Travel Hack: Extra Items You Can Carry On a Plane for FREE
As I was standing in line to board my Ryan Air flight back home to Milan from a travel blogging conference in Stockholm two summers ago, I was the vision of chaos.
There was the cardigan and scarf draped over my purse, an umbrella dangling from my wrist, and the bag of food I was holding from the Östermalms Saluhall food hall.
In addition to my purse (‘personal item’ in airline lingo) and my wheeled luggage.
I looked just a little bit different from everyone else in line holding their 2 allowed items and no more.
As everyone looked on in wonder, the flight attendants didn’t bat an eyelash and I boarded with no trouble at all.
No, they weren’t just shirking their jobs, it’s actually the *official policy* of many airlines to let all sorts of additional items on board that don’t count toward your baggage limit.
For those of you who may not know, Ryan Air is a discount European carrier that like most cheap-o airlines, make you pay extra for pretty much everything, including advance seat assignments.
But even with many (although not all) discount carriers, there are plenty of things you can wear or carry outside of the strict measurement limits for luggage when you board.
Extra Stuff You’re Allowed to Carry On
No, really!!
Many airlines even have these items explicitly listed in their official policy if you know where to look on their website.
There are actually a ton of things you can just carry in your hands if you somehow ran out of space in your luggage.
TIP! There are links to some sample policies from around the world toward the bottom of this post.
First of all, don’t squeeze the last ounce of free space out of your baggage on your way *to* somewhere, you’ll need all the wiggle room you can get on the return trip.
READ MORE: Why the Best Packing Strategy is to Pack as Poorly as Possible
Inevitably, even if I don’t buy much along the way, it always seems harder to get everything to fit properly in my luggage when packing it all up on the final night of a trip.
So these tips are really intended for when you have that last item or two you just can’t squeeze in but still want to take back with you.
Here are all of the items that you can wear, hold, or have clipped outside of the allowed luggage dimensions when you board:
Jacket
Even if you’re not cold, even if you’re heading into a tropical heatwave, you can still wear your jacket when you board to free up luggage space.
And there’ll probably even be space in the overhead bin or under your seat if you don’t want to wear it for the entire flight. Or just drape it over your lap – plane rides can get very chilly sometimes.
Clothing Layers
Coming back from my recent trip to Nicaragua, right before I boarded I needed to smush my purse into my backpack so it was a single ‘personal item’ for boarding.
Since the backpack was pretty full already, I wore my cardigan and scarf and tied my fleece jacket around my waist. Instant space creator.
You might not be able to wear all your layers for your security screening, but you sure can wear them to board the plane.
Neck Pillow
Many wheeled bags have a strap you can clip your neck pillow to if you can’t fit it inside.
This is probably the accessory you’ve seen carried separate from luggage most often besides a jacket, and some people even wear it around their neck to board!
Umbrella
I can often wedge this at the bottom of my wheeled back in between the two sides of the handle, but if you’re really strapped for space, it’s not a problem to carry this item separately.
Just put it somewhere on the plane where you’ll remember to bring it with you when you leave.
Camera/Camera Bag
In a pinch, I’ve strapped my bulky camera bag for my ‘fancy camera’ to the outside of my wheeled bag because I just couldn’t get that zipper to close with it inside.
Which is totally fine, because this is also an item that is allowed to be separate from your outer luggage dimension limits.
Hat
When you see someone boarding a place wearing their cowboy hat or wide-brimmed straw hat from the beach, it might not just be a fashion statement.
Wearing it to board can save you precious luggage space if you’re struggling to zip that bag.
Duty Free Purchases
This must be part of some secret backroom deal between airports and airlines.
No matter how bulky or numerous your duty-free items, it’s totally fine to bring them onto the plane with you in addition to your other luggage.
And in some cases, if you purchase alcohol, you won’t even receive your duty-free bag until right as you board.
Merchandise purchased at airport
In many cases, any kind of merchandise purchased at the airport (and especially takeaway food that you’ll probably consume in-flight anyway) don’t count toward your luggage.
Of course, it helps to have this in some sort of obvious container or bag as you board.
TIP! Whether you have the space in your luggage or not, liquids over the 3mL are great items to purchase once you’re through security. On my last trip, both the 500mL water bottle and the 200mL sunscreen I purchased served me well in my travels!
Reading Material
Just hold your book in your hand. There is so much queuing involved with boarding an airplane between getting scanned and making it through the jetbridge, I’m usually holding a book or e-reader in my hand to keep me entertained anyway!
Infant Accessories
I don’t have children, but if you do, there are extra allowances for bringing on board baby supplies, even if the infant will be sitting in your lap the whole time.
These include a car seat, collapsible stroller, and a bag up to 5kg/11 lbs – or more! – with food and diapers (nappies) to cover whatever the baby might need during the flight.
Medical Devices
The interpretation here can be broad, but at a minimum include a cane or crutches, collapsible wheelchair, and any oxygen or dialysis devices you’re dependent on.
All free of charge.
Of course, the exact specifications vary by carrier, and you’ll definitely want to check the specific policy of any airline you’re planning to fly.
Some strict carriers aside (hi EasyJet!), most airlines won’t stop you from boarding while holding any of the above items with you, even if it’s not explicitly mentioned anywhere on their website.
Carry-On Baggage Policies from Around the World
Many policies explicitly will list most, or all of the items above. And some carriers, like Avianca (see below) even allow balloons!
Here are some specific policies from around the world:
North American carrier
Click here for the United Airlines policy
Scroll to bulleted list
South American carrier
Click here for the Avianca Airlines policy
Scroll to “What Can You Take?” then expand “Additional Items”
European carrier
Click here for the Air France policy
Scroll down to yellow border with “Additional Items You May Take on Board…”
Middle Eastern carrier
Click here for the Qatar Airways policy
Expand “Hand baggage allowance” & see box with “Carry more on board”
Asian carrier
Click here for the Malaysia Airlines policy
See #2 and #3
Even if there is no mention in the official boarding policy of the airline you’re flying, so long as it’s not a discount carrier, in all likelihood, no one will stop you with any 3-5 (or even ALL) of the knick knacks listed above whether you’re wearing or holding them or they’re clipped to the outside of your luggage like a neck pillow or camera bag.
I’ve flown dozens of airlines, and never once been stopped with any of the above accessories as I boarded!
Happy flying!!
Lana
Do you usually carry any of the above items outside of your luggage when you board a plane? Any time that you were prevented from bringing one of them on? Anything I missed in terms of carry-on luggage tips? Let me know in the ‘Comments’!
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64 thoughts on “Travel Hack: Extra Items You Can Carry On a Plane for FREE”
I am a 72 year old regular Southwest flyer, and I was just pulled out of the boarding line for my connecting flight because my neck passport lanyard was an “extra item”. It isn’t specified as an exempt item that I can find on southwest or tsa.
Hi Paula, that definitely sounds like a strange experience, especially since you were able to board your initial flight without any problems. Hopefully you were able to move it to your purse or carry-on bag and still board on time? It’s definitely important to know your carrier, although of course any guidelines are subject to change at any time. The joys of flying!
Hope you have smooth travels from here!
Lana
I have only flown on SW a few times, but I was never stopped because of my neck pouch. That is strange !
Do you reckon I’d get stopped if I had a water bottle clipped to the strap of my bag? I’ll be flying alone for the first time in december and I definitely don’t want any mishaps Dx filled up after security, of course
Hi Agata, in general that should be fine. If you are flying a major carrier, they have no way of knowing whether you brought it from home or bought it at the airport, and boarding holding food/drinks is not typically an issue.
The one exception would be some discount carriers like Easy Jet or Ryan Air, since both carriers usually check sizes carefully even before you go through security. What airline are you flying with?
Hey Lana, thanks for sharing such an informative article.it’s really helpful to me.i am a regular traveler. Your information is beneficial for my type of people. Keep posting like this type of articles.good wishes from me.. 🙂
Thanks for the comment, Diane, keep enjoying all of your travels!
Thanks for the reminding me with your informative piece. I travel a lot domestically 275-300 days yearly and have honestly forgotten these simple exclusionary items. I will now be able to travel more comfortably knowing during the winter knowing my coat, scarf, gloves etc are not required…thanks for the reminder.
Thanks, Jaime, I’m glad you found the list helpful. Anything that makes air travel less stressful is a win in my book!
Hi! Just been reading your post and I was wondering if you could help me, I am flying in the summer with easyJet and I would like to take my (fairly bulky) DSLR camera. I travel with only a carry on, and as I’m staying for 2 weeks I need all the bag space I can get. If I have my camera bag strapped to my carry on bag will they stop me? Easyjet is very strict and they have forced me to fit my handbag into my carry on before.
Hi Helena,
I totally hear you on the space issue, but EasyJet is very strict and has also forced me to squeeze a purse or camera inside the carry on bag to board. The most cost-effective way to handle it is to pay for one of their $10/£8 add-on options like an Upfront or an Extra Legroom seat, which also allows you speedy boarding and a personal item (like a purse, small bag, or your DSLR camera): https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/cabin-bag-and-hold-luggage. Exact fees depend on your flight, but it is easy to add on to an existing booking or arrange when you buy your flights.
Happy travels!
Lana
My husband uses a walker (which folds). He also has sleep apnea and requires a C-pap machine. We have never had any trouble boarding with these items.
Sometimes the C-pap machine gets an extra look at security. Both items are labeled as medical equipment.
Thanks, Kati, for sharing your experience. It’s good to hear that the medical items have not given you any trouble.
Happy travels!
Lana
I had a Delta agent tell me she would allow me on with a carryon, purse, and CPAP (even though she said the CPAP was a “personal item”). I told her I went on Ask TSA, and the TSA agent said it was NOT a personal, but medical item. The security people said it was NOT considered a personal item and only asked me to unzip it.
It’s always so weird when airlines and TSA disagree about such basic things that you can look up easily. I’m glad you were able to take the CPAP on the plane!
Kati B,
Who marks your devices as Medical equipment and how do they mark it?
Thx
Elaine l
Hi Elaine, for travel within the US, you can check out TSA regulations here by item: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/medical. Your specific airline’s carry on policy will have more information as well about what is allowed.
As far as CPAPs are concerned, the manufacturer has a tag they attach to the carrying case
A word of warning though about portable oxygen concentrators. They run on battery power and the air lines require you to have enough battery power for 1.5 times the length of your flight (including lay overs). So if you are flying with a concentrator, you may need 1 or more extra, fully charged batteries.
My dad is in his 70s and has a c-pap device, laptop, jacket, and wallet. In addition, he cannot see or hear well. He, like most older travelers gets pushed around and yelled at for not going fast enough and therefore is nervous about losing his wallet. Can he use a lanyard to ensure he keeps his valuables on his body at all times?
Hi Corrie, a lanyard with a flat wallet component should be fine – and no different than other jewelry travelers wear. A laptop would count as a personal item on its own, or could be placed inside a carry-on bag.
Happy travels!
Lana
I’m flying tui who state 1 pcs hand luggage and duty free must be included in that 1 pce. I thought it could be in addition on all airlines. No one at th I seems to know the answer! Any advjce?
Hi Lindsay,
Yes, you are correct, it sounds like Tui Airlines has a similar policy to EasyJet about luggage (https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/faq/luggage-allowance). Everything will need to fit within the dimensions and weight limit for the ticket you purchased for your 1 piece of luggage. There is a link to flight extras if you want more luggage on the plane or to check a bag, but you’ll need your booking details to pull that up. Sometimes if you pay extra for extra leg room or an exit row, that upgrade comes with an additional luggage allowance.
Best of luck!
Lana
I always have knitting with me when I’m traveling, bringing the makings for socks or a hat, or even a baby sweater, so there’s yarn, and bamboo knitting needles, and assorted knitting tools that all fit into a small bag with a wrist strap, on the same wrist with my pocketbook. And then there’s my cane too and my underseat spinner bag. And shawl. No problem with any of these, but of course I’m very aged and look harmless.
Thanks for writing, Alix. It sounds like you have quite a system for everything you might need in flight. I’m glad you haven’t had any trouble boarding.
Happy knitting and happy travels!
Lana
I have a small (Tiny!) cross-body I carry as a “third carry-on”. Effectively, it works much like a man’s wallet would. But because I’m a woman and women’s clothes do not have pockets (seriously WTF gives with that??), I’ve gotten by. It’s VERY small. About 1/4 inch wider than my hand, and about 1/2 inch longer than a ballpoint pen, it’s barely large enough to hold:
-My phone in a small jelly case
-Travel wallet (only barely large enough to hold ID, 2 debit cards & a credit card, and some cash)
-Pen
-Boarding passes
-Passports for both me & my son
-Chapstick
I can’t even keep my son’s vaccine Records or copies of his birth certificate in it; those get packed in my roller.
It’s thin enough I can easily stow it in even the fullest carry-on, if I have to. But usually, I wear it underneath my jacket or cardigan without issue or notice, and have only ever been told to zip it away a couple of times.
Nice, Sarah, it sounds quite compact but large enough for keeping essentials in easy distance. For me, essentials are usually in my purse (personal item) although if I am pressed for space, I will take a backpack as my personal item and include my purse inside. Same idea! I’m glad you’ve found a system that works for you.
Happy travels!
Lana
Dear God… Please tell me that you aren’t that person that puts all that extra stuff under the seat and then puts two items in the overhead, basically forcing the whole last 1/4 of the flight to check bags even though they followed the posted rules.
Don’t worry, Jason, that is definitely not me! Any of the extra things I bring on a plane are TO USE. If I have food from the airport I’m eating it, a jacket I wear when it inevitably gets chilly, and a neck pillow is to lean on so I’m comfortable during the flight. I think for women especially, not everything may fit inside the purse that is your personal item, but it certainly can all fit under the seat together — purse + “extra items” — if needed.
Happy travels!
Lana
Ok I have to ask because I’ve never heard of it… what is a “duty free” bag?
Hi Lori! When you travel internationally, there are typically duty-free stores inside the airport (past security) that offer various products without duty, or tax. Often when you purchase duty-free items, it is sealed in a bag and cannot be opened until you arrive at your destination. If you do purchase duty-free items, you can carry the bag from the duty-free store when you board the plane in addition to your carry-on bag and personal item – without having to fit the items inside one of your other pieces of luggage.
Happy travels!
Lana
Hey there! Great information! I had a question about my luggage choice. I’ll have my camera bag as my carry on (small backpack) and my clothes will be in a nicer travel “duffel bag.” If the max length they allow for a bag on an airplane is 22″ and the length of my duffel bag is 24″, will I in trouble? The bag itself won’t be packed to the brim by all means, so it’ll be able to squish down a couple inches in size easily. Will that matter? I will be flying to Greece and a couple of the islands there. Thank you in advance!
Hi G, thanks for reading, and I’m glad you found this information helpful. Having a slightly larger duffel bag will typically not be a problem on a major airline carrier. At most, they might ask you to prove that the duffel can fit inside their luggage measuring box, which it sounds like it will. If you’re flying between islands in Greece on a budget airline carrier, definitely be sure to check the specific luggage policy before you go.
Have a great trip!
How about wearing a fanny pack and backpack then rolling a small carryon suitcase?
Hi S, wearing a fanny pack probably won’t be a problem in most cases on most airlines. However, just to be safe, I’d check that if needed, you can squeeze it either into your backpack or rolling carryon (or split the contents across both). Happy travels!
If you MUST wear a backpack, for pete’s sake take it off your back while boarding. I’m sick of being bashed on the head by late boarders and their STUPID backpacks when I am already seated!!!
From what I’ve seen, the problem is not people who wear backpacks to board exactly, it’s those people who then turn rapidly looking for overhead bin space and hit the poor person sitting in the aisle seat. I usually sit in the aisle seat myself, so I just keep an eye out, and will but a firm hand up to stop a swinging backpack, if needed. In my experience, most people don’t even realize they’re doing it, and apologize.
What carry-0n? It’s has to be checked and it’s 25.00 each way on UNITED>
Actually, in most cases, you can bring a carry-on for free on United: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/baggage/carry-on.html. Unless you’re purchasing a Basic Economy fare (although there are even exceptions to that if you scroll down on that page).
Happy travels!
Thank you!! We are flying United basic ecomony to England in a few days and were stressed about the camera but thanks to your link and ariticle, it looks like we can carry it on.
Thanks for reading, hope you had a great trip!
One trick I recently did when we went for an Alaskan cruise in 2019 was I bought a neck travel pillow that you can take out the memory foam out from its zipper. I was able to fit 1 sweater, 5 cotton tees and 2 tank tops in it by rolling them! I thought why would I be lugging a foam everywhere I go when I can replace it with my clothes? It saved a lot of space in my carry on backpack.
What a great tip, Lester, thanks for sharing and happy travels!
I need to carry a small, more like medium sized sleeping bag. I guess I can claim its a blanket. what do you think? It doesn’t really fit in my hand, but does under my arm. Wrapped up it looks more like a ‘bag’.
for gen info …. I’ve carried my winter coats in a plastic sack. They’ve stopped people next to me with much small official ‘bags’ to charge them fees, but let me pass through.
In this case i’ll also be burdened with winter coat so cannot just put it in plastic sack.
Hi Bradley, for a sleeping bag, I’d attach it with a clip or carabiner to your carry-on bag (a lot of rolling bags have straps to link to another bag), although this may put your carry-on outside of allowed size dimensions. You can also try to fold the sleeping bag in half or quarters and carry inside of your winter coat when you board, as if it were another clothing layer. Your success may depend on how strict the airline is that you’re flying with.
There are also a lot of very slim profile – and warm – sleeping bags if this is something you often take with you on trips.
Happy travels!
4 of us going to a big horse show in Oklahoma, we don’t want our hats crushed and hat boxes are considered extra. So we plan on wearing them onto the plane and then ( hopefully) setting them on top of our carry on’s. Is this a problem? Any other suggestions as what to do?
Hi Lynne, wearing them on the plane should be fine. You can even hold them on your lap for the flight if needed. I have done this before with wide-brimmed beach hats (sometimes even wearing a few nested ones at a time!) and did not have any issues. Happy travels!
I use a CPAP, oxygen concentrator at night, and plenty of meds. Can I pack a suitcase with medical items only and get a free checked bag in addition to my regular checked bag?
I don’t need to bring that stuff on board. But it takes up so much space I can’t fit it in my regular bag with my other stuff.
Also I think a medical bag can contain medical items only- and I am at a loss to know what to use as padding for the equipment since I can’t just stuff some clothes in.
Hi Sandra, thanks for reaching out. Luckily there are plenty of CPAP-specific carry-on cases that have padding intended for the device. A CPAP travel bag will not count against your travel allowance, and there are some great tips about how to go through airport security and keep it sanitary and safe here: https://traveltips.usatoday.com/tsa-rules-cpap-machines-110222.html
Never, NEVER, check meds and medical equipment! Too many times bags are lost in transit!!
Great advice, Amy, thanks for commenting. It’s always best to keep any important items with you on the plane!
I stopped frequent flying after 911. I hated the changes. Now I must fly Alaska Airlines from Idaho to San Francisco. I am trying to figure out how to carry my large purse ( with car keys, wallet, hairbrush, two bottles of pill meds and phone inside it) plus my laptop, charger, and makeup onto the plane.
I am a senior now and overwhelmed with the rules.
Can you kindly make it easy for me and tell me what I need to buy or do to bring all of these things aboard Alaska? I would be so thankful.
Hi Cynthia, it sounds like you’ll be able to have your purse and a carry-on bag large enough to hold your laptop, makeup, and other items for the plane, as long as you don’t have too many liquid makeup items. The Alaska Air baggage policy is here: https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/baggage/carry-on-luggage
Happy travels!
That is completely true, to never check anything you do need, even if you don’t need it on the plane at the moment, we recently had a suitcase take its own vacation for two weeks without us and it had medications in it.
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that Tricia! Definitely always keep your medication on your person – and be ready to swap out items from your carry-on bag if you are unexpectedly in a situation where you need to gate-check your bag (which happened to me on a recent flight when the overhead compartments filled up before I boarded). Hope your future travels go smoothly!
I read somewhere that you can use a small zippered pillowcase to pack soft, bulky items and this won’t count as an extra bag. Bonus, you can use it as a pillow. true?
Hi Gina, pillows are definitely allowed for USA air travel per TSA (https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/pillows) however whether it counts toward your carry-on allowance depends on which airline you fly. For soft, bulky items like a coat, you can carry that in your arm or have it tied around your waist at boarding, even if you don’t wear it onto the plane, and those could also always be used as a pillow. Happy travels!
Needs an update. Most European/Asian Airlines now count your camera bag as your personal item. So it’s either camera bag or computer bag or handbag, no longer both.
Thanks, Renee, for your comment. Every airline has its own policies (and those can change over time!) so it is always best to check your specific airline’s policy before flying. Happy travels!
Even calling the airline for clarification on items to carry on, etc., is not foolproof, as we have found. But for specifications that are online, a printed-out copy will settle the issue if it is from the airline when an agent is misinformed.
Thanks, Joy, that is a great tip for making sure you don’t have any problems when boarding. Happy travels!
Can you carry an extra pair of shoes on hand? Or hanging outside of the backpack?
Hi Stamatis, the best thing to do is to check the policy of the specific airline you’re flying. In general, shoes are not listed as allowed in addition to the carry-on bag dimensions, however I think in many cases if you had it hanging outside a backup, you would likely not be stopped (depending on the airline). A better strategy might be packing the shoes in the bag and carrying some typically allowed items outside, like a camera, umbrella, jacket, or reading materials – but again, this depends on the airline and its specific policies.
Happy travels!
I hope I’m writing this in the right spot. I am absolutely positive that I used to be entitled to have a food bag in addition to a personal item. At some point this appears to have changed so that I can only carry on a bag if it has been purchased at the airport, even though my food bag was scrupulously, checked by TSA, and had nothing objectionable, I was actually kicked off of a frontier flight because I maintained that I was entitled to have my lunchbox with food packed from home. I agreed to put it in my luggage, but the jeep manager who was upset that I had asked for her name and employee number, clearly I was going to dispute , her right to borrow me from the flight, did actually refuse me entry over such a small thing. Please tell me that you can tell me when his policy change. I will call reading it sometime ago and had no idea that changed. .
Hi Margaret, thanks for writing, and I’m sorry to hear that you had such a difficult encounter. Any food that is non-liquid and passes the TSA check is fine to bring on the plane, however typically non-airport food needs to be contained in your approved carry-on bag or personal item. Food purchased at the airport is often fine to bring in a separate bag, but will depend on the policy of the specific airline. I hope you have a better next travel experience!