India, July 2 -- When IndiGo announced its new hand baggage only fare, I was genuinely intrigued. As someone who flies quite often, the idea of paying less simply by skipping checked baggage sounded like a great deal. You save money, get through the airport faster and walk straight out after landing without spending time at the baggage belt. Then I started reading the baggage rules.

It did not take long to realise that the cheaper fare is only part of the story. Most travellers are not worried about the ticket price. They are worried about fitting everything into one cabin suitcase while staying within the 7 kg cabin limit. One oversized suitcase or a bag that refuses to fit inside the airline's size limit can quickly wipe out the saving...