TV travel expert’s 5 magic rules for fitting a week’s worth of clothes into hand luggage

ONE of the best ways to save money on a flight is to avoid paying extra for your luggage.

Airlines can ramp up the cost of tickets by charging passengers to bring extra items on board, leading people to come up with clever tricks to get around the rules.

One such person is travel show host Samantha Brown, who hosts the American travel show Places to Love.

She follows a checklist to make sure she gets everything she needs on the plane, without it costing her more than it needs to.

In a recent , she revealed the rules that she swears by, claiming that doing so allows her to pack a week's worth of clothing and items, without having to pay to check in any luggage.

One of the first things she does is creates a list of what she expects to do during her trip and what she thinks she'll need to wear for each activity.

From there, she's able to plan outfits accordingly, so she won't take any more clothes than she really needs to.

She said: "I find it helps put my packing list into perspective if I have a rough idea of what my week of travel will entail."

After knowing what she will "complimenting" outfits, which further reduces the amount she needs to take with her.

By taking versatile clothes that can be adapted for use in several different outfits, she can minimise the amount of space her clothes take in her suitcase.

She even has an equation for packing clothes that can be mixed and matched across several days.

She added: "If you stick to a complimentary colour palate, you can make just a few pieces work double or triple duty. 

"I have a simple equation for a week of packing – three tops and three pants that all must match each other. This way I get nine outfits from six articles of clothing.

"Throw in a little black dress, and you’re ready to take on any destination."

Samantha also swears by packing cubes to help divide her clothes and items into neatly prepared bundles and said sink washing is another great way to get extra wear out of her outfits.

In addition to her three tops and three pants equation, she also has a strict "no more than three pairs of shoes" policy for every trip.

Samantha isn't the only travel expert to recommend space saving hacks like this, with Sun Online Travel's resident flight attendant also a keen advocate of packing cubes.

They said: "I think everyone I work with uses the cubes - they're really useful.

"I remember the first time I saw them and I didn't really think they'd be as good as they are, but it's surprising how effective they can be.

"We all love them and if I really need to squeeze more in my case, they're the first thing I reach for."

The flight attendant, who's been working as cabin crew for almost a decade, also recommends wearing clothes on the plane as a way to get around strict rules.

They added: "Wear all your bulky items through the airport to avoid having to put them in your case.

"You might be a bit warm, but it saves so much room. You can always take coats and things off once you reach your seat.

"But if you layer up for your flight, you'll be surprised how much more you can pack."

Meanwhile, this mum revealed a "genius" packing hack before she went on holiday.

And these are the Tiktok packing hacks that actually work, according to travel experts.