Not all heroes wear capes – some wear their hand luggage.

Ryanair's latest changes to its baggage policy have caused a measure of concern among holidaymakers, but not everyone is taking it lying down.

Under the Irish budget airline's new rules, non-priority customers are only allowed to take one "small personal bag" – such as a handbag or laptop case – into the cabin, so long as it fits under the seat in front.

Passengers who want to bring a bigger bag weighing 10kg or more onboard now have to pay an additional charge or fork out on Priority Boarding status.

But one 30-year-old flier has managed to circumvent the new policy without a hitch, even though an entire change of clothes had been sewn into his old coat.


Lee Cimino, from Leek in Staffordshire, was shocked when Ryanair introduced its new charges for hand luggage on November 1 – just before his flight from Manchester to Belfast.

In defiance, Lee found an old coat in his wardrobe and brought it to a local tailor in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent.

After getting a few alterations made, Lee found he could now fit the entire contents of his carry-on bag into the lining of his garment.

He told the Press Association: "We got to Manchester Airport at about 6am and I didn’t get as many funny looks as I thought I would.

"My mate said I just looked like a hipster! The coat only had a few clothes in it and I just put it in the tray like you normally would.

"I don’t know how close I came but as I understand it, I’m not doing anything wrong with wearing the coat."


Lee admitted he was still a fan of Ryanair, but said he'd be prepared to repeat the trick if he was travelling "for a night somewhere", instead of paying a £8 fee.

While some might question the time and effort required to pull off such a stunt, Lee added that he thinks "it strikes a chord with people as everyone has had an experience with the airlines.

"I’d encourage more people to try it, otherwise how far will they go? As I say, this is not me having a go at Ryanair. I love them, it’s just raising a point.”

The airline released a statement after Lee's a video of ingenious stunt went viral, saying: "Thanks to our larger free small bag allowance (40% bigger) and cheaper checked-in bag option (£8 for a 10kg bag), Ryanair customers can bring all they need without having to board the aircraft looking like the Michelin Man or Joey from Friends.

"We’ve received lots of positive feedback from customers and airports across Europe on our new bag policy, which is leading to faster check-in, security and boarding, and improved punctuality."

Worth a try next time you fly?