On face value, it looks like a great deal: a cheap ticket to the sun or a European city for less than the cost of a round at a London pub.
But then come the add-ons. Want to sit with your friend? Extra. Even if they’re on the same booking? Sorry, cough up.
From priority boarding (whose queues often wind up longer than those who refuse to purchase the add-on) to legroom, airlines are monetising every square cube of space.
The biggest bug-bear? Having to fork out for standard cabin bags.
Roll-on bags (dimensions 56 x 45 x 25cm, including handles or wheels) that can be stowed in the overseat cabin have become a luxury that’s subject to an extra charge - which means costs for that cheap thrills getaway you were hoping for suddenly start mounting up before you’ve even left the tarmac.
There’s not much you can do except:
a) pay up and quietly grumble to anyone who’ll listen.
b) stick stubbornly to your guns, work out how to fit three days worth of clothes, tech and toiletries into a bag of truly miniscule proportions, all while loudly grumbling to anyone who’ll listen. For fans of grumbling, Merry Christmas.
The thing is, it is possible, provided a few parameters are in place. A warm, sunny destination means you won’t need bulky clothes, and double duty beauty and miniatures are your BFF (keep empty tubes to refill for your next trip). If you’re travelling with a group, split the cost of shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste on arrival. And the cardinal rule: always, always wear your heaviest, bulkiest clothes when travelling; jeans, coats, jumpers.
While it’s frustrating to have to squeeze your stuff into a bag barely bigger than an average house cat, there is a bright side. More mindful packing, for one - leave behind the ‘just in case’ heels and outfit changes. Plus, no need to worry about your bag not making it from A to B; all your stuff will be right by your side until you get to the sacred sunlounger. It also means you can skip waiting by the arrivals luggage carousel and head straight for the exit, ready to get on with your holiday.
Airlines free cabin baggage dimensions
Ryanair: 40 x 25 x 20cm
EasyJet: 45 x 36 x 20cm
WizzAir: 40 x 30 x 20 cm
Norwegian: 30 x 20 x 38 cm
British Airways: All customers are permitted to carry one piece of hand luggage and one small item (handbag, laptop) on board. Hand luggage must not exceed 56cm x 45cm x 25cm and the small item must be no bigger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm.
What to pack an underseat bag
But which bag meets these exacting proportions, and can you viably fit in enough to see you through a three- to five-day break? I’m here to tell you that you can, because I just did.
On a recent trip to the Canary Islands, I took Antler’s Chelsea Overnight bag. Measuring 41.5 x 26 x 18cm, it meets most airline’s bag restrictions to a tee and because it’s a soft shell, if you don’t stuff it to the gills, it will comply with the most stringent.
With lots of helpful pockets to slide in-flight essentials like your boarding pass, phone, portable charger and more, there’s more than enough room to pack your particulars.
Antler’s Chelsea Overnight bag is a piece of luggage magic
In fact, here’s everything I managed to get into Antler’s Chelsea Overnight (deep breath): two dresses, a jumpsuit, swimsuit, light Uniqlo knit, three pairs of socks, a Tangle Teezer, dry toiletries pack, 100ml airport toiletries pack, t-shirt, Katie Loxton jewellery box, Sony compact speaker, shorts pyjama set, Oral-B toothbrush inside its charging case, Merrel walking sandals, tote beach bag, Anker portable battery pack. That’s 19 products, not counting individual pieces of makeup, jewellery and other toiletries.
This is incredibly impressive. I didn’t think the bag, which is about half the size of a standard cabin bag, would have been able to hold so much, but by rolling my clothes and squeezing out all the air, there was enough space for everything. Really, it puts the clutch Hermione Granger charmed in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book to shame.
Is Antler’s Chelsea Overnight bag worth buying as an underseat bag?
From my experience, yes - it absolutely is.
Antler offers the bag in a slew of colours: black, taupe, mineral (aqua), navy, slate, sage and blush, which is my favourite. It can be matched with other bags in its collection, or used alone, held from the handles or slung over your shoulder using the strap.
It costs £139, but if you’re one for regular trips - whether that’s by rail, road or air - it’s a cleverly designed travel bag that will keep everything you need safe and right by your side. Plus, never worrying about being whacked with extra charges at the departure gate again is priceless.
Buy now £139.00, Antler
