If You're An Over-Packer, This Sneaky Airport Hack To Avoid Luggage Fees Is A Game-Changer

There's no shortage of advice out there on how to minimize your belongings when traveling (54321 rule, anyone?), all to dodge those exorbitant and seemingly never-ending baggage fees airlines gleefully charge. There's even a whole movement called One Bag, dedicated to the art — or perhaps science — of reducing your travel gear to fit in just one carry-on or bag. But some travelers are just chronic over-packers by nature (you know who you are) and struggle to embrace the minimalist approach, especially when it involves leaving behind a few beloved items. If you're among those who can't fathom going on your trip without an extra pair of shoes, or three, and cringe at the thought of having to pay a ridiculous amount for baggage fees, there's a TikTok-endorsed trick just for you: stuffing your belongings into a duty-free bag.

The idea behind it is simple, really. You go through security with your multiple bags, and once you're in the clear, head to the duty-free shops to buy a small item or two so you can get a duty-free branded bag. If you're particularly persuasive, you may even manage to sweet-talk the staff into giving you an empty one. Then, fill said bag with your surplus items and carefully blend them with your legitimate shopping. As TikTok user @teepartyfor1 said in a viral video, "Why would anyone pay for a carry-on when duty-free bags literally exist and are like $1, and they're not allowed to stop you from bringing one onto the plane no matter what's in there?" If you're lucky, this workaround lets you float past unsuspecting gate agents and smuggle your extra items on board without shelling out a fortune.

Apparently, this travel hack seems to be an open secret among smart travelers, with some veterans confessing they've been using this tactic for years. On Reddit, one user shared the strategy they've been relying on, noting that you don't even have to buy a ton of stuff to get the duty free bag: "Bring a tote bag of stuff to the airport with you..... then go to the duty free and buy, like, a stick of gum and ask them for their biggest plastic bag," they wrote. Then put all your other s*** in there. You are allowed to bring airport purchases onto the airplane for free, it is a deal they have with the airport."

On the sub-Reddit r/travelhacks, tips get even more crafty. One user suggested buying specific items that wouldn't draw the slightest suspicion from airline personnel at the gate. "I would buy local products for your hair," they advised. "It seems like it would add some serious weight to your bag." Another Redditor emphasized the reuse of duty-free bags. Once you have one (or multiple), refrain from discarding it so you can do the hack with no trouble on your subsequent trips. "keep and reuse a duty free bag to get extra stuff onto flights. Duty free bags don't tend to count to your hand luggage allowance, and sometimes the bags are pretty good and take a lot of things (my current one is like a reusable shopping bag with a zip on top, so you can really fill it)," they penned. "they don't need to know what's inside."

While the duty-free bag hack might seem like a foolproof way to dodge shelling out for those pesky airline baggage fees, here's the inconvenient truth: it's not. Keep in mind that different airlines have varying policies on carry-on allowances that could throw a wrench into your plans. JetBlue, for instance, is somewhat lenient, allowing duty-free bags as an extra item (in addition to your carry-on bag and personal item) as long as the contents are within a "reasonable and limited amount." And then there are airlines like Frontier that run a much tighter ship, requiring that all personal items fit within their designated — and dare we say merciless — sizer. As you can imagine, overstuffing a duty-free bag and riding with an airline with a similar rule could easily draw attention and lead to extra charges.

What's more, some airports even take additional measures by sealing duty-free bags, automatically denying you the possibility of squeezing in extra items after purchase. A Reddit user shared their experience in European airports, noting, "I've never seen someone in Europe with an open duty-free bag as they seal it and you're not allowed to open it." And so if you are going to risk doing this hack, be mindful of these caveats — and always check the fine print of the airline you booked with. The last thing you want is to end up gate-side, unpacking your over-ambitious packing attempt under the watchful eye of a gate agent — or worse, coughing up those extra fees you tried so hard to avoid. After all, the goal is to outsmart the airlines, not give them another reason to dip into your wallet.