How to pack your hand luggage for a flight

Hand luggage is an essential item for any length of flight, allowing you to carry your valuables with you in a safe place and take on board any other items you want to have access to during your cheap flight. However, with a variety of restrictions in place for hand luggage on both internal and international flights, it’s a good idea to be prepared when packing your hand luggage to avoid any unnecessary stress on the day of your flight. 

 

The recent restrictions on carrying liquids in your hand luggage mean that you are no longer able to take any liquids over 100ml past the airport security point. If you are travelling with hand luggage only and want to take liquid items with you such as toiletries or cosmetics, you can find handy travel size bottles in most high street drugstores. These will need to be placed in transparent bags (available at the security point) and scanned separately by airport security so be sure to keep them handy at the top of your hand luggage when packing. If you want to take water or other drinks onto the plane, you will have to buy these after the security checkpoint in duty-free.

 

If you are travelling with a laptop computer in your hand luggage, be sure to pack it near the top of your bag as most airports will require you to remove it from your hand luggage at the airport security point in order to be scanned separately. You will not normally be required to remove it from its individual laptop case, but be prepared to do so if asked. You are also permitted to carry any essential medical equipment you require in your hand luggage but again, make sure this is easy to remove as it will need to be scanned separately.

 

There are several items that are not permitted in your hand luggage.  These include sharp items such as knives and large scissors (blade longer than 6cm) or dangerous items such as ‘strike anywhere’ matches and other pyrotechnic devices. You are allowed to take items such as small scissors, fixed razorblades, tweezers, nail clippers and one lighter per person.