When it comes to taking a holiday we’re all looking for a good deal. Flying with a budget airline may seem like the cheaper option but if you’re not careful you could end paying up to £240 extra in fees for a family of four. That’s money that you could be putting towards a hotel upgrade, a day trip for the family or brand new summer wardrobes.
Fashion retailer Matalan have worked with travel blogger and expert packer, Brooke Saward to create tips to help modern families holiday smarter. Most budget airlines only include hand luggage in their deals and if you need to take hold luggage you will have to pay extra; changing the way you pack could save you time and energy as well as avoiding any surprise fees at the airport.
A lot of people feel like they can’t fit everything they need for a holiday into hand luggage and ultimately end up paying the extra fees for those precious extra kilograms, however these costs can soon add up. With Ryanair for example you could be charged up to £60 per bag and an additional £10 for every extra kilogram.
Brooke Saward is a traveller and blogger who regularly lives out of her suitcase and has created these handy tips to show you how to make the most of your free allowance and all of the space in your carry on:
- Rolling up your clothes will mean that not only are they taking up a lot less space but they will also be wrinkle free when you get to your destination. Make sure that you wear your heaviest items, such as jeans and trainers and keep all of the lighter items for your case.
- Brooke suggests: ‘Pack things in your shoes, it may seem an obvious one but it will soon save you oodles of space. Whether it’s delicate items you wish to protect or simply placing socks and underwear inside a shoe, this little trick is bound to save space by the end of your packing.’
- ‘It’s easy to get carried away when planning your travels and leaving packing to the last minute but plan in advance and you’ll thank yourself later. Ask yourself: What will the weather be like? (only a quick google search away) and how long will my items last me (1, 2, 3 weeks) until I need to do my laundry? What do I need and what am I taking ‘just incase’? It’s better to leave behind anything you don’t think you will use and in the worst case scenario, buy that item at your destination. It’s better to have space in your luggage than to over pack – no one wants to pay excess baggage fees!’
Last year the Civil Aviation Authority received 705 complaints relating to baggage, taxes, fees and charges so it is clear that a lot of people are being caught out by some budget deals. Hand luggage not only has a weight limit (generally 10kg) but it also needs to fit specific dimensions and this can be different depending on the airline. This is where a lot of travellers can come unstuck, as if your case is too tall or wide this may be considered hold luggage and would mean that you’d need to pay an extra charge. Use Matalan’s guide to do your research before you go and make sure you know what size the airline allows to avoid any sneaky charges.
Lucy Coburn, Online Trading Manager for homeware at Matalan said: ‘We’re always looking for ways to save our customers money and as we stock an extensive luggage range including the World's Lightest® cabin case and hand luggage that is Easyjet approved it makes sense for us to show customers both the best type of case for their journey and also how to utilise it.’