Chelsea Dickenson
Published November 30, 2025 12:00pm
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I was flying with Wizz Air to Vienna before taking the sleeper train to Paris (Picture: Chelsea Dickenson)
Handing my passport and boarding pass over to the gate agent, I held my breath.
From the outside I looked like any other passenger waiting to board a plane, except I had a secret. One that was literally wrapped around my neck.
Inside my neck pillow was seven pairs of pants, five pairs of socks, one pair of leggings and two T-shirts. Why? Because I refused to pay an extra £20 for extra luggage.
This was April 2022, and I was flying with Wizz Air to Vienna before taking the sleeper train to Paris.
The route was simple enough, but with just five days away, a mixed weather forecast and only one tiny 40 x 30 x 20cm bag to work with, I was in desperate need of a hack to see me through.
Fortunately, a few days before flying, I’d seen a viral video of an American woman stuffing an entire pillowcase full of clothes to take as an extra carry-on – it looked genius, but also absurd.
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I refused to pay an extra £20 for extra luggage (Picture: Chelsea Dickenson)
Taking huge pillows may be the norm in North America, but it’s less accepted for budget hops across Europe.
However, it planted an idea in my head and I hatched a plan all of my own.
While packing for my trip, I picked up my trusty neck pillow and noticed an opening on top. Unzipping it, it slowly dawned on me that I could recreate the viral hack for myself just on a smaller scale.
I could whip out the memory foam insides and replace them with clothes. Or more specifically, my underwear.
For a good three minutes, I’d rolled up seven pairs of pants, balled up five pairs of socks, and tightly folded one pair of leggings and two T-shirts before shoving them inside the black casing.
I could whip out the memory foam insides and replace them with clothes (Picture: Chelsea Dickenson)
It was a bit of a squeeze, but to my shock, it eventually zipped up and actually looked, at least to me, pretty normal.
Three days later, I travelled to the airport feeling slightly smug about my secret stash.
I breezed through security, feeling calm as I placed the neck pillow into the tray – after all, I’m sure they’ve seen far stranger or more alarming things under the X-ray than a pillow full of pants – but I was very aware that the real challenge lay ahead of me at the gate.
The place where baggage hacks go to die.
Shortly before boarding, I headed to the bathroom to inspect my pillow and found it looked more like an over-filled sausage than a comfortable cushion thanks to the jutting lumps and bumps of my unmentionables.
I travelled to the airport feeling slightly smug about my secret stash (Picture: Chelsea Dickenson)
I knew then that there was no way I’d get away with carrying this on.
However, I realised if I slung it around my shoulders and wore it, I could use my hair to drape over most of it. Still, as I inched closer to the gate, the more anxious I became.
What if the staff asked me to open it? Would I really have to unpack my underwear in front of an entire flight? Would I become some sort of cautionary tale on TikTok?!
To avoid that fate I did what I usually do whenever I’m trying out a cheeky hack: I got all my things ready so that I could speed through the checking process as quickly as possible and luckily, it worked.
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Aside from quickly surveying the bag on my back, the gate agent’s eyes only hovered at my neck for a moment before she simply waved me through.
I felt triumphant, the kind of giddy pride you only feel when you’ve got away with something a little bit silly. There is a special joy in knowing you’ve beaten a system that catches so many others out.
But it wasn’t just about one-upping ‘the man’. It was also about the money I’d saved.
That’s the beauty in this hack, so many of us already have what’s needed to give it a go (Picture: Chelsea Dickenson)
With an extra carry-on bag costing £20 each way, I knew I’d banked enough cash to afford me a few treats while away, which resulted in a cheap ticket to the opera in Vienna and plenty of coffee and cakes.
After a trip filled with hours of walking, endless stair climbs and a dramatic dash for my sleeper train, I reloaded my neck pillow with my dirty pants, and before you ask though, no, I did not wear it around my neck for the return. Even I have my limits.
And though I’ve tried other hacks over the years – packing into a big bra (too hot and sweaty), the fishing vest (surprisingly effective) and the simple ‘too big bag’ gamble (always a thrill) – the neck pillow is the one that’s been most popular when it comes to people recreating it.
Comment now Will you give this hack a go? Have your say in the comments belowComment NowThat’s the beauty in this hack, so many of us already have what’s needed to give it a go.
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As airlines generally don’t count neck pillows as part of your baggage allowance, it makes the most of a loophole that’s already out there and it’s discreet enough that no one will really bat an eyelid.
There are a few things to be aware of, like how it only really works with soft items (it is not the hack to use for toiletries), and the aforementioned dirty washing dilemma, but otherwise it’s a pretty solid hack.
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So why not give it a go the next time you’re packing light, but want to take a spare pair of pants or six.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Share your views in the comments below.
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