neck

YOUR neck pillow could get you in trouble next time you fly.

A little known rule in place with Wizz Air has warned that they can fine you £55 for taking it onboard.

Most airlines don’t count a neck pillow as a separate piece of luggage, meaning you can bring it along with a bag.

Yet Wizz Air have some of the strictest rules, and can ask you to fit it into your suitcase.

If it doesn’t, they can then fine you the £55.

The website states: “Neck pillows are not considered a separate free item and must fit within your applicable cabin baggage allowance.

Read more on airline rules

BABY ON BOARD

The rules and restrictions on flying when you are pregnant

TAKING OFF

Major budget airline reveals plans to launch more cheap flights to top US cities

“If you wish to bring a neck pillow on board, it must be packed inside your cabin bag.

“If it does not fit within your permitted baggage allowance, it may be treated as an additional item and be subject to the applicable oversized or excess baggage charges.”

Additional charges are around €65 (£55).

While most people online claim they haven’t been charged at the airport – it all depends on the staff.

One person wrote on Reddit: “It depends how lucky you are and what instruction received the crew at the gate, do they need to be more strict about rules or not.

“For example, most of the time they just leave you holding the pillow outside of the backpack but last time my girlfriend has been asked to put her pillow back inside and measure the backpack.

“Because there was no space for it, they charged 50€ just for the pillow.”

Here are some of the other airline rules you need to know about.

And here is another luggage fine you need to be aware of.

DENVER — The imaging Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz underwent in Los Angeles on Wednesday morning revealed a “best-case scenario,” manager Dave Roberts said before the series finale against the Rockies.

“There were no findings, so that was good,” Roberts said. “MRI was clean. It doesn’t change the fact that he had this sensation in his neck. But I think to keep working on it, give it some rest as far as throwing the baseball.”

Díaz officially went on the IL for “neck inflammation,” but early theories on the injury, before he went to a specialist on Wednesday, suggested the issue could be related to the area around the trapezius, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Roberts said Wednesday that the results suggested the injury was more muscular, rather than nerve related.

“I think he’d been feeling the tightness in his neck,” Roberts said. “But I think where it went to the other night, he hadn’t felt that sensation. So that’s what really checked him up.”

Roberts said he didn’t know exactly how long Díaz would be shut down from throwing, but he estimated that it probably would be only a couple of days.

The bullpen shuffle continued Wednesday, when the Dodgers activated right-hander Brock Stewart (right shoulder discomfort) from the 15-day IL. In a corresponding move, they designated right-hander Jonathan Hernández for assignment.

DENVER — The Dodgers are putting closer Edwin Díaz on the injured list for the second time this season, this time with inflammation on the right side of his neck, manager Dave Roberts said before the game against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

The Dodgers are going to have Dr. Robert Watkins, who specializes in spine injuries, examine at Díaz’s neck in L.A. on Wednesday morning, Roberts said. He’s set to undergo imaging.

“It’s something he felt [Monday] night,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ 7-6 win against the Rockies on Tuesday. “We don’t know if it’s something that has been there the last, call it, week or whatever but it showed its head last night. So we’re going to address it.”

The move comes after Díaz gave up nine runs and recorded three blown saves in a span of six appearances.

“I know Edwin is — I don’t know if it’s encouraged, but just know that there could be a reason why the stuff is not playing like it has in the past,” Roberts said. “And the neck, obviously, there’s ties with the whole body, the arm, and all that stuff matters. So I’m personally excited to kind of find something that kind of make us understand what’s going on.”

“We’ll know more after seeing Dr. Watkins,” Roberts said, “but given where he’s at, I don’t see a situation where he’d be out for the year.”

Díaz has only made 16 appearances for the Dodgers this season, recording an 11.85 ERA and 6.01 FIP. He spent three months on the IL after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in late April.

After collecting a save in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on July 29 in his first appearance back, Díaz was unable to show command in subsequent outings. He blew saves on consecutive days against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 7-8, and then blew a 4-2 lead last Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers — which proved critical for the Dodgers in losing the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Brewers as the division leaders jostle for playoff seeding.

During the Dodgers’ 11-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night, Díaz pitched the ninth inning and gave up three runs and four hits.

With Díaz no longer an option in save situations, left-hander Tanner Scott is set to slide into that role.

“I just wait for the phone to ring, I don’t care when,” Scott said after a four-out save Tuesday. “You get the adrenaline rush when your name’s called and just go out there and pitch.”

On Tuesday, Roberts turned to Scott to get the final out of the eighth inning, with runners on first and second in a two-run game. He induced left-handed pinch hitter Brett Sullivan to ground out to third.

Back out for the ninth he gave up a one-out double to Jake McCarthy’s and a two-out RBI single to Willi Castro. But the run was of no consequence.

“He’s been great,” Roberts said of Scott’s contributions this year, in multiple roles. “Tanner doesn’t complain. He’s always ready, wants to pitch, wants to help his teammates, his team. And certainly, given how last year went, for him to come back and right the ship, he’s been our most consistent reliever by far. I trust him, and I feel like you can use him in any situation.”

The Dodgers also recalled right-hander Emmet Sheehan on Tuesday as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. Sheehan, optioned to triple A at the trade deadline for a reset, made two starts for Oklahoma City.

“I got the hang of it a little bit last year in the playoffs,” Sheehan said of pitching in relief. “I have the routine that I would have for starting, and that I have for coming out of the bullpen. So comfortable doing either one or whatever they want me to do.”

Ohtani may be ready for next step

Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani appeared to throw two simulated innings in his bullpen session on Tuesday, for a total of about 45-50 pitches.

When Roberts asked how it went, he said Ohtani gave him a thumbs up.

Roberts did not rule out the possibility of Ohtani throwing live batting practice back in Los Angeles as his next step.

“I could see that,” Roberts said.

Serving as the designated hitter Tuesday, Ohtani hit a two-run homer in the third inning. It was his third homer in two games and his 30th of the season. He’s reached the 30 home-run mark in six straight seasons.

“You’ve got to be available, you’ve got to be a high-performer,” Roberts said of the feat. “And Shohei this series is back to being who he is. I like the at-bat quality. I like the swing decisions. And obviously he’s hitting homers out with breaking balls, fastballs, a curveball tonight. When he goes, it certainly adds a lot of energy to our offense.”

ONE of the world’s largest airlines is launching new seats for economy passengers – and they’re a game-changer.

Emirates has revealed ‘U-Dream Headrest’ seats for economy passengers which have headrests that turn into neck pillows.

The seat means you won’t need to bring your own onboard, as the headrest is adjustable in a number of ways.

It will also be padded, as well as able to move up and down and tilt, for different heights.

The design of the headrest means that it will support passengers’ necks and heads, making it easier to fall asleep.

The new seat will be on all of the airline’s A350s as well as most of its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

The first planes to get the new headrest will be the A350s by the end of this year.

The airline also previously ordered 270 new Boeing 777Xs, which will all have the headrest.

And then next year, the airline will install the headrest on its Airbus A380s and existing Boeing 777s.

Sir Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline said: “Emirates never rests on its laurels when it comes to customer experience and we have found a way to significantly improve the comfort for Economy Class passengers, especially those travelling long-haul.

“The U-Dream changes the game if the person wants to sleep – by supporting the neck in full. No more neck pillows needed.

“It’s another innovation that shows our commitment to customers and cements our Economy Class as the best.”

It isn’t the only upgrade set to come to the airline, with suggestions of the world’s first ever private bathrooms onboard.

You’ll have to start saving though, as these will only be for First Class passengers.

PITTSBURGH — Dodgers catcher Will Smith was out of the lineup for a third straight game on Tuesday against the Pirates, the stiffness in his neck still lingering. He’ll probably also be sidelined Wednesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

“Now the [injured list] is more of a possibility,” Roberts said, noting that the minimum for positions players is 10 days. “We’re starting to talk about that.”

Teams can backdate IL moves by up to three days. Smith’s neck issue cropped up Saturday, when he was scratched from the Dodgers’ lineup against the Angels. Though Roberts speculated then that Smith could have slept on it awkwardly, he said the cause of the injury is unclear.

Smith played catch Tuesday, Roberts said, which “went OK,” but Smith’s neck bothers him the most while swinging.

“It’s still a day-to-day situation,” Robers said. “But for me, just talking to him, talking to the trainers, I would like him to go through a full day (of work) before he plays. So that would probably take [Wednesday] off the table. And then we’ll kind of go from there.”

In Smith’s absence, 25-year-old Dalton Rushing has started three straight games behind the plate, including his four-hit performance in the series finale against the Angels, and six of the last nine games.

“This year my whole goal was to make sure, if there’s an opportunity [when] Will needs rest … make sure that I can provide just as much as he does with the bat as well as behind the plate,” Rushing said Saturday. “That’s something I’m obviously continuing to work toward. Whatever he needs, I’ll be here. He knows I’ll catch seven days a week. He knows I’ll catch every game if he can’t go back there.”

If the Dodgers were to put Smith on the IL, it’s unclear who would back up Rushing. After releasing Seby Zavala last week, the Dodgers’ triple-A catchers are Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson, both journeymen with only Robinson having some major-league experience.

Leon says if he had been caught, he had a plan B

A holidaymaker has explained how he saved himself £75 to £100 on a Ryanair flight thanks to a £15 neck pillow. Leon Docwra packed underwear, T-shirts, swimming shorts and even a beach towel into a £15 travel pillow before boarding a Ryanair flight.

The 50-year-old also wore two tracksuits, three pairs of pants and three pairs of socks. Leon, who flies once a month, says the trick helped him avoid paying additional luggage charges after previously being stung.

“We fly frequently and have been charged for having too much stuff in our bags and wanted to find a way to get extra on without paying fees,” said Leon, from Great Yarmouth.

“Neck pillows are allowed and they didn’t check it. If they had, I would have gone to the bathroom and worn everything to avoid paying a £75 fine. I was already wearing two layers of clothes, three pairs of pants and three pairs of socks and it did get hot but it was worth it.”

The scrap metal dealer said he had paid only for hand luggage on the flight from Norwich to Portugal, which cost around £400. Among the items hidden inside were four pairs of boxer shorts, four pairs of socks, four T-shirts, two pairs of swimming shorts and a beach towel.

Leon admitted it wasn’t the first time he had used the money-saving tactic. He said: “I’ll do it every time. Flights are expensive enough without having to pay for extra luggage and fines.

“I fly a lot so I’d spend a fortune on baggage. It’s money we can spend on our holiday.”

Leon shared a video of the stuffed pillow online, where viewers praised the inventive travel hack. He added: “People think it’s great. They said they’re going to start doing it themselves.

“Anything at the moment where you can save money is great to share with others.”

One person said: “I wore two trackies when I travelled last week to avoid the extra cost. Was sweating like a b*tch though.”

Someone else said: “Mate, I’d rather pay the 80 quid than have to iron that lot the other end.” A third person added: “Just like Joey from Friends.”

Another person said: “Can u block the airline lo?l They will start asking to check these items.” Someone else added: “That’s actually good idea. I got charged over £100 on my last trip.”