TRAVELLING with hand luggage only is a great way to cut excess costs and speed up the airport process. However, with airlines updating their cabin baggage policy every day, it is becoming increasingly harder to travel light. Luckily, one expert is on hand to offer some top tips for beating airline hand luggage policies.
“Lay out everything that you think that you’ll need to take and then ask yourself, “Am I really going to need this?” In a recent survey of our customers, 62% said that they packed too much when they travelled. So when you survey the piles on the floor, consider what you can jettison.”
Passengers should also check with their chosen airline to make sure they are in-the-know about how their cabin bag restrictions.
While easyJet boasts no cabin weight restriction, but a strict size guide of 56 x 45 x 25 cm, Ryanair dutifully limit passengers to bags no heavier than 10kg. These limitations will change across the board depending on your chosen airline, so be sure to check before packing.
If weight is a concern, Matt has his own way of bypassing the limit.
He explains: “My suggestion is to wear the weight. So if there is a heavy coat, jacket, jeans or pair of shoes that you absolutely must take with you, as long as it’s comfortable and doesn’t restrict you, wear it on the plane.”
“You’ll see this tip played out on every plane heading to the ski slopes this winter! “
He also points out that there is one item that tends to tip passengers over the scales.
“As a shoedog, I would say this; focus on your footwear. Ideally limit the pairs you take as they contribute a lot to the overall packing weight you’ll carry.”
“Consider buying a great pair of hybrids that can serve you in both smarter and more casual environments.”
“Shoes are definitely one of the heavier items that find their way into the bag and then spend the whole holiday in the hotel room. How often have I flown with a bag full of shoes for every occasion and then worn flip flops (very lightweight) the whole time?”
Travellers should also be realistic about their travels. Consider the reason for the trip, as well as the destination and weather forecast.
Matt continues: “Check the destination weather.”
“Typically, what people pack is influenced by the environment they leave, not the one they arrive in. Packing lightweight, breathable clothes might be obvious for a beach break; the same items maybe just as appropriate on a warm city break.”
“Personally, I carry a library of books and then find that I don’t have the desire and time to plough through them. If it looks like a pile of business books, pick one and leave the rest at home. You’re not at work. And finally, the running kit… Every time I take a business trip to make shoes or source materials, I pack the runners. And almost every time, they never make it out of the pack. Be realistic, take a rest day!”
Recently, experts at ThePointsGuyUK revealed their insight into the best budget airline for travellers jetting off with cabin bags only. The research crowned Jet2 as the airline offering passengers the most for their money when travelling with just hand luggage.
The British airline not only offers the largest free carry-on bag option out of the four, it also boasts an additional personal item for free.
Lucky travellers can benefit for one bag, totalling 10kg and a maximum size of 56x45x25cm, plus an additional personal item such as a handbag or laptop bag.
The research went on to highlight easyJet as the second-best option for hand luggage-only travellers, with Wizz Air following shortly behind. Ryanair is named as the airline to avoid for travellers hoping to hold onto their cash.
More on Travel & Leisure
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.