Fliers who fall foul of hand luggage rules have always risked fines and having to put their bags in the hold once they reach the gate. But the stakes have just got even higher.

From November, Ryanair staff have been told that they will receive an increased bonus of just over £2 (€2.50, up from €1.50) for every passenger they catch trying to sneak an oversized bag on to a flight. 

The bonus they can earn is unlimited – previously it was a maximum of €80 (£69) a month. Passengers caught with excess hand luggage on its flights could face a £75 fine.

Ryanair is not the only airline with strict rules – and fines – for passengers whose bags exceed the permitted dimensions and weights. 

And to make life even harder, airlines have different stipulations, so it is easy to get it wrong.

Here, we share six ingenious tricks from travel experts to ensure you are not forced to pay up.

Wear your excess baggage

There is nothing to stop you putting on a few more layers than usual if this tips the scales in your favour so you are under the allowance limit.

But don’t wait until you are at the gate and about to board before making a costume change as this could raise suspicions. 

It may not seem fair, but staff are within their rights to stop you and demand you pay the fine by claiming that wearing too many clothes creates a safety issue.

Just ask James McElvar, from the boy band Rewind, who collapsed with heat exhaustion on a flight this summer after putting on 12 layers of clothes in a bid to save money by not paying for extra baggage on an EasyJet flight.

Dominic Vanderstay, director of travel consultancy Dr Travel More, says a travel jacket that you can pack with excess luggage is another option. 

He suggests a 14-pocket Stuffa jacket. However, at £120 you need to be a frequent no-frills flyer for it to be worth the investment.

Vanderstay says: ‘I have used the jacket dozens of times in the past decade and have never been stopped once. 

'I calculate it has saved me at least £2,000 in unnecessary baggage costs. I can pack enough clothes for four days in this gilet.

‘Rather than worrying at the gate I make sure I also pack my jacket with clothes the night before. It is easy to take it off when you go through security check-in and once onboard you simply put it in the overhead locker or under a plane seat.’

Take advantage of duty free

Duty-free shopping is usually treated as separate to carry-on luggage because you are purchasing it after checking in for the flight. 

It means that you can not only stock up on alcohol, tobacco and perfumes, but consider packing other items you want to take on board into the duty-free bags.

Katy Maclure, an expert at travel savings website Jack’s Flight Club, says: ‘This is my favourite trick – and I always use it when flying abroad to pack in extras such as books and clothing. I put my items at the bottom of a duty-free bag.

‘I do the same with a meal deal purchase from a shop such as Boots that I take on board for my meal – adding a few extras into the bag. 

'So far no one has challenged me. Being friendly and polite to the airline staff also helps. You want them to be on your side.’

When buying duty free, shops may seal items, such as bottles of gin, inside a separate plastic bag to show you have not tampered with it. Be aware the system is not foolproof as staff are trained to spot duty-free tricks.

Put clothes in a travel pillow

A U-shaped travel pillow you can carry around your neck, designed to hold the head when resting, is not usually deemed luggage by airlines – unlike a classic-sized pillow.

You can take advantage of this loophole with a stuffable pillowcase shaped to look like a travel pillow that can be filled with clothing rather than air.

Vanderstay says: ‘I have not come across anyone yet being caught at the departure gate by airline staff with their stuffed pillowcases, but take care when packing to make sure it looks smooth and not lumpy to ensure vigilant staff are not alerted to the fact that you are trying to sneak in extra baggage. 

'If fearful of getting caught, consider padding it out with cheap, bulky clothing so you can discard it if necessary.’

Websites such as eBay and Amazon sell the stuffable U-shaped pillowcases from between £6 and £25.

Vacuum-pack your luggage

With the right-sized bag you can boost your allowance by carefully packing beforehand rather than ramming items in at the last minute. 

Among the best ways to pack is the ‘army roll method’, where clothes are tightly rolled into small spaces when packing.

Garment rolling guidance is provided on social media channels such as Mile30 Adventures on YouTube. You can also tightly pack clothes by vacuum-sealing them. 

Options such as the £25 Monvane electric air pump, which comes with a fist-sized device and half a dozen bags, suck air out of the packed space.

Remember, you will need room for the pump – if you forget to pack it there could be problems on the return flight. 

An alternative is vacuum bags that squeeze out air as you roll up the clothes when they are put inside. You can buy six vacuum roll bags for £16 from brands such as Packmate.

Wait for final boarding call

Although it is a risky strategy, if you can hold your nerve it may be worth waiting for the final boarding call in the hope that impatient staff will not bother checking your bags.

Maclure says: ‘It can be fun watching passengers at the gate as they start boarding the flight. 

'You can gauge the mood and vigilance of airline staff and how they are treating passengers who might be close to the baggage allowance. 

'Once the final call for boarding goes out the atmosphere often changes and there is a sense of urgency where stragglers simply get ushered through.’

She adds: ‘Teamwork can also work wonders at the gate and you should share your individual baggage allowance among family and friends to ensure no one stands out.’

But Vanderstay warns: ‘Do not rely on this method but use it as a last resort.’

Get the tape measure out

Rules on what you can take on board vary widely between airlines – and all that confusion can easily lead to you making an expensive mistake.

Ryanair limits passengers to one tiny free carry-on bag – measuring no more than 40cm x 30cm x 20cm (effectively a volume of 24 litres) and weighing 10kg (22lbs). 

The allowance was introduced this month to bring it in line with European Commission rules for airlines.

Previously, it was slightly smaller at 40cm x 25cm x 20cm, with a less generous volume allowance of 20 litres.

The free allowance for EasyJet is a slightly more generous 45cm x 36cm x 25cm with a weight of 15kg (33lbs). You must be able to fit it under the seat in front of you.

The Jet2 allowance lets you take two bags on board – a 10kg case measuring up to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. In addition, you can take on an under-seat bag as long as it is no bigger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm.

Meanwhile, Wizz Air passengers can take no more than a 40cm x 30cm x 20cm bag on board weighing up to 10kg.

You can take much of the guesswork out of this packing by purchasing a case built specifically for flight requirements – for example, a hard-cased £45 Legion from IT Luggage made to fit the free Jet2 allowance.

However, a soft bag may be a better solution as it will be easier to squeeze into the luggage size-checking device at the departure gate.

Measure bags and put them on bathroom scales before heading off to avoid nasty baggage-limit surprises.