Budget airlines are wonderful, aren’t they? They mean we can travel all over the world for a comparatively low cost. However, the biggest complaint about them is that they don’t provide the same comforts as other airlines – no meals, no blankets, no entertainment and certainly no freebies! Another big complaint is that their luggage allowance isn’t very generous compared to airlines like British Airlines. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fly on them to get where you want to go! Here are some handy tips and tricks to help you make the most of your low cost flight.
You might not look stylish, but wearing a jacket and a pair of trousers with lots and lots of pockets in them will really come in handy, if you’re not used to travelling light. Cargo pants and fishing jackets are perfect for this purpose! As long as you follow the legal guidelines about what you can and can’t take on the plane with you, then keeping extra items in these pockets is a huge plus. If you can, put the heavier things in there, so you have more room in your hand baggage for other things. They might be a pain to take out at security, but there’s nothing to actually stop you from getting more for your money this way.
Bum bags and/or fanny packs (depending on whether you’re in Britain or America) are also really useful. If they’re small, you can keep essentials like your passport and wallet tucked away in there, and then hide them under your clothes so both the airline and potential thieves can’t see what you’re carrying. The wonderful thing about living in Britain is you can turn up to the airport in a coat or a jacket at any time of the year, enabling you to disguise extra items you’re smuggling onto the plane. This style of bag helps you to keep a better eye on your belongings when you’re abroad, too.
Most low cost airlines don’t have a free meal included, unlike more upmarket carriers. However, seeing as plane food is almost universally complained about (it’s not exactly a gourmet restaurant meal), why not pack your own food? You can take pretty much anything on the plane – sandwiches, pasta, pies, chocolate, even the KFC you bought at the airport – although this might stink up the plane and everybody will hate you. Bring your own food, but be considerate to others around you.
You can easily maximise your hand baggage allowance. Although some low cost airlines go to the extreme and weigh your hand baggage, others say that as long as it will fit into the overhead lockers, it’ll be fine. They usually have a basket about the same size as the space you’ll get, so can measure it there. Even the lowest of the low lets you take a handbag as well as a rucksack or mini case, so chuck both your important stuff and your heaviest portable items in there, and you’ll be able to use more of your main hand baggage allowance.
If you follow these tips closely, and you’re a light traveller anyways, you may not even need to take a suitcase! This will save you a fair amount of money, making budget travel even more feasible.
Image from: http://thestudyabroadblog.com/a-lesson-in-flying-europes-low-cost-carriers/
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