A woman resorted to an unconventional method to circumvent an airline baggage fee, donning every garment from her suitcase to avoid paying an extra charge. Carla Brunella, aged 27, found herself in a predicament at Verona Airport in Italy when a Ryanair staff member deemed her bag too large to qualify as a free personal item.
Extreme Measures to Save Money
Rather than paying the £70 fee for oversized hand luggage, Carla opted to wear all the clothes she had packed. The mental health worker, who was flying from Verona to Manchester, squeezed into six complete outfits before proceeding to the gate. She had paid £43 for the flight in May.
Carla recounted the moment she realised her bag was too big: “When I went to check in and get my boarding pass, the lady let me know that my personal bag was too big and I needed to pay or get it to be smaller and fit in the required measurements. The idea came naturally. I just knew I didn't want to pay an extra penny. My only option was to wear everything so I didn’t have to pay.”
Reactions and Aftermath
Describing the experience as “hot and heavy,” Carla noted that people were staring at her. She removed the extra layers immediately after passing gate control, outside the plane. “I was super happy I didn’t have to pay the fine. I don’t think I’d ever pay the extra fee to check in a bag,” she added.
A video of Carla sporting the layered outfits at the airport garnered over 455,000 views on social media, sparking a range of reactions. Some viewers criticised her frugality, with one commenting: “So you saved like €10? What a flex.” Another wrote: “Just pay for it.” Others expressed sympathy, noting the discomfort she must have endured. One person remarked: “I know you were burning up, though still smart.” Another added: “I feel for person next to you at the end of the flight.” A fourth viewer observed: “This bag is nowhere near the personal bag size requirements.”
