Everyone knows that traveling can be expensive, so when one woman recently shared her simple and budget-friendly trick for packing more while avoiding exorbitant fees, viewers were quick to follow her advice.
The video, shared on TikTok last week by user @anayotothe, has been viewed over 920,000 times, generating 81,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
Specifically, @anayotothe's hack—which involves the use of a travel neck pillow—is useful for those who are flying on budget airlines, like Spirit or Frontier. Typically, those airlines will allow a free "personal item," such as a purse or backpack. However, in order to bring a larger carry-on item, one must pay an additional fee.
In her video, @anayotothe explains that she decided to try the trick because she didn't want to "pay $60 for a carry-on."
"A few weeks ago I saw a travel hack on TikTok for the budget airlines that don't let you carry on a bag," she wrote, using the app's on-screen captioning. "Instead, you can use a travel pillow as additional storage."
The hack relies on airlines allowing passengers to bring, in addition to their free personal item, a travel pillow at no extra cost.
The woman shows a standard, U-shaped travel neck pillow before unzipping it and removing its stuffing. She explains that she "got this pillow from Walgreens for $9."
After emptying the pillow, @anayotothe begins filling it with clothes that didn't fit into her allotted "personal item."
"These are the clothes that wouldn't fit in my backpack," she says, displaying a travel cube full of garments. "I'm going to Vegas so ya girl needs options!"
Finally, she reveals the newly stuffed pillow, which fit everything except one shirt. "Here's my luggage," she concludes, showing the pillow atop her backpack. "Let's see if I make it on without paying!"
A follow-up video, posted Wednesday, confirmed that the hack worked for @anayotothe, and she did not have to pay extra to bring the pillow.
While the hack is not new—different iterations, such as one featuring a full-sized pillowcase, have gained traction over the past year—@anayotothe's video enticed viewers. Commenters replying to the video shared their reactions to the trick, and some even offered travel tips of their own.
"You can also put it in a grocery bag!!" @akaylamiranda said.
"I have never thought about this!" @wanderlustwaxbarmemphis said. "This is genius!"
"Get those vacuum seal bags ... to shrink your clothes," added @christietheriotblanchet. "You can get way more into your suitcase."
Others, however, felt that the hack was more trouble than it was worth. "That's too much drama for me," @aimlesslygera said. "I don't wanna be stressed while traveling."
Newsweek has reached out to @anayotothe as well as Spirit and Frontier Airlines for additional comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
