It’s no secret – low-cost flight tickets often come with high extra fees.
Passengers are increasingly being stung by luggage costs, with airlines forcing them to pay more if their bags don’t fit into ever-shrinking baggage sizers and eagle-eyed gate agents ready to catch travellers out.
To avoid steep price hikes, passengers are taking matters into their own hands, coming up with clever packing hacks that allow them to sneak extra luggage on their flight – and sharing them on social media.
From buying a travel pillow for extra storage to hiding items in duty free bags, there’s a range of TikTok luggage tips that promise to help passengers pack for a flight with no baggage allowance.
One TikToker, @anayagreig, shared a video of her in the queue for boarding with two bags hidden under her jumper.
‘I had two bags and my camera under there. I don’t know how this even worked they didn’t even question me,’ she captioned the video.
Another user, @andreeawander, filmed herself sneaking her carry-on luggage in a duty free bag. She captioned the video: ‘POV: You’re flying and decide to buy a duty free bag to sneak in the extra luggage.’
Placing the large paper shopping bag on top of her suitcase, she reveals a small black rucksack inside. In the comments, she added: ‘They need to stop charging people ridiculous amounts for luggage.’
Another daring TikToker, @travellingwithtals, filmed herself sneaking two extra bags aboard a plane. Alongside her large backpack, she hid a small one underneath her poncho and concealed a pillowcase filled with her personal items, including a sleeping bag.
In her video, she said: ‘If I get caught it’s going to be like $120, so we’re going to pray okay.’ She later films herself successfully on the plane with her luggage after breezing by security.
She captioned the video: ‘I never pay for a carry on or checked luggage. I do this every time and never get caught.
One traveller, @lilimannin, managed to sneak her luggage past gate agents by covering it with a thin cardigan on her back. While the guise was perhaps less impressive than other attempts, it worked successfully.
Commenters were in disbelief. User @lucifia_ wrote: ‘Love how they let us all through regardless.’
Others shared their own tricks. ‘I’m always pregnant when I fly with Ryanair,’ @wellwithmonia said, while @mariaaaaa18 said: ‘A WHSmiths bag works.’
Beware of some TikTok packing hacks
Filling a small travel pillow with personal items might let you sneak some extra luggage on board, but taking social media packing hacks too far could land you in hot water with airline staff.
In June 2024, a video emerged on TikTok of a viral packing hack backfiring. It showed a man being escorted away from the gate at Orlando International Airport after he tried to take a pillowcase filled with clothing and other items on board his flight.
In general, airlines tend not to be too strict about a small travel pillow, especially if you’re wearing it as you board, but filling up a standard pillowcase is much less inconspicuous and may attract the attention of gate agents.
In 2023 Ryanair netted more than £3.5 billion from extra charges – equivalent to almost one third of its entire revenue.
IAG, the parent company of airlines including British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, makes up almost 10 per cent of revenue from surcharges.
US airlines Frontier and Spirit reportedly paid gate agents $26 million in commission between 2022 and 2023 ‘to catch passengers allegedly not following airline bag policies, often forcing those passengers to pay a bag fee or miss their flight.’
Frontier gate agents reportedly earn $10 (£8) for each passenger forced to check their bag in at the gate. The additional charges were criticised by the Senate as ‘junk fees’.
Barry Biffle, Frontier CEO, hit out at passengers who avoid paying for carry-on luggage. Biffle, who makes £8.5million each year, said: ‘These are shoplifters. These are people that are stealing. It’s not equitable to everyone who follows the rules.’
A number of budget airlines, including Ryanair and easyJet, have recently been fined after Spain’s consumer rights ministry said the airlines violated customer rights.
Tips to make the most of you baggage allowance
If you want to avoid forking out for extra baggage, we’ve got some tips to help you pack light for your next holiday.
- Invest in packing cubes: By compressing bulky items like sweaters, scarves, and coats, these clever tools will help make room for extra items.
- Embrace layering: Rather than packing bulky jumpers, opt for lots of lighter layers that can keep you warm without taking up as much luggage space.
- Cut down on footwear: Pack shoes that can be worn for more than one occasion, such as sandals that can double as evening shoes, or trainers that double as gym shoes.
- Stick to a monochrome colour scheme: This will enable you to mix and match all the items you’ve packed, so you can wear each piece multiple times and cut down on valuable luggage space.
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