This post is a review of the Cabin Zero Classic Backpack that our fellow traveler, Zeke Ramos, used on his trip to Iceland in 2017 to avoid luggage fees. The post was updated in 2024 to contain the most up-to-date colors they now offer.
Say goodbye to some of your upcoming airline fees, I have found the ultimate travel backpack which is the best to avoid luggage fees!
So many fees are charged for many major airlines like American Airlines, United, and Delta to compete with budget airlines, like Ryan Air and Wow Airlines.
In order to offer these cheap flights, the larger airlines created a tier called basic economy but they charge fees for everything, seat selection, food, and oversized carry-on bags and backpacks.
I will show you which travel bags are best for your next journey.
What is basic economy?
The parameters are different for each airline, but it is a price tier that major airlines are starting to use to offer dirt-cheap airfare. The fare might be cheap, but the added fees for luggage are not.
It is a recent trend that major airlines are using to get new customers who simply want a no-frills, bargain flight, and do not need the extra amenities. Basic Economy is for flyers that do not care where they sit, or have a carry-on bag.
These budget flights only allow you to bring a small backpack or purse, and usually, the small item needs to fit underneath your seat. If you have anything larger than that, you will need to pay a luggage fee.
Low-cost North American carriers such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have been charging these luggage fees for years. Larger airlines are now taking notice of how fast the smaller airlines are growing.
What Travel Bags to Buy?
I asked myself this very same question when I purchased a super cheap flight to Iceland for under $250 round trip from New York in 2018. The catch? I could not bring a backpack larger than 17″ x 13″ x 10″ inches, without a fee being added to my airfare.
It was going to cost an extra $80 to bring a Tortuga 44 L backpack which is an amazing backpack for most flights, as my carry-on bag. I was determined to find a solution. After searching everywhere, I finally came across a company called Cabin Zero, which sells exactly what you need for a basic economy flight.
The Ultimate Backpack to Avoid Luggage Fees
The Classic 28L by Cabin Zero
Main Bag
Cabin Zero is a British Company in Leicester, British Isles. They sell 44L and 28L backpacks, but you should purchase the 28L backpack (shown above) for budget flights.
This is the bag that changed my way of packing and avoiding fees. When you first receive it, you might think there is no way you could pack for a trip with such a small bag. This is the bag for how to travel backpack Europe.
This should answer your question – are travel backpacks carry-on? It is practically the size of a school backpack from grade school!
All of this fits into the Cabin Zero bag
Don’t think it’s possible to use this small bag for a winter trip? Think again. You can backpack Iceland for more than a week with only this Cabin Zero bag and one small personal item bag.
The key is simple: BRING LAYERS! Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to bring a bunch of sweaters, heavy jackets, and hoodies to stay warm. If you layer correctly, you will not need to bring heavy clothes. Larger items will take up too much room in your bag.
What’s in the Cabin Zero Bag?
Items inside of the ultimate backpack to avoid luggage fees:
Bottoms
- 3 pairs of thermal pant base layers
- 1 pair of workout pants
- 1 pair of waterproof pants
- 4 pairs of quick dry underwear
- 1 pair of swim trunks
- 4 pairs of wool socks.
- 1 pair of jeans (not pictured; wore on the plane)
- 1 pair of hiking boots (not pictured; wore on the plane)
- 1 pair of gloves
- 1 beanie hat
Tops
- 1 thermal base layer
- 1 Merino wool base layer (not pictured; wore on the plane)
- 1 lightweight fleece
- 1 heavy fleece (not pictured; wore on the plane)
- 2 mid-layer polyester tops
- 1 button-down shirt
- 4 quick dry t shirts
- 1 goose down jacket (bundled up)
- 1 waterproof outer shell
Other
- Toiletry bag
- 11-inch Macbook Air (not pictured)
For clothing, quick-dry underwear and shirts are amazing because they do not take up a lot of room in the backpack and they are easy to clean and dry. The merino wool layers are lightweight and do not smell after wearing them a few times, since they are antimicrobial.
You can wear them for days without washing them. They are expensive, but well worth it in the long run.
Personal Bag
Certain airlines that have this basic economy option will also allow you to take a personal bag.
A great personal bag is the Red Rock Sling Pack. It surprisingly has plenty of room for electronics and miscellaneous items.
Plenty of room in my small personal bag
What is great about this bag is that it is a sling bag so you could wear the main backpack on your back, and carry the smaller bag across your chest. Both are super comfortable.
What’s in the Personal Bag?
- iPad Pro 9.7 inch
- Cable case for iPhone, iPad, and misc cables
- Selfie stick for GoPro
- Tripod for Go Pro
- 18 oz water bottle
- Travel case for passport, headphones, and misc stuff
- Macbook Air charger
- Go Pro camera with waterproof case and batteries
- Moleskin notebook
- External battery charger
- Sunglasses
- Altoids
If you are planning on taking advantage of these new basic economy flights and do not want to pay all the extra luggage fees, it is possible with these specific backpacks.
Quick link to the backpack to avoid luggage fees:
Personal Bag: Red Rock Sling Bag
This post may contain some affiliate links. If you make a purchase through that link, I may receive a commission. You will never pay extra for using these links, it will be purely to support the blog. I will only suggest items that I use myself, to enhance your travel experience. Thank you in advance for any support you may give me!