There's a particular thrill in bagging a bargain flight to Europe. A long weekend in Seville for £29? A spontaneous escape to Rome that’s cheaper than a meal in a restaurant? It feels almost too good to be true.
And often it is. Because as you book, it soon becomes apparent that bringing a bag larger than a postage stamp on board will incur additional (hefty) charges. Suddenly, that bargain break isn’t quite so cheap.
Ryanair now permits one free tiny 40 x 30 x 20cm bag that must fit under the seat while easyJet allows a marginally larger 45 x 36 x 20cm bag as hand luggage.
Even for a weekend trip away, bags this compact make it feel near impossible to pack enough clothes to dress stylishly and avoid additional check-in charges.
The solution could be ‘Sudoku Packing’. This wardrobe-whittling method, which has exploded on TikTok and Instagram, claims to solve the conundrum of limited case space by restricting contents to just nine carefully selected items.
