It's a travel hack many passengers aren't aware of - and it could afford you extra time at the airport. 

Many airlines have implemented a scheme called a Twilight Bag Drop service that can save passengers significant stress, especially during particularly busy travel periods.     

This allows passengers to arrive at the airport the night before their scheduled departure and check in their large bags well before the flight’s check-in window.

The service is particularly convenient for anyone living close to the airport, or for anyone staying in a hotel the night before. 

It comes as easyJet is set to expand its Twilight Bag Drop to Birmingham Airport after offering the service at seven other locations.   

Available from today (January 5), easyJet's Twilight Bag Drop will be available to all customers on early morning flights departing before 9am at Birmingham Airport.

Bags can be dropped between 4pm and 8pm the day before flying. 

Customers will also receive discounted parking for an hour in the airport's Premium Set Down car park.

The service is already available to easyJet passengers at London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.

Other carriers offering the Twilight Bag Drop at various airports include Ryanair, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.

Rip-Off Britain found that Edinburgh offers the largest selection of airlines offering the service. 

Some airports allow a lead passenger to drop off up to six people’s bags, as long as they have passports and travel documents for each passenger.

Passengers should check with their airline for the drop-off time period.

Multiple companies also offer a luggage delivery service where a company collects your bags from your home, office, or hotel and transports them to your destination, such as the airport, another hotel or a different country. 

For example, BagBudy offers collection from your home in the London area and delivery to Heathrow terminals, where you meet an expert to receive your bags before check-in. 

Another app, Airportr, partners with airlines like British Airways, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic to collect your bags from a specified address (home, hotel, or office) and check them in for your flight. 

It operates in the southeast of England for London airports like Heathrow and Gatwick. 

You then simply collect your bags at the destination baggage carousel. 

It comes as Ellis German, head of travel insurance at Co-op Insurance, shared his tips for keeping your luggage safe at the airport.

'Thieves will often target and go after generic, blank cases,' Ellis said.

'You could use a bright luggage strip or ribbon to tie round the handle or add a sticker or colourful tape. This will help with both deterring theft but also helping identification and recovery if the worst should happen.'