Viral TikTok hack lets passengers avoid paying Ryanair’s hand luggage fees

Ryanair passengers have been swearing by a TikTok travel hack which allows people to get onboard the budget airlines’ flights without having to fork out extra this summer

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Girl explains how she got around Ryanair luggage restriction

A TikTok travel hack shows passengers how to keep their bargain Ryanair flights as cheap as possible – by avoiding the airline’s hand luggage fees.

Like most budget airlines, Ryanair allows passengers to bring one small personal item onboard for free (such as a laptop bag or handbag), but if you want extra you’ll need to pay for a second bag or priority boarding.

Savvy travellers are always finding new ways to beat the rules, with clever packing tricks – and sharing their findings with others on social media.

But do the hacks actually work?

Katie Williams has tried out a viral travel hack which people have been swearing by, Glasgow Live reports, which involves using toiletry bags to pack your clothes.

Katie writes: “For full transparency, I was away for a week and stayed with family which means I already had access to a washing machine, pyjamas and shower products.

“My return flight to Ireland West Airport came to a total of £34, including seats (around £6 each) and fast track security (about 5.99) at the airport. So my actual flight tickets were only £17 return.

“If I were to add another hand luggage, it would have cost me between £14 and £20 – and I certainly didn’t want to spend more on my luggage than my actual flights.

“So sticking with my trusty rucksack that fits Ryanair’s hand luggage allowance (40x20x25cm), I made sure I could fit in everything I need to keep the costs low.

“On the day of booking my flight, I went onto Amazon and found the small clear bags that the woman used in her video.

“Of course there are plenty of different types from different companies. You can see a selection if you simply google ‘Packing cubes’.

“These are the ones I bought here. The clear toiletry bags came in three sizes as a pack for £8.99.

“I knew I would be taking my book, my laptop, makeup and clothes, and I often find clothes can somehow take up more space that I planned.

“This is where the hack comes in. Taking the biggest clear bag, that’s around nine inches, I tightly rolled three tops and a pair of jeans and placed them in the bag. The tops side by side and the jeans on top.

“And the bag zipped, keeping them compact and with ease I could slide the cube into my rucksack.

“Socks and underwear easily went into the mid-size clear bag and as I used the airport’s little plastic bag for liquids and makeup, I found I didn’t need to use the smallest toiletry bag.

“Like a game of Tetris, I place each packing cube into my rucksack, one along the bag, another in the side, my laptop slid in like normal, and the bag of liquids and makeup was placed on top for ease to take out at security.

“With no issues at security, it wasn’t long until I was on my £8 flight to Ireland – and that’s when I decided that I will never pay for extra luggage again.”