extra

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.

READ MORE: I’m a flight attendant – I’ve been on a plane when it got struck by lightningREAD MORE: I’m ex cabin crew – there’s one drink you should never have on a plane

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.”

A travel enthusiast shared the simple hack she uses to avoid paying for extra luggage on flights

Nobody wants to pay for extra luggage on a flight, and yet passengers often find themselves forking out when they overpack their bags. For many holidaymakers, it’s all too easy to overload a suitcase, especially if you’re travelling in winter, when you need to pack many layers.

From knitted jumpers to padded coats, winter packing involves lots of bulky items. Fortunately, a frequent flyer has shared a ‘simple’ suitcase hack that ‘will change the way you travel’ in winter. Posting on TikTok under the username @ourhappypassports, travel lovers Aishani and Bhavya often post about their holidays, and the couple recently revealed a packing hack ideal for winter.

In a video shared this week, the couple demonstrated how they pack multiple ‘fluffy winter jackets’ in their luggage without paying extra. The caption said: “This simple packing hack will change the way you travel this winter.

“No more sitting on your suitcase, no more paying for extra luggage — just a smart trick that lets you carry multiple jackets without the bulk. Perfect for those chilly Europe or mountain trips where you want options — without dragging another bag.”

In the clip, @ourhappypassports revealed they use a ‘simple’ packing method to compress their coats and save space in their luggage. To use the method, simply roll the bottom of your coat inside out, then tuck the sleeves and hood inside the pouch and fold the rest of the jacket inside as well.

As seen in the video, the folded jacket only takes up half the space you’d otherwise use inside your suitcase. The tip proved popular with social media users. The video racked up over 50k views.

Reacting to the video, one commenter said: “I fold them into the hood or the pocket.” @ourhappypassports replied: “I do that too, but some are too fluffy for that!!” Someone else asked: “Have you tried the compression bags and if so what are your thoughts on it?”

The reply read: “Yup, they crease the jackets too much!!” Nonetheless, compression bags are popular with many travellers. Using packing cubes, storage bags, and similar items can help passengers reduce the size of their luggage, whether they are used for storing jackets or other clothing items.

For travel enthusiasts seeking options, most budget retailers offer a selection of travel accessories. For instance, Home Bargains stocks a £4.99 TravelShop Travel Cubes Pack Of 3.

The product description states: “These travel cubes are rectangular-shaped fabric containers that help keep clothes and other travel essentials neatly packed and easily accessible during trips.

“The pack of 3 contains three individual travel cubes. Each cube comes in a different size, allowing you to separate and organise different types of items within your suitcase or travel bag.”

A LONG-LOST rail link could soon return as part of a major rail investment that promises new jobs and better connections across the country.

The service, which runs between Swindon and Birmingham, is expected to be reinstated through the £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub project.

The project aims to transform journeys across the Midlands, the South West, and South Wales.

The forgotten train line last operated in the early 2000s, more than 20 years ago.

The town and city, which are located around 80 miles from each other, have been without a direct connection ever since.

Swindon, with a population of over 180,000, is the biggest town in Wiltshire, and is located on the edge of the Cotswolds.

FIT FOR A KING

Famous UK castle is being turned into £10m ‘world-class tourist attraction’

SHOE KNEW

UK’s weirdest pub that’s ‘built in a shoe’ with Egyptian coffin and secret bar

While Birmingham is an important industrial and cultural centre, and the UK’s second-largest city with a population of around 1.2 million.

The proposed plans are on track to deliver up to 130 extra train services each week, which would provide around two million additional passenger seats a year.

Andy Clark, rail programme lead at Midlands Connect, said: “This would be a real boost for passengers.”

The first phase of the scheme is also expected to create nearly 13,000 jobs nationwide.

Swindon North MP Will Stone welcomed the development, saying it would boost the local economy and reconnect communities that have long relied on slower, indirect services.

Currently, there are no direct services between Swindon and Birmingham, meaning passengers must change at Cheltenham, Gloucester, or Reading stations.

The revived route would re-establish a direct connection between the two cities.

Mr Stone said: “It’s fantastic that Swindon could be benefiting from the Midlands Rail hub expansion.

“We’re a town built on connection via the railways, and so it’s great to see Swindon getting an hourly service between a fellow industrial town like Birmingham.”

Once home to the Great Western Railway works, Swindon has a proud railway heritage that shaped the town’s identity.

The project has secured government backing following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending review and forms part of the government’s 10-year infrastructure strategy.

Mr Stone added: “Innovative projects like the Midlands Rail hub prove that investments in our railways, fully funded by the Chancellor, are transformative for communities, bringing new jobs and skills to areas across the country.”