Hand luggage only discussion

PolishBigSpender

GenevaDiva wrote: »

At Gatwick the other day my friend and I were charged £16 each by Easyjet to check a bag when asked to check the size in the rack. The attendant said everyone had had their bags checked for size which was a complete lie and plenty of ppl were being allowed to board with much bigger bags and more than one. I don't mind the rule as long as it's applied to everyone. I was incensed. It seems very hit and miss. My bag was perfectly fine on the outward journey from Geneva but suddenly too big going back. There was less in it too! Other airports had no problem with it either and always with easyjet.

If your bags were too big to fit within the hand luggage allowance, then you cannot complain. The fact that you got chosen is neither here nor there - you didn't comply with the rules and thus had to pay extra.

stoneman

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

But not for shoes?

The little pink one is the shoe case. 10 pairs of size 2.5 for a 7 night stay, as she says "you never know";)

Nyclon

Both of these look interesting - I have had good luck with Debenhams own label Tripp bags before

£39 - Black superlite cabin suitcase - 54x37x18.5 - 2.7kg - 26 litres

£36 - Navy vacation cabin upright - 53x36x19 - 3.3kg - 24 litres (also in Mink)

(as a newbie I can't post links but you can go to debenhams-DOT-com and search for the above item names)

NJW69

I've just bought the Tripp Superlite trolley case and it's exactly Ryanairs dimensions 55, 40 x 20cms. Very light and quite nice looking. Bought from Boundary Mill for £35 (10% off in the sale as well).

Bobzilla_2

I just thought i should share some things with you all, which I hope will really help.

As seasoned travelers my wife and I have been all over the world on just about every major and several minor airlines. And, in my time I've developed a few methods that maximises just how much weight you can get on an aircraft without the extra costs...

It started a few years ago on our annual Halloween trip to Florida. Anybody that has ever been to Florida will tell you that the shopping out there is fantastic, very cheap and that it is sometimes difficult to restrain yourself for the reasons of airline baggage allowance. It's for these reason (plus a rather unpleasant check in clerk at sanford airport) that caused me to come up with these techniques. Read through them and enjoy. By all means use some or all of them I just came back flying on Thomas cook's premium service from Florida... I had 30kg checked baggage and 5kg hand baggage. In total I brought back almost 80kg of stuff using these methods...

1. Buy yourself a fishing scale. The spring loaded weigh scales fisherman use to weigh their catch. They cost a few pounds at most and allow you to weigh your luggage while packing. This will allow you take your weight right up to the wire. For a few quid more you can get digital ones, these are even more accurate. Airline staff usually round down so if you weigh 20.4kg you can get the extra .4kg for free... it sounds small but as you'll see, it soon add's up!!

2. weigh an empty suitcase... you'll be shocked! if you have a 20kg luggage allowance, the chances are a quarter of it is swallowed up by the case itself. If you intend on shopping while away, get yourself a large canvas duffle bag. I got one in the states for about £4. Use it to bring back clothing (or anything else that isnt breakable). By doing this you can save yourself another 4 or 5kg in suitcase weight. Plus, if you have a digital weighing scale (as mentioned above in point 1) you can spread your weight over 2 bags and again, if rounded down you can check another half kilo or so, meaning you can check in 21kg without the extra charge.

You with me so far? that's 6kg we've saved, moving on...

3. The one bag rule doent account for what you can carry or put into a pocket. This is where it really starts to add up. An average coat will weigh 3kg, dont pack it, carry it over your arm. Plus all the stuff you wanna take on board that can fit into a pocket i'e a book, a sony psp, mp3 player, camera, painkillers, phone, games, batteries, sweets, video camera,... again, put them into your pockets, not in the bag, this free's up more space in your hand baggage for clothes and things. I bought a jacket back through sanford and, fully loaded up, it weighed 7.8kg. But, over my arm, it didnt apply to my one bag rule.

14kg and counting...

4. Fluids, gels, waxes, creams etc... While you can pack them... Dont! Carry them through in a plastic 20x20 bag. I found with glass aftershave bottles, these bags can weigh almost a kilo. That's a kilo of your luggage allowance wasted as you just carry it through! Use that extra kilo in your hold luggage for something useful! There's another 1kg saved!

that's 15kg...

5. Wear layers... This method is strictly for people with no shame!! This started a few years ago when I had a flight back from Florida with Monarch. I was bang on the nose with my luggage (cos I had fishing scales) however the lady at check in seemed to think that I was only allowed 5kg of hand luggage, not 10kg - I told her to look on Monarch's web page where it clearly stated 10kg (which it did) however she refused to accept that and wouldnt let me take it on. Despite my protests, she refused point blank and said I would have to transfer it across to my hold bagagge and pay the extra 5kg excess baggage or throw it away. I decided to prove a point. And, with a queue forming behind my I politely asked what if I wore it? Her face was priceless, but completely deadpan she said What you wear is up to you sir. So I opened up the suitcase and stood there at the check in desk putting on layer after layer of jeans, clothes, and a coat. I reweighed my luggage and was still slightly over, so I continued and ended up looking ridiculous, wearing about 6 tshirts, shorts, jeans, coats etc.... but I weighed my hand luggage and I was spot on, i asked her if this was acceptable to which she said yes, and I then stood in front of her and took it all off again, and put it back in the same case and walked off. It was priceless. I now employ this policy whenever I check in, however not to this extent. I will wear my heaviest shoes, 2 pairs of jeans and a t shirt or 2, which all come straight off after I've checked in. This can save anything up to 10kg in additional weight. My advice is pack a large carrier bag in your hand luggage to put it all into once you've checked in.

25kgs extra and the best is yet to come...

6. This is the real kicker... The ol switch-a-roo

I wanna point out that this method is only for those with the guts to pull it off and the money to pay the excess baggage if you get caught. Otherwise dont do it! In addition it can only be done at the end of the holiday and you need to have had a hire car!

Upon arriving back at the airport for your departure home, you do not return your hire car but instead park the car up in the airport short stay car park. Head across to departures and check in. Once your hold baggage is checked in, it's common that your hand luggage is weighed as well. You need your hand luggage to weigh under the specified allowance (remember fill your pockets with mp3 players and sweets etc, it saves room for clothes and such in your hand baggage). Once you get the all clear you leave the check in terminal and head back to the hire car in the car park. In the boot of your hire car will be lots and lots of extra heavy clothing such as jeans etc. You pack these into your hand luggage case. Drop the car off, head back into the terminal, but because your already checked in, your hand luggage is already weighed, and so therefore you stroll straight to security with an extremely overweight case. As nobody but yourself handles your case, nobody is going to know what you've done, your baggage was weighed and it was fine, so nobody is going to care. My record for this was 26kg in a hand luggage case. This had several pairs of jeans, a heavyweight jacket, a pair of steel toed boots etc etc... So I got an extra 21kg on board. Add that to the 25kg you've already got and you've gotten away with over 46kgs of extra weight. Be warned I have sometimes done this and found that there are people at the gate weighing random luggage. If I'd been selected I'd have faced a whacking great bill. at £10/kg I would've faced a £200+ bill. So be warned, dont try it unless you are prepared to deal with getting caught out. But still, a few simple steps and you can save upwards of nearly 50kg...

50kg extra for free! think about that!

Admittidley some of these methods are extreme and I wouldnt recommend them unless necessary however, some things like buying a lighter suitcase or duffle bag or carrying things in your pockets are of no issue at all and can make a big difference. But the best advice of all, is this, know the rules, know the weights, sizes and allowances and make sure that when you walk up to the check in desk your within them. Avoid the charges and play their game, then do what you can to get a little extra back.

I hope this helps people out!!

mystic_trev

Bobzilla wrote: »

50kg extra for free! think about that!

I think i'd need a hernia operation if I followed ALL that advice!:rotfl:

I'm sure many will find your posting very useful - thanks - and welcome to MSE!

grubby23

I looked into the recommended pieces of luggage in this thread, but none of them was really what I was looking for. Could anyone recommend me one that comes as close as possible to Ryanairs dimension 55x40x20 and is a hard shell trolley?

Ideally, it even has 4-wheels

Thanks

zzzLazyDaisy

Just thought I'd share my experience of flying with pockets!

I bought a fly fishing waistcoat off e-bay (mine is denim, but most are beige, if that matters). It has loads of pockets inside and outside. I was able to carry my passport, money, airline tickets, mobile phone, and a book and glasses for the plane, and still had pockets to spare!

This meant I didn't need a handbag for the flight (I took a fabric one for use while on holiday which packed flat, took up virtually no room in my case, and weighed hardly anything).

My last flight was with a charter airline, so there wasn't the same pressure, but actually I found the waistcoat really useful as it meant I had my hands free. I wouldn't travel without it now, but I might look for a size bigger as I hadn't allowed for the extra room needed for full pockets.

Hope this helps someone

Boshambo

Not sure if anyone has come across this before but would like some advice on what to do next! I flew from prestwick to dublin on the 30th October. Was made put my hand luggage in the metal frame thing to measure. I had no problem with this as I specifically bought this case to the maximum size guidlelines so I knew they would check. It fit and ryanair staff said thats fine. Coming back last night from Dublin airport the same thing happened again about measuring which again I was fine with. However this time they said my bag was too big and I had to pay €35 to check it in????
Yes people thats correct my bag 'magically' grew in Ireland. I actually had less in it too as I had given my sister a pair of shoes and a handbag I brought over.
Anyway I asked them to explain how it 'grew' in size and they just kept saying it was over. The top of the bag was in line with the top horizontal metal bar of the metal frame measuring thing.I asked could I speak to a manager and was told no! I had three of them surrounding me demanding money trying to take my bag off me. I confirmed that their metal frame thing was standard size in all the airports they flew from and yes it was. I eventually had to pay but when I asked for their names so I could refer to them in a complaint they refused to give me it. I am still raging.:mad::mad::mad:
Any advise? Also a word of warning to others as this now feels like they make it up as they go along. I think too that it depends in some airports if they take the wheels and feet into consideration. It was only when I was on the plane that I thought i should've broken the feet off.

jamesbrownontheroad

Bobzilla wrote: »

Upon arriving back at the airport for your departure home, you do not return your hire car but instead park the car up in the airport short stay car park. Head across to departures and check in. Once your hold baggage is checked in, it's common that your hand luggage is weighed as well. You need your hand luggage to weigh under the specified allowance (remember fill your pockets with mp3 players and sweets etc, it saves room for clothes and such in your hand baggage). Once you get the all clear you leave the check in terminal and head back to the hire car in the car park. In the boot of your hire car will be lots and lots of extra heavy clothing such as jeans etc. You pack these into your hand luggage case. Drop the car off, head back into the terminal, but because your already checked in, your hand luggage is already weighed, and so therefore you stroll straight to security with an extremely overweight case. As nobody but yourself handles your case, nobody is going to know what you've done, your baggage was weighed and it was fine, so nobody is going to care. My record for this was 26kg in a hand luggage case. This had several pairs of jeans, a heavyweight jacket, a pair of steel toed boots etc etc... So I got an extra 21kg on board. Add that to the 25kg you've already got and you've gotten away with over 46kgs of extra weight. Be warned I have sometimes done this and found that there are people at the gate weighing random luggage. If I'd been selected I'd have faced a whacking great bill. at £10/kg I would've faced a £200+ bill. So be warned, dont try it unless you are prepared to deal with getting caught out. But still, a few simple steps and you can save upwards of nearly 50kg...

50kg extra for free! think about that!

Beware. I fly regularly out of Prestwick (PIK) and random spot-checks are often carried out by staff using scales at the exit to the gates. If you're caught here with outsize or heavy luggage they're happy to take your money (plastic also accepted) to load it in the hold.

Many Ryanair airports receive incentives to do this, so whether one airport checks and another doesn't may well be down to how desperate the airport operators are for cash. With Ryanair operating 99% of the scheduled flights out of Prestwick, I know they are pretty desperate there !