Just like we named our blog… Yaya and I always travel with “Hand Luggage Only”… Although we have broken our rules on a few, exceptional cases! One was when we headed to see the Northern Lights in Iceland and our camera equipment wouldn’t fit in the cabin of the aircraft! The other time was all my fault…
…Coming back from Marrakesh with hand luggage only was an experience I don’t really want to have again! I arrived at the gate a little late for my boarding only to realise that had bought and packed far too many Moroccan souvenirs for the size allowed on the aircraft. Although I do love my Moroccan tea pot and artwork, these purchases caused me lots of unnecessary stress at the gate. My purchases had made me go over my size allowance from the airline.
This led me to, rather unceremoniously, rush out of the boarding queue to try and put on as many clothes as I could to board the plane. not because I was necessarily worried about a penalty fee (which would have been a real negative and a payment I’m sure none of us like to make) but because I actually had no idea if the airline would even let me board at this late point! This is what worried me most!
I must have looked like a panicked mess, but I hastily threw on every pair of trousers and one pair of swimming trunks onto my body… I swear I looked like the Hulk… and not in a flattering six-pack kind of way… I was hot, sweaty, uncomfortable and all I could think of was getting on that plane! It was an uncomfortable experience that I don’t want to ever experience again – and I suppose it was all down to my lack of preparedness! Argh 🙂
I wanted to share a comprehensive little “hand luggage checking tool” that I have since found useful and practical. If only I had checked this before my flight from Marrakesh! It lets you check your hand luggage allowance very quickly before you get to the airport for all the major airlines. Not only does it mention sizes, but also weight and if another little handbag or camera bag is allowed as an addition. It also allows you to compare all airline cabin baggage by policy and sort the order of how they appear. For instance, EasyJet has no weight restrictions for their cabin bag (as long as it fits)… so fill up! Whereas TUI only have a 5kg limit… So pack light! its worth a check before you go ahead and book or travel to the airport!
After my time at the boarding gate, I promised myself to always check the allowance. Hopefully, my misadventure will never happen again! That tea pot has a lot to answer for!!! 🙂
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