Flights with checked baggage can make it much easier for passengers needing to travel with more items than hand luggage allows.
Most commercial airlines allow a checked bag, excluding most budget airlines which often only allow a carry on bag.
However, checking in a bag will come with weight restrictions, and some can be as little as 10kg.
If exceeding this, passengers will quickly find themselves paying expensive fees to be allowed the extra kilograms.
There is a way to make sure the items in the suitcase fit the weight, according to experts, and avoid hiked feeds before checking in.
Travel website Kiwi.com has offered a handy hint on how to do this at the airport.
“If you’ve arrived at the airport and worried that your luggage may be slightly over the limit, don’t wait until you reach the check-in desk, or pay for the scales!”
“Nip over to an unmanned check-in desk – the scales are always switched on, and you’ll have a few extra minutes to redistribute your weight.”
This can help passengers in trying to weigh their bag easily and can pull items out before trying to check in at the desks.
Budget airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2.com charge passengers to check bags into the hold.
Ryanair currently charges between £10-£40 for a bag weighing up to 20kg, while easyJet charges between £13-£35 for the same weight.
Jet2.com allow bags up to 22kg, but can cost between £10 and £45.
British Airways allows passengers a free checked in bag, weighing up to 32kg, as one of the most generous allowances.
Qantas, Virgin and Emirates all allow a free checked bag as well, ranging from 20kg to 30kg.
There are also a number of items that passengers should never be put into their checked luggage and not had luggage.
One of those is important medicines and prescriptions drugs.
These are allowed to be over 100ml if accompanied by a medical note, and it is advised to carry them in case the hold bag is lost.
Suitcases are not always protected if they are lost or damaged by an airline.
Passengers should check their travel insurance to see if they are covered for theft or breakage.
