Trials of jetting off after Covid

Before Covid (BC), I had the art of packing for a getaway down to a fine art. We had four carry-on suitcases and whether we were going for a day or a month, we would avoid baggage charges by squeezing as much as possible into our individual bags, with the remainder squeezed into a small backpack, allowable under Ryanair's rules.

BC, I was good at travelling. BC I was very good at packing for everyone. Toiletries neatly organised in 100ml containers and put into clear bags for easy access through security.

I had learned the hard way after many years of travelling and getting caught out with too much luggage and too many arguments over weighty bags.

That was BC. Now, it's a very different world. Now they've changed all the rules.

Now, if you want to carry on your bag you have to pay for it. Big bucks.

So, instead, I thought the best way to keep the tickets as low as possible for our Easter getaway was to check in two 20 kilo bags between the four of us. And still use the small backpack as a back-up.

On arrival four hours before the flight – yes four bloody hours due to queues - we discovered we have to weigh our own bags. So off we went, fairly confident they would be the right weight after attempting to put them on the bathroom scale.

21.3k. Damn. There was a bit of shifting around of books and bobs, some removed to the back-ups, then back to the weighing scales.

Rejected. Different weight from the tag.

Off they come again to reweigh. A Ryanair staffer approaches. You have different weights, he asks? Don't worry, he can override and make computer say yes.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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