[video] Travel hack: How to pack over 40kg of luggage with you on no-frills airlines
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Archive note: This video records what I did on one trip in 2010. It is not current packing advice. Airline allowances and security procedures change, and extra items worn or carried on your body may still be subject to an airline's rules. Check your airline's current allowance, declare your luggage honestly and follow airport staff instructions. If you need more capacity, buy the appropriate allowance or repack.
The original video below shows airport footage from a trip on which I carried 40 kg:
Ah, no-frills airlines. How we both love and hate you at the same time!
Budget airlines can be good value, but the headline fare is only one part of the cost. Compare the price after adding the baggage allowance, seat or airport options you actually need.
At the time, I had no permanent base and moved my entire 40 kg “house” every few months. Paying for that luggage on European flights felt expensive, which is why I looked for a workaround.
I thought I had found a loophole. Looking back, getting through the airport did not prove that my interpretation of the rules was correct, safe or repeatable.
A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away with a native speaker for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.
What the rules said on that 2010 trip
On the trip in the video, my Ryanair booking allowed a 10 kg cabin bag and a 15 kg checked bag, for which I paid €15. Those were the terms and price on that booking, not today's policy. Ryanair's current bag policy lists different size and weight options, and other airlines set their own rules.
I put the remaining 15 kg in my clothing rather than either bag. At the time, I took that to mean it fell outside the allowance. Passengers should not rely on that assumption: an airline may weigh or restrict extra items, and staff have the final say at check-in and boarding.
An earlier video about filling my pockets had received a lot of views, so I went further with a modified jacket. I am leaving the videos here as a record of how I travelled then, not as instructions to copy.
Why I no longer recommend the jacket trick
I had cut open the lining of a double-layered jacket and filled it with belongings, even in 42°C weather. The video shows the result. Carrying 15 kg this way was awkward, obscured how much I was bringing and depended on the jacket holding together. I do not recommend modifying clothing or hiding luggage to get around an allowance.
Anything brought into the cabin still has to pass screening and be dealt with safely. EASA's air-operations rules require cabin baggage to be adequately and securely stowed so it cannot cause injury, obstruct an aisle or block an exit.
Airport security did screen the jacket separately, but passing one screening does not establish what another airport or airline will allow. EU security rules cover prohibited articles and liquids, and airline baggage rules are a separate check. Follow both rather than assuming that an item is permitted simply because it contains no liquid or weapon.
After the checks, I put the jacket in a separate plastic bag or overhead locker. That added another loose item and undermined my claim that it was merely clothing worn on my body.
I also wore a large towel under the jacket like a cape. It made a funny visual in the video, but concealing an extra item is not a sound packing plan.
A reusable empty bottle can still be useful where the airport permits it and has a refill point. Check the departure airport's rules. Under the current EU security rules, liquids in cabin baggage generally need to be in containers no larger than 100 ml inside one transparent 1 litre bag, subject to stated exemptions.
Be kind, but follow the rules
Courtesy to airport workers matters, but it does not create an exception to a baggage or security rule. The fact that I had used versions of this method before without being charged did not make it an entitlement.
In Paris, a security officer commented on how much the jacket held and on my large laptop. We ended up talking about Ubuntu while she continued working. I treated that conversation as proof that charm had solved the issue, but distracting a security officer is not a tactic anyone should try to reproduce.
Arriving early and treating staff with respect are still good ideas. Expecting leeway for luggage that is several kilograms over the allowance is not. If staff ask you to repack, check an item or pay a fee, follow their instructions.
The reliable way to avoid a surprise charge is to read the current policy for the exact airline and fare, measure and weigh your bags before leaving, and pay for the capacity you need. Kindness makes travel better; it is not a loophole.
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