To the smell I can only say that I find it quite normal. There are just hard-shell case and the smell just "New". If man opens the trunk and endweder provides to the balcony or in the hallway, which evaporates quickly. So to me that's not a negative impression.
Have been two long flights with the suitcases behind me, all are intact and nothing happened. The very young, I have always as hand luggage, with the four wheels, it's super easy and not strenuous.
The "Scrambling" on the side is also very easy to use and practical. The first flight, I have my suitcase is not encrypted with a code, but only drawn as normal. Unfortunately, this is one of the silver "zipper Zuzieher" aborted. But I think that's more the fault of the people that the suitcases always around hurl so :(
The cases are just top class for this price !!! The quality ones and also the Optical agree 100% in my opinion. I can only recommend it and would buy me time and again :)