This was published 8 years ago
Passenger wears all his clothes to avoid paying EasyJet baggage fee
By Soo Kim
Matt Botten at Gatwick Airport wearing layer upon layer of clothing from his second bag.
In an attempt to avoid paying the extra £45 ($85) to check in an addional bag on his easyJet flight from London to Reykjavik, 32-year-old Matt Botten decided to empty the contents of his second piece of luggage onto himself, wearing every item of clothing from the bag.
The holidaymaker from Cardiff was pictured wearing layer after layer of T-shirts, jumpers and trousers as well as a shoe in each pocket of his trouser and gloves, as he approached the security gate at Gatwick Airport.
The heavily-layered passenger was reported to have been questioned extensively by security staff for his unusual extra body-padding.
Six T-shirts, four jumpers and two jackets - James McElvar wanted to avoid a $90 excess luggage fee.
Managing to be let past security, the proud passenger, who was travelling with his girlfriend, celebrated his triumph with a post on Facebook saying: "We're going to Iceland baby!"
"And how to do it in a financially frugal manner, without having to stump up forty five bloody quid for a hold bag? Simply by wearing everything I own" he added.
See also: Passenger's brilliant plan to never lose his luggage again
The SCOTTEVEST Trench Coat.
The latest stunt isn't the first attempt made by a passenger to avoid the airline's baggage fee. Last summer, James McElvar, of the Scottish boyband Rewind, lost consciousness on an easyJet flight from London to Glasgow after wearing all of his clothes to avoid the second bag fee. Wearing six T-shirts, four jumpers, three pairs of jeans, two pairs of jogging trousers, two jackets as well as two hats, the singer was reported to have thought he was suffering a heart attack when he passed out from heat exhaustion.
Last year, a new survey by budget airline Norwegian Air revealed some of the most embarrassing lengths to which passengers go to avoid checking-in additional luggage, from wearing two winter coats with three jumpers tied around the waist to telling airline staff "Me no speak English".
Other ridiculous efforts revealed included bribing gate staff with duty free chocolates and wearing two pairs of jeans doubled up as a "double denim" scarf, perhaps a la Lenny Kravitz, to asking for leniency as they were carrying a beloved pet's ashes in their handbag.
In 2014, the American brand Scottevest introduced a multi-pocket trench coat that could help beat baggage charges. On the exterior, the SeV Women's Trench appears to be a classic trench coat, but cleverly hidden inside are 18 pockets that can carry all of your travel essentials, including two mobile phones, a digital camera, an iPad, a water bottle, as well as your keys, passport and ID card, a USB/Bluetooth stick, pens and a stick of lip balm.
Back in 2011, the Rufus Roo - a vest jacket made from lightweight nylon designed simply to carry things - was created by Andrew Gaule, a traveller and full-time business consultant frustrated by rising baggage fees.
"We made them with big armholes, so you can slip them over the top of any coat you're wearing, however bulky. Or you can carry them like a shoulder bag. The beauty is that they leave your hands free. People often buy them to use instead of nappy bags, or take to festivals, or wear when they're cycling," he added.
The Telegraph, London
See also: How to avoid paying for hand luggage and excess baggage feeSee also: Common travel mistakes and how to avoid them
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