Real-life ways passengers have tried avoiding check-in fees

Ever thought about ‘doing a Joey from Friends’ and wearing all your clothes to avoid being check-in luggage fees? You’re not the only one. Because that’s actually happened.

A survey by Norwegian Air of 50 London Gatwick ground staff has revealed the most bizarre attempts to avoid checking-in their hand baggage when their bag is oversized or overweight.

The survey revealed the following top 10 ways in which passengers tried to get out of paying:

• A passenger wore three pairs of trousers, with a pair of shoes stuffed in the jacket pockets
• One decided to give up their bag and asked for it to be donated to charity (awww)
• One was found to carry a beloved pet’s ashes in their handbag, and wanted leniency
• A passenger tried to bribe gate staff with newly bought chocolates from duty free
• A cheeky soul refused to comply by repeating ‘Me no speak any English
• Two pairs of jeans were doubled up and worn as a “double denim” scarf
• One claimed their bag contains fragile antique pottery
• A passenger wore two layers of suits
• Someone insisted their credit card is maxed out with no money left to pay
• Finally, one canny passenger wore two winter coats and tied three jumpers around their waist

Stuart Buss from Norwegian said: “Between Christmas and New Year marks a busy time for Norwegian in the UK and so we’ve gathered this research to put a lighter touch on an area that affects all airlines.

“Even with our generous carry-on allowance, passengers flying during winter with shopping and bulkier items can increase the likelihood of their bags being non-compliant. Baggage issues can cause delays so it’s in our interest to make sure all bags are loaded quickly so that passengers can get away on time and enjoy their flight.”