Holidaymakers are predicted to dump £270 million worth of toiletries at airport security gates this summer and be forced to pay a massive £494 million in excess baggage fees. The findings come as millions of UK travellers prepare to jet off on holiday this summer – some for the first time in over three years.
New research on the nation's packing habits by online retailer Next discovered that the average traveller only uses three-quarters of what’s in their suitcase. The study revealed 42 per cent of those surveyed admitted to throwing away full-sized toiletries at the security gates because they were too large to fit in their carry-on case.
A third had to pay excess baggage fees at the airport because they had packed too many items in their case. Next found that on average, travellers will be forced to bin £6.45 worth of toiletry products at airport security increasing to £7.92 amongst men.
Similarly, on average, passengers will pay £11.80 in excess baggage costs. For one-in-20 people, this cost increases to £75 – sometimes more than the cost of the flight. Next also discovered a quarter of those polled claimed they always regretted overpacking. .
Travel blogger Caroline Rowe at Pack the Suitcases said: “It’s clear that the UK is a nation of overpackers, and this isn’t going to change anytime soon. But overpacking isn’t always a harmless habit – it’s costing us money."
She added: "Planning is everything. I have a spreadsheet I use to map out how many days I'm at a destination and what I'm likely to do there. I then fill in an outfit for each day, plus a spare. No more, no less - otherwise it's a waste of suitcase space. One more tip for packing: roll everything - never fold.”
