward to it!
– Hannah