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Excess Baggage? No Problem With TikTok’s Viral ‘Pillow Hack’

Packing hack

After two years of being grounded, many of us have forgotten a lot about travelling — one key element being packing. How many bags can we check-in again? And how many can we bring on as carry-on? With bag limit weights and carry-on specifics varying airline by airline, it was confusing even before the pandemic.

Fortunately, we’ve got a game-changing packing hack to share with you. Posted by TikTok user Anya Lakovlieva (@nolimitua) and viewed by more than 24.8 million so far, it’s a genius way to pack more clothes without having to pay any excess baggage fees for an overweight suitcase.

How? With the help of a pillow, which, she notes, “travels for free”.

In the video, Lakovlieva can be seen stuffing an empty pillow case with clothes and then zipping it shut. She then checks in her suitcase and carries the stuffed pillow case on-board, holding it on her lap, during the flight.

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“Now they know,” commenters on the video wrote again and again. While another noted: “Has no one travelled on an airplane before? This isn’t a hack. They let you take one bag on for free. She doesn’t even need to put it in a pillowcase.”

@nolimitua #travelhack #travelhacks #pillowtransformation #lifehack #travellight #noonesgonnaknow #traveltips #travellife #traveltip ♬ how would they know bad girls club – Chris Gleason

Though Lakovlieva doesn’t show herself carrying a handbag or backpack on the plane, the idea of the hack is that you can bring the pillowcase in addition to a bag.

Naveen Dittakavi, founder and CEO of Next Vacay told Stylist UK that while the hack was clever and worth trying, it was worth keeping in mind that it wouldn’t work on every occasion.

“Most airlines will allow you to bring a travel pillow as part of your attire, but each airline will determine if you can board carrying a standard-sized bed pillow, depending on their luggage regulations,” she said.

“Some airlines may consider a full-sized pillow as one allotted personal item, so if you are planning on using this hack, check with your airline what pillow size is appropriate to avoid unexpected fees.”

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