Holidaymakers are “travelling light” to dodge airline baggage fees, according to a survey.

There has been a huge rise in the number of people managing to go on a trip with just hand luggage, the poll by The Co-operative Travel company found.

Around 26 per cent of passengers are lightening their load in order to reduce costs, with an estimated 16,000 families taking one suitcase between four people when flying with budget airlines this year.

The company said a family of four holidaying with just hand luggage, rather than a suitcase each, could save an average of more than £233 on baggage charges on budget airlines.

The Co-operative Travel retail distribution director Trevor Davis said: “Budget airlines have been around for quite some time now and people are getting smarter and minimising the cost of their flights.

“While not everyone will want to go to the extremes of holidaying with just carry-on baggage, it does allow people to decide exactly what they’re prepared to pay for.

“For the airlines this is probably the desired outcome, lowering the weight of the flight and time spent handling people’s luggage.”