A mum of three has shared her top packing tip to help boost how much space you have in your luggage with just one simple item. With airlines increasingly employing stricter luggage restrictions, particularly for those travelling with hand luggage only, packing for the family can be a headache if you don’t want to pay for extra bags.

What’s worse, if you turn up at the airport with a bag which exceeds the airline’s specified allowance, you could be hit with extra fees of up to £60 with select airlines.

For example, Ryanair can charge up to £38 for priority and two cabin bags when purchased last minute at the gate. If this is unavailable, you are forced to check a bag in at the desk, this cost rises further. A 10kg check-in bag purchased at the gate can cost up to £35.99, while a 20kg bag purchased at the gate could set you back £59.99.

Over at easyJet, you can be charged an “airport bag fee” for an oversized cabin bag totalling up to £48.

Even British Airways can charge excess luggage fees for overweight bags, with the airline’s website stating they will charge £65 per overweight bag and one-way journey.

However, according to Caroline Dickinson, a mum of three from Liverpool, packing cubes are the number one essential she has been using to “maximise space” for the whole family.

Speaking to SilkFred, the mum of three said: “I have been using packing cubes for years because they not only keep my case organised, they also maximise the space I have.

“The best advantage of packing cubes is that it limits how much I can pack for the family. I normally let each family member have a certain number of cubes that they can fill with their items.

“It sets expectations and means everyone is more considered when choosing what they want to bring on holiday.”