How to overcome the dreaded 100ml airport rule

We all love finding a bargain-priced flight, but unfortunately when we get to the end of a booking we notice those low digits increase when you check in a bag. Most low cost airlines such as Ryanair can fatten up your flight bill by up to £45 when checking a case in – and that’s one way! So the only way to get around it is to carry on your luggage. However, with the liquid security policies it seems doing so can cause great deals of annoyance. Our money ends up being spent on a list of expensive toiletries in duty free or at your destination.

We’re sure most of us have had that heart-wrenching moment when that expensive bottle of moisturiser is prized off us because we forgot to notice its 125ml quantity. It is more than frustrating, you sometimes feel like lathering it all over your face in an attempt to prove it didn’t contain explosive ingredients. With today’s advanced technology you really do question whether or not this security measure is entirely needed. In fact the Guardian reported in May 2012: “Airport scanner companies argue that the technology exists to detect liquids in carry-on luggage.” Airports complained that it would cause major disturbance lifting the ban. This poses the question, are they really just concerned about airport and airline profit?

That was reported over a year ago and still we endure the irritating measures. So how do we avoid such frustrations and gain a cheap and hassle-free trip?

The Upcoming have come up with a few tips on how to travel cosmetically light.

Keep hold of those tiny little pots you get free with a certain purchase. Clinique are great for this – you can build up an abundance of tiny little samples of face wash, moisturiser and toner when availing of their offers. Simply keep the containers and top them up with your big bottles before going travelling.

For shampoo, conditioner and body wash go to Primark. Here you can purchase three little bottles and one miniscule pot all for £1. In the smallest one you can pour in some foundation and it takes up the tiniest of space.

If you are taking other small products that abide by the 100ml rule but end up taking up too much room, simply remove the lid. Sometimes you may have products where the lid takes up nearly as much room as the bottle, so checking that it is secure and doesn’t risk leaking it becomes convenient to just leave the lid at home until you return.

Pre-pack. Buy the zip-lock sandwich bags before you leave and prepack the items the day or hours before your flight. Leaving it until the airport rush will only cause you stress and you may end up leaving some things behind, plus it saves you having to buy a bag at the airport.

By just considering these simple carry-on packing rules you could end up saving yourself a great deal of holiday cash.

Michelle McGill