‘Not everyone can travel light!’
This is what I hear every time I see my Mum packing for a holiday. In her eyes, it is imperative she takes at least 5 pairs of shoes, 3 different bikinis and 2 potential outfits per day, all for a one week trip. The truth is though, anyone can travel light, it just comes down to a bit of savvy packing. If you are one of those people who has a tendency to pack too much and ends up paying oodles for hold baggage, here is why you should consider going hand luggage only on your next trip!
1. It will save you money
In many instances, people just don’t realise how much money they are wasting on hold luggage. Airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet offer some super cheap flights for those on a budget, however, beware of their additional baggage charges. The reason that budget airlines are able to offer such cheap flights is because they make their money through people checking in baggage. Fees often depend on your destination but checked baggage with Easyjet can set you back as much as £29.99* per bag. In some cases, this can be more than the cost of your ticket! Add checked bags into the mix and all of a sudden that cheap flight will cost you much more than expected.
2. You probably get more hand luggage than you thought
I am convinced that half of the reason why people pay extra to have hold bags is because they don’t realise how generous the hand luggage allowance is. On our recent flight to Kiev, Tim and I travelled via British Airways (who believe it or not were actually the cheapest flight provider for our preferred dates) and were able to take 2 decent sized cabin bags each. In my two bags, I was able to take a weeks worth of travel toiletries for both us, as well as my clothes, my MacBook, camera and a monster 800 page Stephen King book. I actually still had some room too! You really can fit in more than you think.
3. You get to skip the airport check-in bit
If you are a wise traveller, you’ve already checked into your flight before you’ve even left the house. This means that if you have no baggage to go in the hold, you can avoid the lengthy bag drop queue altogether. Whilst sadly waiting around is an inevitable side effect of airports, avoiding that baggage queue may just free up enough time to grab a quick McDonalds once you get past security. It suddenly seems worth it, doesn’t it?
4. Avoid the stress of the baggage conveyer belt
Departing a long flight to watch the baggage belt spit out every bag before yours is undoubtedly a stressful situation.Trust me when I say the heart palpitations and panic rising in your throat is something to be avoided if possible. By carrying just hand luggage, you will not only avoid this anxiety but also be able to walk straight through the airport and snag the first metro/taxi/bus that comes along. It’s a lot less cramped on public transport when everyone is cabin baggage only!
5. Everything you decide to take is right there with you, the whole time
Luckily, I am yet to have my luggage lost when travelling by plane. This doesn’t mean I don’t say a mental goodbye every time I see it disappear on the conveyer belt though. A massive advantage of going hand luggage only is that everything is kept on your person or within your eye line at all times. There is no chance of your bags being transferred onto the wrong flight or falling off one of those whizzy truck things. Everything you’ve got will be taking the exact same journey as you are. Overhead lockers are often first come, first served so make sure to get in early to secure a spot or you may end up sacrificing some of that precious leg room for your bag!
*weighing 15kg or less. Fees correct as of Jan 2018.
What are your thoughts on paying for hold luggage?
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