Who doesn’t love the idea of jetting off to exotic destinations without emptying their wallet?
Budget airlines have made it possible to explore numerous locations at incredibly low fares, a welcome option, especially when the cost of living is on an upward trajectory.
This allows holidaymakers to indulge in getaways without the financial hangover that often follows.
Yet, there’s a catch with budget carriers – they’re notorious for imposing steep additional charges. Take checked-in luggage, for instance; adding a suitcase can inflate your return fare by over £100, leading to frustration and the all-too-familiar struggle to stuff everything into hand luggage. But one savvy TikToker, @vetted.ai, has shared a clever workaround to this problem.
In a video captioned “Do not pay for the oversized luggage fees nonsense – do this instead! This hack came in handy on our way back from Mexico!” they revealed in a simple yet ingenious tip.
The video explains that if you’re confronted with the choice of either paying extra or removing items from your luggage – which isn’t ideal since you likely need everything you’ve packed – there’s a third option. The secret?
If you “have a pillowcase,” you’re in luck because “pillows fly for free”. But what exactly should you do with that pillowcase to avoid the overweight luggage fee?
A clever trick for comfortable travel involves stuffing soft items from your luggage into a pillowcase to create a makeshift pillow. “I’ll go ahead and put my extra clothes, my hoodie, and my sweatpants into this pillowcase, and that eliminates the extra weight,” one traveller proudly shared.
However, it’s important to note that this hack may not be applicable to all airlines. According to Mattress Clarity, “While some airlines allow you to bring a pillow on the plane free of charge, others charge a fee for this additional luggage add-on.”
Some have claimed that this strategy “only works in the US,” but resourceful travellers have found alternative methods.
On Reddit, a user queried about the effectiveness of the pillowcase hack. In response, another user suggested a seemingly foolproof alternative: “Put it in a shopping bag – they won’t check it. I just did that yesterday cause I had a personal bag with me which isn’t allowed so I put it in a shopping bag since I purchased something in the airport and just asked for their biggest bag”.
Someone commented: “This sounds like a good idea, and also less risky”. Meanwhile, another person recounted an experience where they were on the verge of shelling out £50 due to a crossbody bag that wouldn’t fit into their rucksack.
They narrated how a generous stranger came to their rescue, saying: “She surreptitiously stuffed my handbag into her half-empty duty-free bag after I took out my passport, wallet and phone – which I held in my hand. (The boarding gate people were too busy to notice).
“I went back and told the original boarding pass checker I had combined the two as requested (actually, she didn’t seem that bothered – as if she had forgotten). The kind fellow passenger then handed my shoulder bag back to me as we were queuing to board,” they shared.
Have you ever given these travel hacks a whirl? Drop us a comment with your stories…