Table of Contents
Even the most frequent fliers hardly come close to covering the amount of ground — or air, that is — that professional flight attendants do. These travel pros spend day after day in airplane cabins and jet-setting to different destinations around the globe, giving them endless opportunities to road test products and find ones that really perform when up against the rigors of nonstop air travel. So, needless to say, when it comes to determining which tools are essential and up to the task, flight attendants are the undisputed experts. Fortunately for us, they’re not ones to gatekeep their must-haves.
Here, flight attendants from around the country have shared their in-flight essentials with Travel + Leisure. Each item has been tested over thousands of miles and countless hours of flying, and includes everything from moisturizing cream to packing cubes. Best of all, these flight attendant-loved products are all available at Amazon right now, and they’re marked down in honor of the retailer’s first-ever Big Spring Sale, which officially kicked off today. Keep scrolling to discover the best Amazon Big Spring Sale deals that flight attendants have on their wish lists.
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
The Amazon Big Spring Sale will showcase the retailer’s beauty offerings and give flight attendants like Jenn Lujan, who is based in California, the chance to stock up on their favorite, multitasking Cetaphil lotion (which is starting at $20 in this convenient two-pack). “I use this moisturizer for my face and body,” she said. “Although [it’s technically] a body moisturizer, Cetaphil’s lighter weight formula works for both.”
According to fellow California-based flight attendant Hannah Bickert, the “one thing every flight attendant has in their apron pocket is hand cream.” She continued, “We’re washing our hands dozens of times a day and still want to have moisturized and manicured hands off the plane. And it’s great for after the pool or salt water, too.” This multipurpose lotion can definitely be used to ward off dry hands and cuticles, and it comes in a travel-sized trio as well.
Hot Logic Mini Portable Food Warmer
Multiple flight attendants that we spoke to said that they travel with this portable food warmer, which comes in handy for heating up food at the destination for convenience and cost savings. “During COVID-19, food was hard to come by [on the go], so I got used to bringing my own and heating it up in my room,” Texas-based flight attendant Traci Velebil recalled. “You just plug it in, put food in the Pyrex dish it comes with, and can heat up anything.”
Lujan also recommended Hot Logic’s model and noted, “Some hotels don’t have microwaves in the room, so it’s nice to have this, especially if you don’t want to leave your room or buy dinner.“ Don’t miss this chance to get it for 28 percent off.
Mocado LED Foldable Travel Mirror
For flight attendant Vanessa Kirkorian, no packing list is complete without an LED travel mirror like this on-sale version from Amazon-loved brand Mocado; it’s currently 25 percent off and only $24.
”A light-up travel mirror makes getting ready in random hotels all over the world a snap,” she explained. “You never know how the lighting is in different hotels, and this mirror is sure to make your makeup application flawless, even in the worst of hotel lighting.” What’s more, the rechargeable travel mirror comes with a 10-times magnifying mini mirror, three color modes, and a velvet carrying case.
DripDrop Electrolyte Powder Packs
Mallorie Hammond, who has been an international flight attendant for more than a decade, always flies with electrolyte powders “to ensure I’m staying adequately hydrated, especially on flights longer than two hours.” Similarly, Bickert stressed that she “never leaves on a trip without hydration powder. Because flying dehydrates you — and so does everything fun you might be getting into on a layover, am I right?”
Add the flight attendant-approved DripDrop Electrolyte Powder Packs to your packing list, and make sure to grab the 32-piece variety pack while it’s on sale for 22 percent off. Each packet offers three times more electrolytes than leading sports drinks, according to the brand, and features a healthy blend of sodium, zinc, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium to help your immune system and energy levels.
Ello Stainless Steel Water Bottle With Straw
Flight attendants underscore the point again and again: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And that means traveling with a refillable water bottle. Bickert called her leakproof, insulated Owala water bottle “the perfect on-the-go water bottle, with a straw for sipping or an opening for gulping. It comes in the most darling color combos.” But, the popular brand hardly ever goes on sale.
You can get a similar version from Amazon-favorite brand Ello, which has double-walled, vacuum-sealed insulation to keep beverages cold for hours and a leak-proof lid and convenient carrying handle. And, it’s 20 percent off right now.
Eagle Creek Pack-It Original Wallaby Hanging Toiletry Bag
This thoughtfully designed toiletry bag comes outfitted with a hook so it can hang from any available peg, rod, or hook — and it keep items securely inside even in unstable conditions, such as an airplane lavatory. “I love hanging toiletry bags,” Lujan raved. “They’re helpful for hotel bathrooms that don’t have much counter space. They work in home bathrooms too for the same reason.”
Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Wallaby Hanging Toiletry Bag also features several useful compartments and pockets to enhance your travel organizational game, and it’s compact 13-inch by 8-inch by 3-inch frame doesn’t take up too much space in a personal bag or carry-on.
Eagle Creek Pack-It Packing Cubes
Speaking of efficient packing methods, Lujan also recommends Eagle Creek’s packing cubes for how compact, efficient, and organized they make packing clothes for a trip — and packing up when it’s time to come home. “Packing cubes are an easy way to organize your clothes,” she explained. “You can fit multiple outfits into a case with cubes, which leaves extra room for your layover purchases.”
This set comes with three various sized packing cubes (extra-small, small, and medium), and each cube is made with a rip- and water-resistant fabric to ensure that your belongings stay safe throughout your journey.
Purell Hand Sanitizer 6-Pack
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, odds are that you won’t catch flight attendants without hand sanitizer in their aprons, according to Bickert. She likes this elevated Touchland version, which she calls both “essential and bougie.” But she assured T+L that good, old Purell does the trick — and with this on-sale pack of six travel-sized bottles, you’ll never be without it.
Wetcat Turkish Beach Towel
Turkish towels are just as absorbent as terry cloth ones, but they’re much thinner, which means that they’re more convenient and compact to pack. Bickert likes the Sand Cloud version, as it’s “sand-free, lightweight, and fast-drying [to] make this the perfect packable Turkish towel.” She also called out that “all the cute patterns make it wearable as a sarong too.” But, Wetcat’s one is less expensive and currently on sale now for 38 percent off. And, like its Sand Cloud counterpart, it also comes in a wide variety of colors — 42 to be exact.
Beister Compression Tights
“For long days on the plane, wearing compression tights helps with circulation and they act as a big preventive to varicose veins,” Lujan advised. “I’ve been wearing them for over 10 years now and my legs don’t feel tired, even after a 10-hour workday.” In fact, Bickert pointed out that their company medical insurance covers them as on-the-job essential items.
Though Lujan prefers the pricer Jobst version, this pair from Beister also gets strong reviews from travelers and it has a far lower price point. They’re available in four colors and an inclusive size range from S to 4XL.
Syphax Industries SA-Compliant Corkscrew
Not only is Velebil a flight attendant with more than three decades of flying experience, but she’s also a certified wine pro and travels with this TSA-approved corkscrew. It uses wine foil cutting wheels instead of blades to make it TSA security-friendly — and it even says so right on the double-hinged arm to get the point across. After dubbing the corkscrew a must-have, Velebil pointed out a flight attendant perk: “I can bring my own wine. We don’t have the same liquid rules as civilians.”
More Flight Attendant-loved Travel Essentials on Sale:
SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA 17-Inch Laptop Backpack
Emdmak Door Stop Alarm
Iniu Portable Charger
W&P Porter Insulated Bottle
Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Expandable Carry-On Luggage
Apple AirTag 4-Pack
Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week