10 In-flight Travel Essentials, per a Flight Attendant

If there’s one group of people you can count on for valuable travel tips and tricks, it’s flight attendants. Not only do they have to pack things easily enough to carry them for weeklong trips, but they’ve also mastered how to fly comfortably since the plane is essentially their office.

Flight attendant Karen Young has been in the business for more than 45 years and knows all the ins and outs of flying—including the flight travel essentials you’re most likely to forget and what to do. No Wear on an airplane. We spoke with Young to learn all the products you should pack so you can have a comfortable flight, no matter how long you’re in the air. Everything is available in Amazon’s Travel Hub, with two-day shipping for Prime members.

Don’t: Forget to hydrate your face

Instead: Pack a face mist

According to Young, it’s easy to forget about your skincare when you’re in the air, but the air is really drying, and your skin loses moisture quickly. One of her favorite skincare products to travel with for a quick refresher is Evan’s Face Mist. It has a fragrance-free formula that is pH balanced and promotes hydration.

“I love that you just spritzed it,” he said. Travel + Leisure. “It feels great and wakes you up after a flight.”

Don’t: Let your eyes dry out during long flights

Instead: Pack eye drops

Young also points out that your eyes are affected by dry cabin air, which can make for a miserable flight if you don’t have eye drops. Her favorite refresher is Tears, which comes in a TSA-approved bottle you can pop into your personal item to keep nearby when you need to give your eyes some TLC. When she works on 14-hour flights, she finds it helpful to put in a few drops before taking a nap, then rub her eyes when she wakes up.

Don’t: Ask for a blanket mid-flight

Instead: Pack a travel blanket

Planes are naturally tight by their design, and airlines keep cold-sided planes to keep the air fresh to prevent passengers from getting suffocated. You can’t always count on the airline to have a blanket, which is where this travel blanket for two comes in handy. It folds into a plush pillow and has a built-in sleeve so you can attach it to your carry-on. When you feel cold, just open the blanket, and you have instant warmth.

Don’t: Wear an oversized sweatshirt

Instead: Pack a zip-up fleece jacket

You wouldn’t catch a young man on a plane without a layer. His jacket of choice? A soft fleece that will insulate heat but doesn’t resemble a tracksuit. Columbia’s fleece jacket has a zip-up design that will let you unzip quickly when you get warm, and has two pockets where you can keep your phone and wallet inside.

Don’t: Wear shoes with laces

Instead: Wear slip-on shoes

Casual shoes are a no-brainer for flights, but Young recommends wearing a slip-on style that you can easily take off. Your feet can swell during a flight, she said, and it can be difficult to put the lace-on style back on when you land.

“Sometimes, I’ve had people take off their shoes, and they can’t get them back on to get off on long flights,” he said.

These Skecher shoes are a best seller for women’s walking shoes and feature a flexible sole that will flex with your foot along with mesh material that stretches across your foot for a comfortable feel.

Don’t: Use scented lotions

Instead: Bring fragrance-free hand cream

A heavy scent will not go unnoticed on the plane. Because it covers a small area, the fragrance can make people sensitive to fragrance nauseous, which is something that Young has seen often and I have personally experienced. Even up in the air, moisture is lost from your skin, including your hands, which is where a fragrance-free hand cream comes in handy. O’Keefe’s moisturizer is formulated with nourishing ingredients like shea butter, niacinamide, and glycerin to lock in hydration for hours.

Don’t: Risk losing wireless earbuds

Instead: Pack over-ear headphones

Sony’s over-ear headphones come with a sleek design that can fit in your bag and won’t fall out of your ear. Plus, its noise sensor technology will help block out background chatter and surround you in your music, podcast, or audiobook. According to Young, it’s also difficult to get lost between the cracks in the seats, which have been discovered by missing people after flights.

Don’t: Rely solely on sleep masks

Instead: Also use reusable ear plugs

For anyone who needs silence to fall asleep, Young recommends packing a pair of earplugs to drown out any disturbing noises. I’ve tested these reusable earplugs and love their noise-canceling feature, and how easily they fit inside the ear—no fuzz and twisting like disposable options.

Don’t: Just close the window shade

Instead: Pack a sleep mask

Sleeping on a plane comes with its challenges, including unwanted light. Whether it’s sunlight streaming in from another passenger’s window or your neighbor using an overhead light, having a sleep mask will give you total darkness. Plus, this style comes with comfortable memory foam that gently pads your eyes.

Don’t: Wear sweats

Instead: Wear leggings

Young prefers a classic pair of black leggings over sweats for their versatility and wrinkle-free properties. This high-waisted pair can easily be worn with an oversized sweater for a more elevated look, or you can pair it with a casual hoodie. You can also choose between a full length or capri style depending on how much coverage you want.

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