A flight attendant has shared a “genius” hack to carry an extra bag onboard flights for free.
Many airlines, including Ryanair, have strict luggage policies in place that only allow passengers to take one small bag that fits under the seat onboard for free.
However, flight attendant Miguel Munoz, who has been an air steward for over 10 years, has shared his top tip for bringing an extra free bag onto the plane, promising that “the crew won’t realise”.
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He dubs the trick the ‘duty-free hack’ and says that not many passengers are aware of it.
Miguel told The Express "duty-free bags don't count as carry-on baggage”. He explained: "If you have something that doesn't fit in your suitcase or you want to bring an extra bag onboard, here's the trick.
"All you have to do is carry a duty-free bag. Or ask for one at the duty-free shop and you place whatever you want in the shopping bag."
The experienced cabin crew member added that "there is obviously limited space, but at least you are bringing an extra bag to the cabin with you".
He added that this trick can also be used if the checked-in baggage is too heavy and the airline wants to charge for the extra weight. Travellers can simply remove some of the items and take them onboard in a duty-free bag.
"Now you know. If you ever find yourself in that situation, just put whatever you need in a duty-free bag. You are welcome,” he said.
Miguel said he does this every time he goes on holiday, explaining: "I know the trick because I always do this when I fly as a passenger.
"And when I see people coming onboard with a duty-free bag that looks very full I always assume they are using it for this purpose as it obviously doesn't contain just one perfume or bottle of wine.
“But a lot of crew don't know this and most won't realise. If you come onboard with one piece of luggage, which you are allowed to, and a duty-free bag with some of your belongings, no one will say anything.”
This trick can be used on Ryanair, as a post on its website reads: “Duty-free bags are also permitted in the cabin along with your cabin baggage.”
However, over-packing a duty-free bag could result in having to pay an extra fee, as the airline previously said: “Each airline and its regulatory/safety authority (in Ryanair’s case the Irish Aviation Authority) is required under EU law to control cabin baggage for safety and security reasons.”
The Irish Mirror has contacted Ryanair for clarification and will update this article with any response.
The attendant also shared an additional sneaky TikTok hack for avoiding extra baggage charges.
"This is one I keep seeing on TikTok and it consists of placing the additional clothes inside a pillowcase and carrying that with you on the plane. It's genius. As a crew, I would never suspect anything," he explained.
However, Miguel said he wouldn't do it as he thinks "it's easier to carry a duty-free bag than a pillowcase around the airport".
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