Flyers with BA, Ryanair and Easyjet could save up to £69 with luggage hack

Holidaymakers could be wasting money on checked in luggage fees instead of investing in perfectly proportioned cabin cases and carry-on bags.

With some airlines charging as much as £69.99 per checked suitcase, sunseekers could be saving money by adopting a “less is more” strategy. Maximising your packing power could be easier than you think, with a wealth of incredible cabin bags designed to circumnavigate the strict free luggage restrictions on Ryanair, Jet2, British Airways, EasyJet and more.

By investing in a well-designed piece of cabin luggage and learning how to pack effectively, you could easily take everything you need for a week away in just one super cute-looking little suitcase. With cleverly crafted cabin cases available from the likes of Antler, Away, Samsonite and more, you could be saving as much as £69 on checked luggage on your next getaway.

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Passengers flying Ryanair, for example, could find their cheap flight costing a lot more than expected with strict cabin rules meaning additional cabin bags could cost as much as £27 per bag, with checked luggage adding £35 if you book in advance.

Poorly organised passengers who don’t book their extra bags in advance could even find themselves stung with on-the-spot fees if their hand luggage needs to be put in the hold on the day of departure.

To help you save money without compromising on those all-important extra inches, we’ve rounded up some of the best airline-friendly cabin bags, cases and accessories that your money can buy.

British Airways

The flag carrier has a generous allowance, which is handy as hold luggage can be expensive during peak flight times. British Airways doesn’t officially publish their baggage prices, but additional hold bags are likely to cost between £45 and £70 depending on your chosen route.

Cabin bags

• One cabin bag measuring no more than 56x40x23cm and one personal item measuring no more than 40x30x15cm. Passengers must be able to lift them into the overhead lockers.

Hold luggage

• British Airways offers different allowances depending on fare:
• Economy Basic – cabin and handbag only
• Economy with checked bag – one 23kg bag
• Premium Economy – two 23kg bags
• Business – two 23kg bags
• First – three 23kg bags

Bags should measure no more than 90x75x43cm.

For more information, visit the British Airways website here.

Five of the best British Airways cabin cases include:

EasyJet

EasyJet has strict rules regarding their free cabin luggage allowance, but there is no reason why you can’t fit your essentials in one of the many cabin bags that you can bring on board for free.

Cabin bags

• One cabin bag measuring no more than 45x36x25 and weighing no more than 15kg.
• Passengers can book an additional large cabin bag measuring no more than 56x45x25. Prices start from £5.99
• EasyJet Plus members and passengers who have booked a FLEXI fare are also entitled to bring a large cabin bag onboard

Hold luggage

• Small hold bag or case weighing up to 15kg – prices start from £6.99
• Medium or large bag or case weighing up to 23kg – prices start from £9.49 or £40 at bag drop desk

Fees vary depending on the route selected, flight and time of booking. Excess luggage fees are charged at £12

For more information visit the easyJet website, here.

Five of the best EasyJet cabin bags include:

Jet2

Jet2 is another airline that offers a fairly generous cabin bag allowance, and with that in mind, there are lots of great cabin cases to choose from.

Cabin bags

• One piece of hand luggage is free of charge, as long as it weighs no more than 10kg and is no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm.
• Passengers can also bring a small, personal item on board.

Hold luggage

• Passengers can usually bring one 22kg hold bag per person included in the cost of their holiday. Additional hold luggage up to £22kg can be purchased at £45 per item, up to a total of three items per person.
• Bags weighing between 22 and 32kg will be charged an excess baggage fee of £12 per kilogram.

For more information, visit the Jet2 website here.

Five of the best Jet2 cabin cases include:

Ryanair

Famous for its incredibly strict rules on cabin luggage, Ryanair passengers are quite restricted on what bags they can take on board for free.

Cabin bags

• All fares include one small personal bag which can be brought on board, such as a handbag or laptop bag (40x20x25cm), which must fit under the seat in front of you.
• Priority and 2 Cabin Bag customers can bring a small personal bag measuring no more than 40x20x25cm, which must fit under the seat in front of you and a 10kg bag measuring no more than 55x40x20cm onboard.

Hold luggage

Excess baggage fees are charged between £19 and £11 per kilo.

For more information, visit the Ryanair website here.

Five of the best Ryanair free cabin bags include:

TUI Airways

TUI passengers can bring one larger size piece of cabin luggage with them as well as a small handbag or laptop bag, this is great news for holidaymakers looking to travel light.

Flight-only cabin bags

• One piece of hand luggage measuring no more than 55x40x20. It must weigh no more than 10kg and be able to be lifted into the overhead locker.
• One small personal item such as a handbag or laptop bag must be able to fit under the seat in front.

Flight-only hold luggage

All checked luggage can be booked via the Flight Extras website. Prices vary depending on size, weight and route.

Package holidays cabin bags

• One piece of hand luggage measuring no more than 55x40x20. It must weigh no more than 10kg and be able to be lifted into the overhead locker.
• One small personal item such as a handbag or laptop bag must be able to fit under the seat in front.

Package holidays hold luggage

• Passengers are entitled to a 15kg luggage allowance on most TUI package holidays. Certain types of holiday come with a bigger allowance of 20kg – this will be clearly shown on the booking if it applies.

Luggage that is heavier than the designated luggage allowance will be charged at:

• Short haul flights: £13 per kilogram.
• Mid-haul flights: £15 per kilogram.
• Long haul flights: £18 per kilogram.

For more information, visit the TUI website here.

Five of the best TUI cabin cases include:

Packing Cubes

To ensure that you can fit as much as you possibly can into your smaller-size cabin case grab yourself some packing cubes. Easy to use, you can pick them up for as little as just £7.99 for a set of eight different-sized cubes, making them an inexpensive essential for savvy travellers.

From everyday packing cubes to the likes of the £50 Chelsea Packing Cubes that are designed to perfectly fit Antler cases, these little bags help you to better organise your belongings to make the most of every last inch of your cabin case, meaning you won’t need to book a bigger suitcase in the hold.