Recommend me an underseat bag

[croyde]

Using RyanAir in December as it's £79 return direct flight to a town in Spain as opposed to £500 on BA for an indirect flight.

Actually call it £179 return as I have to stay in the Stansted hotel as no train will get me there in time

Anyway, I'll need an underseat bag of 40x25x20cm and need to learn to pack very light.

I always use a 20l Lowe Alpine backpack which has served me well for years but I've just measured it and it's 45cm tall and I understand (never flown on them) that RyanAir are strict as they'll want to sting me £70 each way extra if they are not happy with the bag.

Amazon has loads of bags around £20 from China but I'd fancy something harder wearing for it may become my way of traveling more often. Plus I hate not being able to see/feel the bag before paying up.

Any recommendations? Cheers.

[the-norseman]

I fly with Ryanair quite often, I've never been asked to put my bag in the box thing to check it. Just dont take the p1ss with overloading it. 5cm youll be fine.

Last week in Bologna, two ladies who only had carry on rucksack allowance, tried to turn up with 2x rucksacks that were probably 2x the size you allowed +2x beach bags absolutely packed full and then couldn't work out why they were being told no.

[croyde]

Cheers.

[Shnozz]

Likewise I fly Ryanair v regularly and take a laptop bag only. Technically its a few cm over but its also squishy so those few cm could easily be squashed down anyway. If your bag isn't hard cased then it could be squashed in to the cage even if you were challenged.

[LuS1fer]

I bought two of these and have used them with Ryanair and easyJet.

Sturdy, just don't over pack in case you have to stuff it in their size tester (which we have once or twice, without issue).

They have lots of compartments but also unzip like a mini suitcase so packing efficiently is easy.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ECOHUB-45x36x20-Underseat...

[Griffith4ever]

have a look below. We have two of them. We fly Ryanair with no paid for luggage often.

This summer our friends were with us and Ryanair DID check one of their bags. Hers would not fit in by about 1cm. The wheels were "just" getting caught. Cost her £45 and she dumped her bag in Athens in case it was another £45 to bring it back. She thought she'd bought a small enough bag. She had not. Ebay....

The ones we have defo fit and they are actually great little bags with a front section for passports, pens, etc. You might laugh at the tiny wheels and drag handle, but they work!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cabin-Max-40x30x20-Unders...

[thebraketester]

https://www.wildishstore.com/

Yes it will cost you a kidney but they are amazing and will last forever. And they are made in the UK

[Griffith4ever]

Ahh - here yuo go - looked it up for you:

https://cabinmax.com/collections/40x30x20/products...

Thery also do a version without wheels and handle if you prefer.

The absolutely DO , sometimes, check. I've watched them check handful of people, and then stop checking. Quota? no idea. Never see it EU side, only UK side. My friend said, "come on, it's about 1cm out". Girl at Bristol airport replied, "if I allowed everyone to do that that there would be not enough cabin space left". You are up agianst that....

This is my luggage for the next three months, India, Thailand. My partner's is the same. One overhead, one underseat. Though my overhead goes checked as it has all the liquids.

[Shnozz]

I fly Ryanair usually twice a month, sometimes more. Whilst they might check (usually up side as you say), it’s usually hard cases rather than soft bags unless the soft bags are so large they are clearly beyond the allowed size. A few cm difference and you’d squash that into the checker anyway, assuming you weren’t stuffed to the max.

[captain_cynic]

Shnozz said:

I fly Ryanair usually twice a month, sometimes more. Whilst they might check (usually up side as you say), it’s usually hard cases rather than soft bags unless the soft bags are so large they are clearly beyond the allowed size. A few cm difference and you’d squash that into the checker anyway, assuming you weren’t stuffed to the max.

This. On the off chance they do bother to check, a soft backpack can be squished in. As long as it doesn't look like you're taking the Mickey they probably won't even check.

I wouldn't worry about 5cm, especially if it's not rigid.

[Griffith4ever]

captain_cynic said:

This. On the off chance they do bother to check, a soft backpack can be squished in. As long as it doesn't look like you're taking the Mickey they probably won't even check.

I wouldn't worry about 5cm, especially if it's not rigid.

Absolutely - my friend's issues were 2 fold

a) it was not rigid, but the back and base were, so there was no way she could get it in - it was too long by 1cm of wheel. Wheels were not budging!
b) she wheeled it to checkin. I'd have carried it by the handle.

I see loads of folk squishing soft bags into the measuring crate of annoyance with no issues.

[Shnozz]

Griffith4ever said:

captain_cynic said:

This. On the off chance they do bother to check, a soft backpack can be squished in. As long as it doesn't look like you're taking the Mickey they probably won't even check.

I wouldn't worry about 5cm, especially if it's not rigid.

Absolutely - my friend's issues were 2 fold

a) it was not rigid, but the back and base were, so there was no way she could get it in - it was too long by 1cm of wheel. Wheels were not budging!
b) she wheeled it to checkin. I'd have carried it by the handle.

I see loads of folk squishing soft bags into the measuring crate of annoyance with no issues.

Indeed. Wheeling along a semi-rigid case is not the way! I also notice that if the staff at the gate are checking wheeled small cases for a few people they risk being called out if they then do not follow suit with others in the line up. You can imagine a gobby semi-pissed passenger pulled up for their case accusing them of prejudice if others passed by unchecked.

I always sling my laptop bag on my shoulder. To be fair its rarely got much in it either so not bulging out the sides. That said, there will no doubt have been a few times the 10kg weight limit was exceeded more so than the size of the bag. My laptop bag, laptop (with second screen attached) probably make up half my weight allowance before I carry anything else at all. Last time I had a Playstation in my bag so no doubt would have been over the 10kg restriction. That said, whilst I have seen the cage checks many times, I am yet to see the scales ever come out. Again, a casual small bag on the shoulder and I would be surprised if ever checked as not taking the michael.

[Matt..]

I think it's easier to get away with oversized backpacks if you're tall. A 30L probably looks similar on me to a 20L on most people. I'm considering trying a 30L backpack as personal item that is 48cm tall but perhaps that's a little too big.

[Griffith4ever]

Shnozz said:

Indeed. Wheeling along a semi-rigid case is not the way! I also notice that if the staff at the gate are checking wheeled small cases for a few people they risk being called out if they then do not follow suit with others in the line up. You can imagine a gobby semi-pissed passenger pulled up for their case accusing them of prejudice if others passed by unchecked.

Yeah you say that, but I indeed watched them make a handful of people use the measuring frame, then all of a sudden - they lost interest - guessing they got told to get a move on by the boarding crew! Might be worth turning up very last minute if you are worried about your bag :-)

Never seen it EU side, like I said. Mind you, the staff at Barcelona airport, Easyjet, were absolutely horrible. During covid, when UK masks were dropped, but EU were still mandated, one staffer walked the length of the boaring line as we were walking into the boarding tunnel/connection barking at any of us who'd removed their masks to put them back on. We took 20 paces onto the plane, then removed them again - was most odd. I almost didn't get on as I'd ommited to realise that although the UK no longer needed the pre flight NHS register thingy, they still wanted to see it in Spain. Had to do it online, stressed to fk, with the lady telling me,. "too late! too late!" - I was so stressed I had to say to her, "I can't bloody type, my hands are shaking". Had to literally beg to be let on.

A whole other story - but it just came flooding back lmao! :-)

[mike80]

Shnozz said:

That said, whilst I have seen the cage checks many times, I am yet to see the scales ever come out.

We flew with Ryanair last month, we try to not to take the mick, but we're photographers carrying a load of expensive gear that we really don't want to put in the hold. We mentioned this to the staff, and they said don't worry, they don't bother weighing hand luggage any more because they don't want to deal with the complaints any more!

[Shnozz]

Griffith4ever said:

Yeah you say that, but I indeed watched them make a handful of people use the measuring frame, then all of a sudden - they lost interest - guessing they got told to get a move on by the boarding crew! Might be worth turning up very last minute if you are worried about your bag :-)

Never seen it EU side, like I said. Mind you, the staff at Barcelona airport, Easyjet, were absolutely horrible. During covid, when UK masks were dropped, but EU were still mandated, one staffer walked the length of the boaring line as we were walking into the boarding tunnel/connection barking at any of us who'd removed their masks to put them back on. We took 20 paces onto the plane, then removed them again - was most odd. I almost didn't get on as I'd ommited to realise that although the UK no longer needed the pre flight NHS register thingy, they still wanted to see it in Spain. Had to do it online, stressed to fk, with the lady telling me,. "too late! too late!" - I was so stressed I had to say to her, "I can't bloody type, my hands are shaking". Had to literally beg to be let on.

A whole other story - but it just came flooding back lmao! :-)

I am fairly certain there’s still a lot of EU resentment at the Brexit outcome and that mask scenario is perhaps an example of that. Travelling during those various restrictions was very different within the EU versus travelling to the U.K. and obviously the Brexit transition ended end 2020 so whilst Covid restrictions were still ongoing.

I don’t think even the Brits who were disappointed with the Brexit outcome fully appreciate just how much the EU snub has irked other EU countries and the civil servants in particular like to flex to show the consequences of no longer being a member of the club IMHO.

[Shnozz]

mike80 said:

We flew with Ryanair last month, we try to not to take the mick, but we're photographers carrying a load of expensive gear that we really don't want to put in the hold. We mentioned this to the staff, and they said don't worry, they don't bother weighing hand luggage any more because they don't want to deal with the complaints any more!

Fits with what I’ve witnessed then. Not quite sure how complaints of weight would be worse for the staff than those moaning for oversize bags, mind.

Off to my RA flight this pm. Watch me be picked up for an oversize, overweight hand luggage

[croyde]

Thanks all.

Ended up buying a £20 bag of the exact dimensions that RyanAir ask for, 40x25x20.

Sounded and looked tiny but a practice pack with a couple of books and charger, toiletries along with T shirts, a pair of jeans and smalls, seemed to work.

Will mean a little washing in the hotel room and being winter I can wear my heavy outdoor stuff plus boots on the aircraft.

I did 5 weeks in Tenerife last Christmas and managed to fill a very big 23kg suitcase and my backpack

But it was so hot that I was changing tops twice a day, dressed for -6c up on the Volcano, stuff for long hikes, beach gear and at least 4 pairs of footwear and stuff for going out in the evening.

Oh and pots of suncream which had to go in the hold.

Being winter I won't need that

[Shnozz]

Packing books instead of a kindle and taking sun cream with you instead of just buying it the other side suggests this ‘lite travel’ isn’t your forte!

[Griffith4ever]

Shnozz said:

Packing books instead of a kindle and taking sun cream with you instead of just buying it the other side suggests this ‘lite travel’ isn’t your forte!

Ooooh! fighting talk! :-) My larger bag in the photo above has loads of sun cream in it - its blindingly expensive in Thailand and we'll be there for 6 weeks so we always take our own :-)

As for the reply about EU staff and brexit - I have no doubt - however, they are all playing nicely now and more often than not put UK departure (and customs) staff to shame. Bristol airport staff can be very , very abrasive on a bad day. They do have good days mind you!