6 ways to avoid paying airline baggage fees

With airline baggage fees reaching a point where you’d expect them to take your first-born as payment, people have gotten creative in taking their stuff on vacation. Instead of giving them little Jimmy or Natalie, here are some hacks to get the most out of your luggage for your nextflight.

6 ways to avoid paying airline baggage fees


1. Roll up your clothes
We all want our clothes to look as nice as possible, but that’s what the iron is for at the hotel. Just roll up your wardrobe when you’re packing. You’ll use less space and give yourself room for other things you want to bring. Heck, pack fewer clothes and wash them at the hotel and you could conceivably get away with a carry-on bag for the trip. 


2. Pick lighter luggage

Pick lighter luggage


People often think to just take less things in their luggage to make the trip lighter, yet not many think about lightening the luggage. Go with a duffle bag instead of a suitcase. These weigh a fair deal less and can be filled up with all the stuff you’d usually take along for the trip. 

3. Weigh your luggage
It can really suck if you pack a carry-on bag that comes in too heavy to go into the cabin with you. Check the airline’s website for size and weight limits for carry-ons. And keep in mind that in the US many “budget” airlines won’t charge you the bag charges that full-fare chains do, while the opposite is true in Europe. Take that into consideration and you can make a better call on whether to carry on or check it in.


4. Go light on the toiletry bag

toiletry bag


This is one that really isn’t as necessary as a must-keep bag for your luggage. It takes up valuable space in your luggage and is full of things you can find for a decent price once you arrive at your destination. Just do a quick run-through to see if you can board the plane without it. Odds are good you don’t need that extra bottle of Axe.

5. Dress in layers
If you’re going to game the system, game it right. There’s nothing about wearing a layer or two of your clothes for the trip onto the plane. Just switch out of them for something more comfortable after you board. What’s a few minutes of discomfort to change when compared to an exorbitant luggage fee? 

6. Wear your luggage
If you like the idea of wearing some layers, then consider this baggage hack level: master. Wearable luggage have become quite popular. They allow you to take almost anything you can imagine onto the plane and still bypass pesky baggage fees. You’re not going to be turning heads on the catwalk with these filled to the brim, but it’s an ingenious way to carry more along for the trip. 


Did we miss a good tip to avoid paying bag charges? Let us know below.