AIRLINES are getting stricter on carry-on baggage rules, and some people are even calling for them to be scrapped.
Trying to fit all your luggage into a tiny suitcase the size of a carry-on can be a real nightmare, especially when you’re going away for an extended period of time.
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Trying to fit your luggage into a carry-on can be a nightmare Credit: Getty
However, most travelers prefer the convenience of having their bag with them on the plane, which means they’re ready to go straight through the airport once they land.
What’s more, it costs passengers more money to check in their bags, so only flying with hand luggage makes things a little cheaper.
There is also a risk that your luggage may go missing during check-in.
However, traveling with only carry-on luggage has its problems – especially as airlines become more diligent about size checks.
Read more about hand luggage
Passengers now often have to check that their bags will fit in the baggage check box before they are allowed to board the plane with them.
Anyone whose bags are too big will then be charged to add them to the hold – sometimes a small fortune.
Steps are being taken to reduce the amount of clutter on planes.
According to the Atlantic, planes were not designed to carry as much as they do now with passengers carrying “more and larger items than the plane can hold.”
This has even led some experts to call for overhead bins and carry-on bags to be removed – with the aim of having carry-on-free flights in the future.
David Young, a designer who worked on cabin features for Teague for 20 years, told the publication that something had to change.
A traveler discovers the perfect carry-on bag to avoid baggage fees
The company worked on designing cabins without any overhead lockers, coming up with different ideas about where luggage could be stored.
He said: “I’d say we’re at a tipping point. We’ve hit as hard as we can.
»Maybe we don’t need hand luggage at all. Someone has to come out and say, ‘We’re not going to do this anymore. This is not the right air travel experience.’”
Hand Baggage Rules for UK Airlines
We’ve rounded up how much hand luggage you can take on UK airlines when you book their most basic fare.
Ryanair
One personal bag measuring no more than 40 cm x 20 cm x 25 cm
EasyJet
One personal bag no larger than 45 cm x 36 cm x 20 cm
Jet2
One personal item that fits under the front seat and one cabin bag no larger than 56 cm x 45 cm x 25 cm weighing up to 10 kg
TUI
One personal item located under the front seat and one cabin bag not larger than 55 cm x 40 cm x 20 cm weighing up to 10 kg
British Airways
One personal bag no larger than 40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm and one hand bag no larger than 56 cm x 45 cm 25 cm weighing up to 23 kg
Virgin Atlantic
One personal item that fits under the front seat and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg
Instead of the current system, David suggests that the bags be delivered earlier or that they be brought onto the plane with them and personally lowered into the hold through the cabin floor.
In an attempt to get around the strict hand luggage rules, people have shared clever hacks on Tiktok to fit more luggage.
Some of these include stuffing pillowcases or neck pillows with extra clothes or hiding smaller bags with extra items under large coats.
However, there are airlines that encourage their staff to find people trying to bring extra luggage onto the plane.
A spokesperson for US airline Frontier told The Independent last year that the carrier paid bonuses to flight staff for every bag they charge extra.
They said the fee was “simply an incentive for our customer service agents at the airport to help ensure compliance with our policies and that all customers are treated equally”.
Meanwhile, this Ryanair passenger took drastic action when told his suitcase was too big.
And here are some of the best bags that won’t break the bank and fit your carry-on requirements.
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Some experts are calling for overhead tanks to be phased out entirely Credit: Alamy
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