Brit’s genius hack helps him avoid Ryanair baggage charge

Leon Docwra, 50, from Great Yarmouth, filled the £15 pillow with underwear, T-shirts, swimming shorts, and even a beach towel before boarding a Ryanair flight from Norwich to Portugal.

Having paid only for hand luggage on the around £400 flight, he also wore two tracksuits, three pairs of pants, and three pairs of socks to avoid a fine.

Mr Docwra said: “We fly frequently and have been charged for having too much stuff in our bags and wanted to find a way to get extra on without paying fees.

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“Neck pillows are allowed and they didn’t check it.

“If they had, I would have gone to the bathroom and worn everything to avoid paying a £75 fine.

“I was already wearing two layers of clothes, three pairs of pants and three pairs of socks and it did get hot, but it was worth it.”

He revealed it was not the first time he had used the pillow-packing trick.

Mr Docwra said: “I’ll do it every time.

“Flights are expensive enough without having to pay for extra luggage and fines.

“I fly a lot so I’d spend a fortune on baggage.

“It’s money we can spend on our holiday.”

He shared a video of the stuffed pillow online, earning praise from other travellers for his ingenuity.

Mr Docwra said: “People think it’s great.

“They said they’re going to start doing it themselves.

“Anything at the moment where you can save money is great to share with others.”

One viewer commented: “I wore two trackies when I travelled last week to avoid the extra cost.

“Was sweating like a b*tch though.”

Another joked: “Mate, I’d rather pay the 80 quid than have to iron that lot the other end.”