I used a neck pillow as a suitcase to dodge airline luggage fees

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 en