He's practically revolutionized the airline industry, giving coach passengers not only cheap tickets but also their own leather seats and seat-back TVs. Once the stepchildren of the skies, discount carriers now dominate, thanks in no small part to him. And yet even David Neeleman, the charismatic CEO of JetBlue Airways (JBLU), has to marvel at what's happening to the humblest of all products in aviation — the wheelie bag.

For years these black, four-walled, rectangular staples of airport corridors and overhead bins have been the same, in looks, design and features — incredibly useful, but about as creative as airline food. But who says you can't reinvent the wheel…or the wheelie bag? On this day, Neeleman is testing five of the latest models for us, and clearly, change is afoot. Today's carry-ons come in bold colors — everything from two-tone green to bright fuchsia — with lightweight, high-tech materials. They've got new extras to go along with their new price tags, too, including cosmetics bags, detachable backpacks and extra wheels. One model transforms into a cart and trolley that can carry 200 pounds of extra luggage; another sports a folding chair.

Why the change? To get you to throw out your old bags, of course, and plunk down anywhere from $80 to $500 for these new and improved models. Certainly for luggage makers, the timing makes sense: After years of the post-9/11 slump, air travel — in particular, business travel — is enjoying a renaissance. All summer Americans have been pouring into airports and airplanes, and the thinking is, if they're traveling again, they're going to want some new luggage.

But how powerful are these new roller bags, and which are the best? We figured Neeleman would be a good judge. For one thing, he's no stranger to the pioneering way, having turned his virtually unknown carrier into a $1.2 billion powerhouse in less than a decade. And as the airline's front man, he's the ultimate road warrior, shuttling almost weekly to any of JetBlue's 32 destinations, usually on short overnight trips that require some sort of carry-on bag.

Meeting him at his company's headquarters in Forest Hills, N.Y., we roll out our candidates, and they are no ordinary luggage bags. Our first, the Swany Smart Cart ($180), looks like any other black bag until Neeleman turns it over and stumbles upon its signature feature: a built-in folding chair. The company's founder came up with the idea after standing around one too many airport gates waiting for a flight. It's a nifty idea, but the chair is less than 2 feet from the ground when deployed, and measuring just 8x8 inches, it's tiny — way too tiny for the lanky 6-foot-2 Neeleman. "If you can get on that seat and sit there, you're probably in good enough shape to stand," he says. Chair aside, the bag's storage area is one open area with no straps to keep clothes from sliding around, and it's the smallest bag in our test. That means it would have no trouble fitting into any overhead bin, but it's just too little, Neeleman says. Swany says the bag is not designed to be a piece of luggage but a carry-on "accessory." Neeleman has another word for it: "It's a gimmick," he says.

Next we move to a bag from Samsonite. We have high hopes for the Sahora Spinners Hybrid Carry-On Upright ($240), and not only because Samsonite is one of the biggest names in the business. The Sahora, a compact, bright-red model with four wheels instead of two, has generated a lot of buzz with a TV commercial that shows a woman zipping nimbly through crowded city streets, rolling the suitcase backward, forward and sideways. The extra wheels are supposed to give the bag more mobility, and Neeleman mimics the ad, trotting the bag behind him, in front of him, next to him and pivoting around the office. He's having a great time, but he doesn't think the extra wheels are necessary since the bag is so small — just under 20 inches long: "Unless you had gold bricks in it, why wouldn't you just pick it up and carry it?" Samsonite says the four wheels take all the weight off the traveler, and we point out to Neeleman that even he may not want to carry the bag the length of a terminal at O'Hare. But he has another beef: the bag's hard-shell surface, which the company touts as being more durable for stacking bags. "You don't stack carry-on bags in an overhead bin, so it's just unneeded," he insists.

We move to Tumi, the upscale label known for sleek, well-designed, if pricey, luggage. Sure enough, the brand-new Turn Transporter ($395) is elegant looking, black with minimalist steel-color trim. Tumi designers likewise have been trying to breathe new life into this category: The bag has a single-tube handle instead of double, so there's just one pole sticking out of the top. And it has a neat pivoting handle that's easy to grip. But when we try packing it with a weekend's worth of clothes, we discover it's not so hot under the hood. The interior has thick, seatbelt-like straps to keep belongings secure, but it's tricky to pull them out and keep them from falling back in while packing, something Neeleman finds annoying. "It's not easy to pack this by yourself," he says. Lifting up the bag, he says it feels heavy: Sure enough, at 14 pounds, it's 5 pounds heavier than others its size. Neeleman says he might be willing to sacrifice weight for design if the price weren't so high. "I wouldn't spend this much," he says. He also doesn't love the style: "It's almost too flashy." One plus: He likes its separate compartment under the lid of the suitcase.

We have better luck with our next bag, the sporty, rugged-looking Lingo from Victorinox Swiss Army ($200). "Ooooh," says Neeleman. "I like this one." The bag is an unexpected, two-tone green/gray color combination, and it has plenty of room and well-organized compartments inside. Like the Tumi, the Lingo has a single pole that pulls out of the bag, but this one has a ball on top instead of a traditional handle. The design allows the traveler to grab it from any position and rotate 360 degrees around the bag; it also means there's only one rod going through the bag, with pouches on either side of the bar — "less wasted space," says the ever-practical Neeleman. An outside pocket and expansion zipper allow for cramming in extra items (though Neeleman points out one risk with outside pockets: A carry-on could turn into a checked bag very quickly). But while this bag is more his style and closer to his ideal price range than the flashy Tumi, its $200 price tag makes the discount titan flinch. Plus, its two-tone green combination — "fog/celery," to be precise — is the exact color of the logo of one of his airline's rivals, Delta's Song. "The color stinks," he says. He's only half-joking.

Samsonite Sahora Spinners Hybrid Carry-On Upright Price: $240 Dimensions: 19.5x15.5x8.5 inches Weight: 8 pounds Maneuverability: Packing Space: Overall: Comment: This bag has buzz, but that doesn't justify its hefty price. Swany Smart Cart Price: $180 Dimensions: 21x11x9 inches Weight: 6.7 pounds Maneuverability: Packing Space: No stars Overall: Comment: Limited packing space, and its built-in seat is "a gimmick," according to Neeleman. Victorinox Swiss Army Lingo Price: $200 Dimensions: 13x22x10.5 inches Weight: 8.75 pounds Maneuverability: Packing Space: Overall: Comment: A nice-looking bag, but pricey — and with so many pockets and zippers, it could move into the checked-bag category. Tumi Turn Transporter Price: $395 Dimensions: 14x22x11 inches Weight: 14 pounds Maneuverability: Packing Space: Overall: Comment: This bag is the heaviest in our test, and too flashy for Neeleman: "I wouldn't spend this much." Delsey Carry-On Expandable Suiter Trolley Price: $80  OUR PRICE $55.90 Dimensions: 21x14x8.5 inches Weight: 8.8 pounds Maneuverability: Packing Space: Overall: Comment: Neeleman's favorite, and ours, for its durability, features and price. Find Delsey's Helium Lite HERE In the end the bag he loves, and our SmartMoney winner, is the Delsey Carry-On Expandable Suiter Trolley ($80). And no, it's not because of its color alone, a crisp bright blue, but for its innovative design. Delsey has focused almost entirely on getting its bags as light as possible; this one, part of the new Helium Lite series, uses graphite for its backbone, the same material found in lightweight golf clubs and tennis rackets. At 8.8 pounds, the bag is just over half the weight of the Tumi, even though it's the same size. Throwing it open, Neeleman likes its roomy compartments and is glad it isn't cluttered with too many outside pockets. Indeed, for his money, Neeleman says this bag has it all — a rugged outer material that can withstand getting kicked around, the right dimensions (it fits easily into the smallest overhead bins) and a reasonable price. In fact, at $80, the Delsey is the cheapest model in our test. "At the end of the day, I'd go with this one," Neeleman says. But maybe that's not surprising: It's only fitting that the father of modern-day discount travel would pick the most practical bag — and the best value.