Squeeze in the 'smalls'! 22% of travellers now only take hand luggage, even for a two week break... but they still risk heavy fines
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One more reason to achieve that elusive 'capsule wardrobe'?
More and more people are attempting to fit everything they need for a holiday into a bag that they can take on the plane with them.
More than one in five holidaymakers heading abroad for a two week holiday now take only hand luggage rather than checking in a suitcase, according to new a new survey.
Stuff it in! More people are taking only one item of hand luggage on holiday abroad
But the research into additional baggage costs experienced by nearly 3,000 Britons from around the UK showed that one third of holidaymakers end up getting charged as a result of their hand luggage being too big or heavy.
Even on two week breaks, one fifth will now only fly with hand luggage, believing it saves them money.
'Many holidaymakers are choosing to fly with just hand luggage to save on costs, however airlines are cottoning onto this and some have begun to introduce fares where you pay for your hand luggage separately to your seat,' says Adam Ewart, founder of SendmyBag.com, who carried out the research.
Weigh it first! Ryanair charges an eye-watering £50 for luggage that's too heavy
'The illusion is that they're breaking down fares so that passengers only pay for what they need, when in fact it's really an extra charge.
Currenlty Frontier Airlines in the US charge passengers to bring larger suitcases into the cabin, and Wizz Air travellers have since 2012 been allowed to bring free a small cabin bag (up to 42x32x25cm) or pay a £9 online fee to bring a large cabin bag (up to 56x45x25cm) on board.
'It won't be long until the majority of airlines begin rolling this out, so even those holidaymakers who consider themselves to be experts at squeezing a week's worth of clothes into a small holdall won't be safe from fees for long,' said Ewart.
The research showed the different sizes and weights allowed for hand baggage - and revealed that if you want to bring a set of weights to exercise while you're abroad, it pays to fly with British Airways: the airline allows an incredible 23kg of hand luggage - more than many airlines will allow in the hold.
www.SendmyBag.com conducted the poll as part of ongoing research questioning travellers who had been abroad in the past 12 months.
Of the people taking part in the poll, 22 per cent admitted that they had only taken hand luggage with them on their holiday, as opposed to a checked suitcase.
Top 5 reasons to take hand baggage
1.Costs too much to take a suitcase/want to save money 67%
2. Able to just about squeeze everything into hand luggage 41%
3. Didn't have enough to pack to warrant a checked suitcase 32%
4. Most belongings in a co-travellers suitcase, so only needed hand luggage 16%
5. Didn't want to take a big/heavy suitcase so travelled light 6%
And 34 per cent had been charged extra because their hand luggage had exceeded limitations.
The average cost of penalties is around £26, but Ryan Air charges the heaviest fine, with an eye-watering £50 extra for passengers who go over the allowance of 10kg of hand baggage.
The company's infographic shows that passengers can be charged anywhere between £10 to £50 for exceeding hand luggage weight and size limits.
Sendmbag points out that services such as its own door to door delivery of luggage can work out cheaper than the traditional airline shipping charges.
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