Hand luggage for flights comes under restrictions from the airline you’re flying with. Cabin baggage often needs to be under a certain size and weight. Budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair have particularly strict hand luggage allowances.
With hand luggage space coming at such a premium it’s important to only put in the bag what is really needed.
This means that any items that simply take up too much space shouldn’t be included.
Stansted Airport advises thinking about the weather at your destination and not packing chunky items in hand luggage.
“Packing a suitcase effectively is a delicate art that not many of us have managed to master,” said the airport.
“Most people are self-proclaimed over packers; squeezing every possession in without a huge amount of thought to its necessity.
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“The weather should be your primary consideration when packing.
“Always pack according to the forecast during the time of your visit.
“If this involves a lot of thick jumpers, wear your chunkiest items of clothing on the flight in order to save space.”
It’s also important to be careful if you’re travelling with presents, whether you’re going to gift them or have already received them.
“For those planning on transporting gifts, be wary of bringing along delicate or breakable items,” explained Stansted.
“Also, be sure that your gifts conform to baggage rules set down by your chosen airline.
“Avoid wrapping presents before jetting off; otherwise, you run the risk of your handiwork being ripped off as you go through security.”
When travelling over this popular holiday period it’s also key to think about timing.
“There’s nothing worse than having to rush through the airport, all the while praying not to miss your flight,” said Stansted Airport.
“Avoid this unnecessary stress by leaving plenty of time to reach the airport and make your way through security.
“At London Stansted, we recommend checking in a minimum of two hours before the scheduled departure time of your flight, whether it’s long or short haul.
“When planning your journey to the airport itself, factor in possible delays and overcrowding – winter weather conditions can often cause disruption to public transport services.
“Arriving with plenty of time will allow you to calmly peruse the shops and grab a sandwich at the airport before you jet off on your adventure.”
If you’re flying with Ryanair you should be prepared that one seat on board might surprise you.
If one sits in seat 11Aon certain aircraft one will simply find a white plastic wall panel where the window normally is.
Ryanair is keen to point out this positive of the windowless window seat.
“Red-eye warrior? Not a lot of people realise that seat 11A has no window, meaning it’s the perfect seat if you’re planning to catch up on some zzzs during a morning flight,” explains the Ryanair site.
“This seat is also a little life-saver late at night when you’ve spent the day travelling and all you want is a few minutes of shut-eye.”