A thrifty easyJet passenger has revealed the hilarious – and slightly sweaty – way she avoided paying a £70 baggage fee at the airport.
Bee Solman, 31, from Bristol, and her partner Ben, 32, had flown from Bristol Airport to Murcia International Airport, near Torrevieja in Spain, on 20 April.
The couple had forked out £280 for return flights, as well as additional charges for their preferred seats on the plane.
However, when the pair queued at the gate, they were subject to a baggage check – and soon found Ben’s bag did not meet the airline’s carry-on requirements.
As they struggled to stuff the bag into the luggage sizer, they were told by staff they’d have to shell out a further £70 to bring it onboard.
‘We got unlucky because the staff picked us out randomly to check our bags,’ Bee told Luxury Travel Daily.
‘My bag fit in the sizer fine but Ben’s didn’t, even when we tried to squeeze it in. They said we’d have to pay £70 but I wasn’t paying that. Flying gets expensive when the extra bits start racking up.’
With little time and an unwelcome charge looming, Bee, a full-time nanny, came up with a clever plan.
Bee Solman, 31, from Bristol, and her partner Ben, 32, had flown from Bristol Airport to Murcia International Airport, near Torrevieja in Spain , on 20 April
With little time and an unwelcome charge looming, Bee, a full-time nanny, came up with a clever plan to make best use of Ben’s clothing after his baggage exceeded the airline’s requirements
Dashing to the toilet for a quick outfit change, she soon emerged wearing two tops, a denim jacket – and seven pairs of trousers.
Meanwhile, Ben layered up in two pairs of shorts, a T-shirt, three shirts, and even stashed his laptop mouse in his pocket.
Bee claims that staff at the gate found the trick hilarious and let her board the flight on 20 April – though they warned the pair not to try it again.
Bee said: ‘We went back to the gate and they took a photo of us and said we’d go viral.
‘She said it’s fine for now but we’d have to pay next time. When we got on the plane, I took it all off and put it back in the bag. I wore them from the airport to the plane. It was ridiculous. ‘
Once on board, Bee discreetly removed her layers and repacked them into her hand luggage.
Bee joked: ‘One woman said “You look lighter than when you got on.” The trousers were thin so it just looked like I had thick trousers on. I’ll be doing it again if I need to.’
Dashing to the toilet for a quick outfit change, she soon emerged wearing two tops, a denim jacket – and seven pairs of trousers
Though staff at the gate found the hack hilarious and allowed the couple to board their flight with no extra fees, they warned the pair not to try it again
EasyJet has been approached for comment.
It comes as a new travel hack for those looking to avoid splashing out on cabin baggage fees when flying is going viral online – and all that’s needed is a common travel accessory.
In a video on TikTok, Nina Edwine (@nina_edwine) shared her ingenious trick to stuff an empty neck pillow with items that would otherwise force her to pay for additional baggage.
And despite the small size of the travel pillow, Nina was able to pack in 10 items of clothing, including a bra, tops and a dress.
