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Ahead of winter holidays and festive trips away, a flight attendant has now shared a clever travel hack to get an extra bag on board without paying a penny more

Whether it’s a summer holiday or a winter trip away, one thing is always certain and that’s packing with luggage allowance is tricky to get right. Pack too much and you run the risk of having a bag that’s too heavy or won’t fit the cabin luggage standards, but if you pack too light then you run the risk of being forced to wash your clothes whilst away.

Yet it doesn’t have to be so hard, as a flight attendant has now shared a clever travel hack to get an extra bag on board without paying a penny more.

Flight attendant Miguel Muñoz shared a sneaky trick to help passengers dodge extra luggage fees by utilising a duty-free shopping bag, and it’s the perfect trip for your Christmas getaway.

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Miguel’s genius idea reurposes a duty-free bag to carry clothes and other items that won’t fit in your hand luggage, you can essentially sneak an extra bag on board.

According to Miguel, “duty-free bags don’t count as carry-on baggage,” so gate agents tend to turn a blind eye.

To take advantage of this hack, holidaymakers can either bring a duty-free bag from home or purchase one at the airport’s duty-free shop.

Miguel said: “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 place whatever you want in the shopping bag. There is obviously limited space, but at least you are bringing an extra bag on the plane with you.”

He added: “Now you know. If you ever find yourself in that situation, just put whatever you want in a duty-free bag. You are welcome!”

Miguel’s trick comes after another hack has gone viral, using a “fake pillow” where passengers use a pillowcase filled with extra items, as the pillow doesn’t typically count as a piece of luggage.

This hack has been shared by hundreds of travellers on social media, who claim that security officers and gate agents rarely bat an eye.

TikTok has also been filled with tips and tricks from savvy travellers all keen to carry more, without the hefty fees for extra baggage. A savvy traveller from Handluggageonly explained on the platform, “Pack all the clothes you need in your backpack but if that person checking you in for your flight turns around and says anything about your bag being overweight and tries to charge you the excess baggage fare, simply pop over to the bathroom and wear as many clothes as possible.

“Technically, no one can say anything about the fact that you just wore your extra clothes on you instead of having them in your luggage and more importantly – they can’t charge you the extra fare as your bag weight should be much more in line.”

Nobody likes waiting for their luggage to come off the carousel, but according to one travel specialist, using a certain sticker will mean your bags will be heading to the belt that much faster

Many of us will be heading to the airport soon, whether it’s to visit family for Christmas or to go after some winter sun, and that means terminals will be much busier than usual.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of waiting around when you visit an airport, from getting through security to passport control, but one travel specialist claims there’s a trick to help you save time. Best of all, it’s completely free.

Hadleigh Diamond, commercial director at SCS Chauffeurs, claims that if you add a fragile sticker to your checked bag, it’s likely it’ll be loaded last onto the aircraft, meaning that it’ll come out first onto the carousel at the other end.

Fragile stickers can be requested free of charge from staff at check-in and are intended for passengers carrying delicate items, such as glassware or ceramics. However, anyone can request one of these labels for their bag.

Hadleigh said: “Clients regularly tell us that the difference between a good travel day and a stressful one often starts with baggage reclaim. If you’re standing waiting for 30 minutes while the carousel clunks out someone else’s bags, your trip can feel so much longer.

“But the fragile sticker trick is a game-changer — and it often works. We’ve heard this tip from both airport ground staff and frequent flyers. You don’t need to lie or explain — just politely ask the check-in agent to add a ‘fragile’ sticker to your suitcase. It’s not guaranteed, but more often than not, your bag is among the first out. We’ve seen it work time and time again.”

While baggage handling varies at every airport, as a general rule, items marked as ‘fragile’ are placed last in the airport’s hold, as this helps prevent them from being crushed or being placed under heavier loads. So, no matter where you end up sitting on the plane, if your bag is marked as fragile, it’s more likely to be one of the first items taken out of the hold and could even be among the first to arrive at the carousel.

And this trick isn’t just for people who are impatient. If you have scheduled transfers or a tight connection, the last thing you want to do is be stuck waiting around the luggage carousel. Baggage reclaim delays can see you held up for over 40 minutes during peak times, so this trick could help you avoid the stress of a missed connection.

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Recently, travellers were warned against using another luggage hack, which many people utilise to help identify their suitcase at the conveyor belt. Passengers were warned never to tie a ribbon onto their suitcase, as according to baggage handlers, any loose items can get caught in the carousel machinery, potentially delaying luggage for other airline travellers as well.

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There are a few simple things you can do to make sure your suitcase doesn’t get lost in transit – and it’s as easy as adding one item to your luggage

It’s the stuff of holiday nightmares. You’ve landed at your dream destination, eager to start exploring, only to discover your suitcase is nowhere to be found.

All you’re left with is your hand luggage and the clothes you’re wearing, with no clue when – or if – your suitcase will turn up.

To dodge this frightful scenario, there are a few steps you can take to safeguard your luggage from going astray.

The relocation gurus at 1st Move International have revealed their top tips for keeping your belongings secure whilst on the move – and the best methods to guarantee they reach your destination.

They suggest one of the most effective things you can do is pop a piece of paper inside your suitcase with your travel itinerary and contact details on it.

This means that in the unfortunate event of your luggage being lost or delayed, airport staff will swiftly know where to send it, reports the Express.

It’s also wise to attach a robust luggage tag to the exterior of your suitcase with a unique design.

This way, you can spot your bag more easily after your flight, and other passengers are less likely to mistakenly pick up yours.

By including current contact details on your tag, you’ll also make it simpler for staff to return any lost luggage to you.

Before you board your flight, take a quick photo of your bag. If you have a recent picture of your luggage, staff will have a reference image to help locate it and ensure it’s returned safely.

If your luggage has gone AWOL, it’s important to keep a cool head.

Mike Harvey, the boss at 1st Move International, advised: “The first thing you should do is immediately report the issue to the airline’s baggage claim officer or customer service desk.

“It’s crucial to file a lost baggage report before leaving the airport, as this initiates the tracking process. Usually, baggage will be tagged with your flight information, but just in case you want to give the airline a description, be as thorough as possible.

“Next, check your travel insurance policy for coverage in case of lost or delayed baggage, and keep receipts for any purchases if you have to replace lost items (even if they might be found later). You may be able to claim these costs back.”

WITH hotel prices soaring and all-inclusives costing a small fortune you probably think luxury holidays are a pipe dream – but some savvy Brits have found a way to jet off several times a year totally for FREE.

These women are bagging stunning holidays to pricey destinations like Las Vegas, Spain and Lapland for their families for absolutely nothing – and we’ve got their easy secrets so you can, too.

So how are they doing it? Run-of-the-mill competitions that give away everything from staycations to long-haul breaks.

These women are self-confessed ‘compers’ who have turned prize draws and social media giveaways into their tickets to dream holidays.

And while there is an element of luck, the trick is knowing where to look.

They maximise their chances through specialist groups on Facebook like Travel Competitions UK.

Free to join, this is a private group for holiday competition hunters throughout the UK to share tips and advice.

The page is also an opportunity for members to share travel competitions they’ve spotted and there are usually between 5-10 posted per day – anything from magazine comps and Instagram and Facebook shares, to comps directly from cruise companies, airlines and hotels.

Lucky Learners is another popular Facebook group for more general competitions, with 24,000 members,

It’s run by professional comper and author, Di Coke, who has also set up another paid-for members group called Lucky Legends, which provides access to a private chat forum and exclusive resources such as the compers shopping list.

A numbers game

Mum-of-two Natasha Douglas,  46, from Kent, is a member of Travel Competitions UK and has scooped several trips including not one but TWO holidays to Las Vegas – the first she won in 2019.

She says it’s primarily a numbers game.

Natasha told The Sun: “There’s no real skill involved. I just enter a lot of competitions all the time. The more you enter, the more chance you have of winning.”

Natasha and her friend used her latest holiday win to travel to Las Vegas last month – a win she secured through a newsletter sign-up with gambling.com – and the prize included a helicopter ride, show tickets and even £2,000 in spending money.

She’s also bagged a Lapland day trip on Christmas Eve, a Cornwall surf break, and a stack of UK hotel stays.

Natasha added: “Comping’s my hobby, any spare time I get, I’m entering something, but I never pay to enter.

“I’ll subscribe, share or answer a question, but it’s all free. The only downside are the spam emails! I get loads of them but it’s worth it.”

You gotta be in it to win it

Meanwhile, Lucy Davis, from Manchester is currently sunning herself in Mojácar, Spain, on her latest win.

The 47-year-old, who has one son, two stepchildren and two grandchildren, started entering competitions during lockdown.

She said: “A friend told me about the Lucky Learners site on Facebook, it’s amazing. There’s a £5 subscription for the full version, but there’s a free page too, with loads of competitions and advice.”

Since then, Lucy’s racked up an impressive list of wins.

She won a glamping break in Wales, a school-bus stay in Cornwall, a ferry trip to Amsterdam, and a city break in Liverpool, not to mention dozens of smaller prizes including shopping vouchers and restaurant meals.

Lucy told us: “I probably enter about 600 competitions a month, I usually do it late at night once the kids are in bed. I’m on Facebook, Instagram, magazines, anywhere that’s running a giveaway. You’ve got to be in it to win it!”

Lucy’s even made it onto ITV’s This Morning three years ago on a segment called ‘It’s behind You,’ where she pocketed £300 on the spot, and another £1,000 from an online prize draw.

She added: “Local Facebook pages are brilliant too. I’ve won panto tickets, Winter Wonderland entry, and even an Alton Towers trip for five.”

Mum-of-two Rachael Jones, 44, from Basingstoke, joined the Travel Competitions UK Facebook page over a year ago and now enters competitions almost every day.

Rachael said: “When I have spare time to relax, it’s something that I like to do. Fortunately my hobby paid off when I won a holiday.

“I found out in July 2024 that I had won a trip with Global and Booking.com and I had a year in to book it, so I arranged to go on my birthday in May this year.

“The prize was return flights to Malta, for four people including transfers, and two nights in a luxury apartment in Valletta.

“I also received £500 cash, which was transferred into my bank account just after I accepted the prize. My family and I had a wonderful time.”

All three women swear by Facebook groups like Lucky Learners, Late Deals Competitions, and Travel Competitions UK – and admit that while it takes time and a lot of entries, the rewards can be huge.