Several budget airlines have strict rules around the weight of your carry-on baggage, with many only allowing you to carry a bag weighing up to 7kg.
Passengers are typically allowed to bring travel pillows in addition to their personal items if they intend on wearing them around their necks, but the rules vary depending on the airline and pillow size.
Read: Kiwi fashion designer gets creative to avoid baggage charges
In a clever video Chelsea Dickenson, who goes by ‘cheapholidayexpert’ on TikTok, shows off the perfect sneaky tip for serial over packers. In it, she shows how she removes the memory foam insert from a travel neck pillow before stuffing it full of clothes to free up more room and lower the weight of her carry-on luggage.
The pillow was filled with all her underwear, leggings, a knitted beanie and a T-shirt.
“So, I’ve stuffed my neck pillow full of my [clothes] so I don’t have to pay for extra luggage,” Ms Dickenson said.
“Look how chock-a-full that is, I tightened it up, we are good to go.”
“Make sure to get a pillow with a zipper for easy stuffing,” she advises.
Ms Dickenson, who was travelling from London to Vienna, shared part two of the video where she confirmed that it worked. She filmed herself walking onto the plane, giving a big thumbs up as she managed to sneak her extra clothes onto the flight.
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Her video has been viewed more than 1.5 million times, with many saying they couldn’t wait to give it a go.
“This is so smart,” commented one viewer.
“Yes, I will try this [so] I’m not paying unnecessarily for more luggage,” said another.
Another recommended their own variation on the travel hack: “You can use a regular pillow that you use on your bed too. Been doing this for years, never had an issue!”
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