A Martin Lewis fan has shared a hilarious - but financially smart - hack to help you dodge extra luggage charges while going on holiday.
Lee Cimino, a frequent flyer before the coronavirus crisis, made a make-shift coat so he could wear all his belongings on flights to dodge the fees.
The coat had extra pockets stitched inside so it could hold all his belongings - without Mr Cimino having to carry a case.
The savvy traveller, aged 34 and from Stoke on Trent, got the coat specifically made after his cabin bag allowance on a flight to Ireland was changed just days before his flight.
Even though it would have only cost between £6 and £8 each way, Mr Cimino said it “was the principle” so he decided to devise a way to beat the system.
In terms of hold luggage, some airlines can charge between £30 and £100 depending on if you book your baggage at the same time as your flight, or at the airport.
Speaking on the third Martin Lewis’ Extreme Savers show on ITV, he said: “I am someone who likes to travel, I mean I’ve been to lots of different places as far afield as Israel, to Canada, to Fiji, to Bali, Australia.
“We couldn’t now take our cabin bag free of charge with all our essentials in, we’d have to pay six to eight pounds there and six to eight pounds back.
“It wasn’t going to break the bank, but it was just the principal. So me and my friend put our heads together.”
Mr Cimino even managed to get his coat altered for free after he told the tailor about his plan and they decided to help him.
Of course, how well this trick works depends on how much clothing you’re taking with you - and how comfortable you’ll be, depending on your flight time.
Mr Cimino continued: “We’re all game for a laugh, we’re not breaking any laws, so we thought why not try and get past the system that was going to cost us money and in effect save us some money?
“I literally got everything I needed, change of underwear, change of clothing, an extra coat if it rained, all the essentials like toothpaste and of course change of footwear.
“It was very satisfying when we touched down on the tarmac in Belfast.”
Martin has previously spoken about a similar hack to beat airline costs, when he featured a 22-coat jacket on his Beat Budget Airlines TV show back in 2010.
Although the exact version Martin used at the time wasn’t cheap - similar ones from SCOTTeVEST range from £87 to £211 - the MoneySavingExpert founder points out that he was able to fit a laptop, towels, books and more inside.
If you’re a frequent flier, this would also likely save you money on luggage costs in the long-run depending on how often you jet away.
Alternatively, another way to beat the system is to customise a jacket like Mr Cimino.
Martin has previously suggested looking out for cheaper jackets with “poacher's pouches” in army surplus shops, which rage from around £20.
- Watch Martin Lewis' Extreme Savers on ITV and ITV Player
