Ryanair and easyJet passengers should ‘forget’ packing method to avoid extra fees

When it comes to budget airlines like Ryanair and easyJet, the wallet-friendly prices can be enticing, with some flights available for less than £20. However, where there are bargain tickets, additional charges often lurk. This is particularly true for those wishing to travel with more than the permitted free hand luggage item – and for travel with Ryanair, you don’t get much gratis.

With the free baggage allowance of budget airlines seemingly dwindling over time, experts from Which? Travel tested some popular packing hacks. They discovered that those frequently hailed as the best might not necessarily allow you to cram the most items into your small bag. Given that Ryanair’s allowance for its under-seat carry-on and larger paid-for cabin bag is among the smallest of most budget airlines, Which? used bags that complied with the Irish carrier’s restrictions.

“We used two under-seat bags with the dimensions 40x25x25cm: a tiny wheelie case by a brand called Travel Ready and a squishy holdall by Kono that went viral on social media for being the ideal Ryanair-sized carry-on you can fill to the brim without exceeding the strict dimensions,” stated Which?

“And then two pieces of larger carry-on luggage: a hard-shelled suitcase and a rucksack (50x40x20cm), both Cabin Max.”

Although vacuum bags and packing cubes are often endorsed by experts and influencers on social media, Which? remains unconvinced.

“Read manufacturers’ claims, and these are miracle products. Packing cubes will help you ‘pack more in less space’ whilst one brand of vacuum roll bags boasts it will help you fit three times as many clothes into your suitcase,” they said.

“Head to TikTok and you’ll find video after video of users raving about ‘the sorcery’ of compression cubes and how they help them to cram more into their bags.”

Yet when testing the products, the experts discovered that vacuum packaging and cubes actually fitted less than simply folding clothes into bags.

Similarly, they also established that folding accommodated slightly more garments than rolling them. “Our results show you can forget the hype around vacuum packing and compression cubes. Even rolling our clothes didn’t give us an advantage,” stated the Which? experts.

“Instead, we found that folding was best. We fitted 129 garments across all four bags using this technique – that’s 16 more pieces of clothing than vacuum packing.

“The compression cubes social media influencers sometimes promote also failed to impress in our test. They fitted in 11 items fewer than folding, although they were useful for stuffing in lots and lots of socks because there were plenty of gaps left around each cube. But considering we spent over £50 on these cubes, we expected them to work miracles.”

How much free luggage can you take with Ryanair and easyJet?

All Ryanair fares include one small personal bag that can be taken on board, such as a handbag or laptop bag, but this must only measure up to 40 x 20 x 25cm and must fit under the seat in front of you. Anything larger will incur additional charges.

easyJet passengers with a standard flight ticket are allowed a slightly larger under-seat cabin bag per person on board at no extra cost. This can be a maximum size of 45 x 36 x 20cm, including any handles and wheels.

And if you turn up at the airport with a bag that doesn’t fit into the luggage sizer, be prepared to pay significantly more than if you’d pre-booked an extra bag online.

The secret to avoiding these fees?

Check your luggage allowance and pack strategically. “Even exceeding an airline’s allowance by a few centimetres could end up costing you,” cautioned Which?