The rules and penalties applied to our holiday luggage are getting tougher and tougher — sanity-defying, you might say.

The cheapest and quickest way to get through the airport is to travel with hand luggage only (there’s also less chance of it going astray).

But you’ll have to get your head round some brow-furrowing regulations first…

What size bag can I take on board?

It varies, but to be on the safe side, go for 55cm x 40cm x 20cm — that’s the meanest allowance. Ryanair is happy for this bag to weigh up to 10kg, while EasyJet couldn’t care less what it weighs as long as you can hoick it up into the overhead locker without assistance. (Warning: if either airline runs out of space on board, your bag will be put in the hold regardless of size or weight.)

Most no-frills airlines allow only one bag now — no handbags, laptops, cameras or suit bags in addition. British Airways, on the other hand, lets passengers take a case plus a handbag/laptop bag, and they can be any reasonable weight; Virgin Atlantic allows one bag up to 6kg and a handbag. No airline — yet — charges for this allowance.

What will it cost me if I want to take more than just hand luggage?

This is where it gets ugly. If you want to check in baggage, you’ll have to pay: Ryanair charges £10 per bag per leg (15kg limit) — that goes up to £20 if you decide at the last minute to check it in at the airport. And it’s £20 per extra bag after that. However, British Airways and Virgin both allow 23kg and charge nothing.

EasyJet charges up to £8 per bag per leg (20kg limit); Thomson, from £6.50 (20kg limit); Monarch, between £9.99 and £17 (20kg limit). And God help you if your bag weighs over that limit. EasyJet penalises travellers £9 per excess kilo; Monarch, £6-£10 per kilo; and Thomson asks that you call them for charges (are they that bad?).

BA charges by the bag, over a certain weight — £25 to £90 per bag, depending on route; Virgin, £35 per bag, except for some routes that charge by weight (£45 per extra kilo to Tokyo!).

Ryanair is the worst offender among the short-haul airlines: it charges £15 per kilo if you go over your 15kg allowance — yes, £15 per kilo.

So, pack savvy this summer and you won’t just save hours waiting at the luggage carousel, you’ll save a small fortune, too. We’ve picked out some of the most efficient bits of kit on the market to give you a helping hand.

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