Rebecca Andrews is a travel writer from Melbourne who recently tried to save $60 on excess carry-on baggage fees at the airport by pretending to be pregnant.
Rebecca decided to share her hack in an Instagram video.
Below are her step-by-step rules for avoiding the predicament of having an overweight or overstuffed carry-on bag:
1) Precheck into the flight or go to the do-it-yourself computer thingy at the airport. Do not check in at the airline counter.
2) Go through security, then head to the bathroom.
3) Find the baby-change area because it’s bigger than a toilet cubicle.
4) Put on something stretchy or spandex — a good reason to be a cyclist.
5) Wrap your smallest but heaviest items — aka electronics — in something satin: The more slippery the fabric, the easier it is to slide down your front.
6) Shape it into a baby bump (or a beer belly) — 5 months is best because you don’t need to change the way you walk.
7) Put your laptop/tablet/book down your back. Make sure it is secure and won’t slip around (use stockings or something similar if you feel you need to tie it on).
8) Double-layer your clothes. TIP: The baggier the better.
9) A thick jacket — leather or puffer — is the icing on the cake.
After she was all set to go (using her fake-pregnancy hack) on a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Melbourne, SHE GOT CAUGHT.
Rebecca said she's glad people found the humor in her hack. "It shows how similar we all are and how much we all dislike excess baggage fees." That has proved to be true because just last month, a woman went viral on Facebook for layering her clothes to get out of paying extra baggage fees.
Rebecca said her best advice if you want to try the hack is, don't be last in line to board. (Or just leave a few more things at home to avoid all the potential drama!)
