I tried flight attendant's luggage tip to avoid airline baggage fees
Excess baggage charges can mount up rapidly, transforming your dream getaway into a costly and nerve-wracking nightmare. Since I wasn't keen to splash out much on my trip to Poland this month, I travelled with budget carrier Ryanair and simply chose the complimentary baggage option - a small personal item - which restricts your cabin luggage allowance, reports the Express.
Nevertheless, this can prove challenging when flying with Ryanair, particularly when I fancied bringing home treats from the break, alongside having a compact cross-body bag with me. Cabin crew member Miguel Muñoz previously shared a shrewd travel trick where travellers can utilise the duty-free shopping bag approach, since "duty-free bags don't count as carry-on baggage" and gate staff won't question it.
I even noticed numerous TikTokers travelling on a shoestring budget suggesting this trick, so I was eager to test it out.
Breaking down the hack, Miguel explained: "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."
Prior to stepping onto the aircraft, I was anxious that the crew wouldn't permit the bag aboard as it was quite packed, but remarkably, they waved me straight through. Ryanair luggage charges span from £12 to £59.99, so I was chuffed not to face additional costs.
This trick proved brilliant for the extra bag and jacket that I couldn't squeeze into my main luggage.
While this trick did work for me, a few people have mentioned that airline staff have asked to take a look inside their bag.
To avoid this, if you've purchased anything from the duty-free, place it on top. Also, always ensure that your airline permits you to bring duty-free items on board in this manner.
Having had success with this trick, I'm eager to see if the neck pillow packing hack would be equally effective.
This essentially involves replacing the pillow insert with small clothing items.
However, it's worth noting that some passengers have been previously caught out with this hack, with some being denied boarding as a result.
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