Flying with just a small personal bag can be a struggle when it comes to packing light, but a flight attendant has shared a handy hack that could help avoid extra fees
Excess luggage charges can quickly escalate, turning a dream getaway into a costly nightmare. Keen to keep my Poland trip this month on the cheap, I flew with no-frills carrier Ryanair and stuck to the complimentary baggage allowance – just a small personal item.
The challenge arises when you’re keen to bring home souvenirs, on top of having a compact cross-body bag. Flight attendant Miguel Muñoz previously shared with Express.co.uk a nifty loophole, noting that “duty-free bags don’t count as carry-on baggage” and are usually overlooked by gate staff. This tip has even been echoed by thrifty TikTokers, so I was eager to try it out.
Miguel outlined the trick: “If you have something that doesn’t fit in your suitcase or you want to bring an extra bag on board, here’s the trick.
“All you have to do is carry a duty-free bag. Or ask for one at the duty-free shop, and you can place whatever you want in the shopping bag.”
Boarding the plane with my bulging duty-free bag had me anxious, but to my relief, the crew waved me through without a hitch.
With Ryanair’s baggage fees stretching from £12 to £59.99, avoiding that extra charge felt like a victory.
This trick was a lifesaver for the extra bag and jacket that I couldn’t squeeze into my main luggage.
While this method did work wonders for me, a few folks have mentioned that airline staff requested a look inside their bags.
To sidestep this, if you’ve made any duty-free purchases, place them on top. Also, always ensure your airline permits carrying duty-free items onboard in this manner.
Having triumphed with this hack, I’m eager to test out the neck pillow packing hack. This essentially involves replacing the pillow stuffing with small clothing items.
However, it’s worth noting that some travellers have been caught out using this hack, with a few even being denied boarding.