Easyjet and teddys as hand luggage

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Firstly, thanks in advance to anyone that can help on this one.

We are off to Spain on Saturday with queasyjet. We are taking hand luggage only (we're staying with family so don't need too much). Everyone will have a small case. There will be 4 of us - 2 children 7 & 9.

DD was recently 7. One of her favourite pressies was a unicorn soft toy that opens out into a cushion/pillow. I forget what it's called right now.

She want to take it with her. If it won't fit into one of the 4 cases, what experience has anyone else had about the airline treating it as hand luggage and expecting us to put one of the cases in the hold at a cost of £40? I've thought of strapping it to her chest and claiming that she's wearing it if necessary!

I think you're entitled to a handbag as well as your luggage - why not buy her a shoulderbag it could be tucked into?

It's a bit big - a deep cushion around 50cm square when opened out.

I have seen the most enormous hand luggage carried onto sleazyjet flights tbh. I think it just has to be able to fit in the overhead lockers. However, if she has the toy on the plane, will it annoy or get in the way of other passengers? If she has to squash it into her hand luggage, her only piece of luggage, she will not have room for any clothes, has she thought of that? If a bag has to go in the hold, you will have to pay for it and have less money for treats as a result. And even if you check a suitcase in, it will be slow and boring to wait for at baggage re-claim.

I wouldn't chance it personally, but maybe someone else will be along to say it's OK. I think at 7, she should be able to understand these facts and choose something smaller to take on holiday, unless she has special needs. If she's desperate to show the unicorn to the relatives, she can take a photo of it with her.

Any time we've been on easyjet flights all hand luggage including handbags(but not jackets) has had to fit into our one piece of hand luggage.

Would assume large teddy would probably be included in that, think they wouldn't bother about small teddy but probably would with large one.

We always make sure we take the maximum allowed size of bag to get as much as possible.

Hmm, certainly my experience has been the same as ImeldaM's -- everything, including handbags, has to be in the one piece.

I am thinking of patenting a fake pregancy bump backpack type thing (to be worn frontways, of course...).

My instinct was to not risk it. I too have experienced them making DW fit her handbag into her cabin case.

Said cuddly now goes by the name of Corny. It's the best we could come up with after DD's first choice of name was Horny.

We banned that.

Viola that could be a bit difficult to explain if you are one of the passengers randomly picked for a search/pat down

Yes . "I'm expecting a Transformer, officer...".