As airlines are getting stricter with their baggage restrictions, travellers are coming up with inventive ways to pack more while paying less – but there’s one trick experts are urging people not to risk doing
There are so many different travel ‘hacks’ circulating on social media – but experts urge travellers not to follow the viral pillowcase luggage trick as it’s not worth the risk.
Many of us are guilty of overpacking when going away, so it’s no wonder we’re always looking at ways to pack more and keep within the allowed size and weight limit for our luggage without paying more.
However the viral pillowcase hack, that sees travellers stuffing an empty pillowcase with extra clothes rather than bags when boarding a plane could come at a risk that experts advise people not to follow.
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As airlines become stricter on their hang luggage rules, Amanda Parker from Netflights has shared her thoughts. She said: “Passengers are cunningly avoiding these strict hand luggage limits and avoiding paying up to £150 in extra fees by taking advantage of an empty pillowcase.
“Travellers are using a standard pillowcase, removing the pillow inside, and instead using it as a secret storage compartment for extra clothes. Travellers rely on airlines not counting a pillow as an additional item when boarding, so by stuffing a standard pillowcase with soft clothing items like T-shirts and jumpers, they’re essentially creating a travel ‘pillow’ that they hope to sneak through.”
However the expert said “airlines are cracking down on sneaky flight hacks” and said you might want to think twice about testing this hack on your next flight.
“An overly stuffed pillowcase bursting with clothes can raise suspicion, and if you’re already boarding the plane with maximum baggage, then your pillow can be flagged as extra.” Amanda said what works for one airline may not for another as different airlines cabin baggage rules vary.
She added: “By risking the pillowcase hack, you could risk holding up the boarding process or being denied boarding entirely if you can’t pay the fee. Some low-cost airlines state that any item used to carry belongings, even if disguised, must be treated as luggage,” and advised before jetting off to always check the baggage allowance rules with the correct bags.
The expert said airlines issue fines for overweight baggage due to the fact that the heavier a plane is, the more fuel it burns. “So every kilogram of baggage increases the plane’s weight, which directly impacts fuel consumption.
“Since fuel is one of the biggest costs for airlines, they want to limit unnecessary weight, and charging for excess baggage is one way to do it.”
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