dropped a clanger with booking flight, baggage advice please

[poppym12]

I usually travel with monarch for short breaks, always hand luggage only (weighs on average 7 kilos). I'm going away for a few days at easter and due to time constraints, the monarch flight that day would be too early for me to make comfortably (rush hour traffic) so I've booked a slightly later flight with Thompsonfly.

Stupid of me I know but I didn't even think to check their cabin baggage restrictions on weight (I checked sizes and my usual bag is fine). Their cabin bag weight is 5 kilos rather than the 10 or 7 on every other airline I've travelled with. Obviously I'll ditch all non essential items to lighten my bag (I won't have time to collect hold luggage at the other end) and I'd gladly pay upfront to increase my cabin bag weight allowance but it doesnt seem like this is possible as options are to increase hold luggage weight.

I'm not expecting to not have to pay but i don't want to wait until I get to boarding to have my bag weighed and then need to pay the excess, I'd rather do it before on a just in case basis so that I'd be covered. Has anyone ever done this?

Also, I'm going to buy the lightest bag/rucksack I can find so would appreciate any recommendations. I'm currently looking at the cabin zero and the cabin max. Anyone have one of these?

Yes, I'll decant toiletries into small bottles and won't need much. I know everywhere sells cruelty free toiletries (I'm not going to Norway though, I'm flying with Norwegian air later in my trip) but as time is tight, I'd rather take bits with me that I'm sure are cruelty free than search out there.

Pretty sure I'm sorted now but the wearable luggage intrigues me tribpot. Link just takes me to Skyscanner though and I was looking forward to becoming a travelling style icon

Found em tribpot . I'm thinking every traveller should acquire one of these. I may invest for a short trip to Milan as I just know everyone would be in awe of the stylish cut and fabric.

Perhaps too late but how about using one of those checked chinese laundry bags, that people pack stuff in for car boot sales etc. Often found in cheap shops that sell homewares.

Wear a coat with lots of big pockets and stuff things in them. Take a tiny fold up shopping bag in your pocket too. When you get on the plane empty all the heavy stuff from your pockets into lightweight shopping bag.

You can get waistcoats that have tonnes of pockets that are for this. DH DBRO has one for rugby trIps abroad.

Not exactly the height of fashion, but I was as to how much he manages to carry.

We have cabin max bags - they are very light and very good. And they fit under the seat in front in a plane. The only time i have ever known bags weighed is after christmas one year, i doubt they would think anything of a couple of extra kilos, because they wont be able to tell, unless they weigh them.

Not sure what people mean by 'after the checks' though - if there is an issue with the size/weight of a bag, it is the airline's issue, right at the gate, not an issue with security.

I think you will be absolutely fine with your cabin max bag though.

I've only ever seen people getting cabin bags weighed on Thomson flights when they were pushing it already with the size of the bag- those wheelie suitcases etc. They are a low budget airline and are pushed for time- they don't have time to weigh everyone's bags on the way onto the plane so will only do that for the obvious cases. The issue is more with space in the cabin rather than weight, I suspect they give the weight thing to try and get people to keep their bag sizes down.

When flying low-budget I often wear a gilet like this and shove the toiletries, chargers etc in there to save space (sorry don't know how to do cute links) www.mountainwarehouse.com/womens/jackets/womens-gilets-bodywarmers/hove-womens-gilet-p12253.aspx/Navy?gclid=CjwKEAiAoaXFBRCNhautiPvnqzoSJABzHd6hjsfB2xylL-7I8FstHaJHkpPiqKyOs585P2OG2_7k9xoC4XDw_wcB

Annoying my link doesn't work, it's for the right URL - will try it again without an alias. Link here: www.skyscanner.net/news/best-wearable-luggage-jackets-reviewed-beat-airline-baggage-charges

www.skyscanner.net/news/best-wearable-luggage-jackets-reviewed-beat-airline-baggage-charges#.WKmmqo91enI.link

(I'm going to keep trying as y'all will love this wearable luggage)

Ta daaaaaa.........

I'm also thinking several bum bags, bird watching gilet, money belt and scarf with pockets? Pretty sure I'd be popular in the 'empty your pockets into these trays' conveyer belt area.

Decathalon have some very light and cheap bags which weigh almost nothing.
For short trips I save up the free samples of shampoo and conditioner you get with magazines - you know the flat ones.

I went to Tenerife with Thompson and Just had 5kg hand luggage. It was fine. I just took a really light holdall. Don't bother with anything that has wheels they're too heavy.

If you're hand luggage only, when would they weigh the bag? Do they have scales at the gate? We've had our hand luggage weighed when dropping off hold luggage, but I can't remember seeing luggage weighed anywhere else, like the gate. The people at the search area won't care - they are checking on behalf of all airlines, some of which allow quite big bags and no weight limit.

I would get a Cabin Max rucksack, or something else without wheels that is as light as possible and be prepared to put things in coat pockets. Also travel as light as possible - use hotel shampoo etc and travel in your heaviest clothes/shoes.

The system is totally ridiculous. I was once told that my hand luggage was too heavy when I checked in my hold case, so I put my purse, kindle and phone in my coat pockets and was good to go .