16 Flight Attendant-loved Essentials to Help You Become a Better Traveler in 2025

When you want to become better at something, it often helps to tap a professional for guidance. Want to cut your mile time? Enlist the help of a running coach. Want to develop your kitchen skills? Sign up for a chef-led cooking class. With New Year’s just around the corner, we’re setting our sights on becoming even better travelers in 2025, and as such, we’re looking back on the best expert-backed travel tips and product recommendations we received this year. Naturally, many came from some of the most experienced, adept travelers in the world: flight attendants. 

If you, too, want to up your travel game in 2025, keep reading for the 16 best, most popular flight attendant-approved products we came across this year, including the genius Amazon products they enlist to make trips more seamless. We’re also sharing some of our favorite tips from flight attendants, like using Apple AirTags to track checked luggage or whipping out mini fans to stay cool while taxiing (genius!).

Fyy Travel Electronics Cable Organizer

If you travel with multiple devices, you likely know how frustrating it can be to keep your charging cables from becoming a tangled mess. Instead of tossing your cords into your carry-on and hoping for the best, keep your tech essentials organized with this compact $8 electronics organizer from Fyy. Available in 19 colors, this slim, zippered wallet comes with eight different pockets to keep your cables, memory cards, backup chargers, and small devices neat and organized. This flight attendant says that the compact organizer is the “perfect system” for keeping chargers in one place.

Matein 40L Carry-on Backpack

This extra-large carry-on backpack is chock full of separate pockets and sections to help keep your essentials organized, including a zippered shoe compartment, a padded laptop area, and a hidden back pocket that’s perfect for stashing travel documents or other small valuables. This travel backpack has earned nearly 4,000 five-star ratings, including one from this flight attendant who loves how “roomy” and “durable” it is, and says it’s been “wonderful” for vacations. Right now, you can get the functional pack for 12 percent off, plus an extra 10 percent can be knocked off when you clip the on-site coupon.

Dot&Dot Twist Memory Foam Travel Pillow

his isn’t your typical travel neck pillow. Unlike fixed donut-shaped options, this tubular memory foam pillow has a flexible inner core that can twist and curl in order to provide neck, shoulder, chin, or head support. “As a flight attendant, I have traveled extensively over the years and could never find a neck pillow I liked,” writes one flight attendant. “You can adjust it to any position you need and it stays until you change it. This pillow is perfect!” It’s available in 14 colors, and right now you can get it on sale for $20.

Iniu Portable Charger

Frequent fliers know just how important it is to have a fully-juiced phone on busy travel days. Having a back-up power bank on hand — like this flight attendant-approved Iniu charger, which is on sale for $18 — can be a lifesaver on excursions and long-haul flights. Slim and lightweight, this mighty charger has two USB-C outlets and one USB-A outlet, allowing you to charge three devices at the same time. A whopping 53,000 Amazon shoppers have given this portable charger a perfect rating, and one flight attendant says they use it “pretty much every day,” and that of all of the portable chargers they’ve owned over the years, it’s the “best one yet.”

Apple AirTag 4-pack

Losing your checked luggage is a travel nightmare we wouldn’t wish on our worst enemies. One of our favorite flight attendant-approved tricks for keeping track of misplaced luggage involves using an Apple AirTag as a luggage tracker. Apple AirTags are essentially mini GPS tracking devices that sync directly to your iPhone’s Find My app, which displays location info on your phone. One flight attendant shares that they like to place one inside their checked bag, adding that they’ve already purchased additional Apple AirTags as gifts for their parents and in-laws. 

Bagail 4-set Compression Packing Cubes

While standard packing cubes are great for keeping your clothes organized, compression packing cubes go the extra mile by removing any extra air and squeezing your clothes to a fraction of their size. We love how these Bagail compression packing cubes save valuable luggage space, so it’s no surprise that flight attendants appreciate them, too. These efficient cubes have earned several positive reviews from flight attendants: one called them  “go-to packing cubes,” and another deemed them “flight attendant-approved.” 

Basic Concepts Foot Hammock

Sitting in an airplane seat for an extended period of time can cause your calves and ankles to swell, leading to potential foot pain. An easy, flight attendant-approved way to ease this discomfort is by elevating your feet with an airplane footrest. This $15 option from Basic Concepts attaches to your tray table, creating a swinging hammock that provides relief for tired, swollen feet. One flight attendant with more than 25 years of flying under their belt reports that it’s “perfect” for economy seats that have extra legroom, while another flight attendant shares that it’s a “lifesaver” and “makes for more comfortable flights.”

Addalock The Original Portable Door Lock 2-pack

Flight attendants have to deal with layovers, too! For long-haul trips and overnight flights, crew members typically get their own rooms at airline-approved hotels. This is why many flight attendants choose to bring travel safety devices, like these portable door locks from Addalock. This metal lock has claws that grip onto the strike plate of a door, locking the knob in place once the door is closed. “I am a stewardess and stay in hotels 15 days a month,” writes one five-star reviewer, adding that “this is a great item to carry when you need an extra bit of security.” Another flight attendant shares that it’s easy to install, sturdy, and that they’ve decided to purchase more to give away to colleagues. 

TPRC Smart Underseat Carry-on Luggage

Overhead bin space is an increasingly hot — and sparse — commodity as checked baggage fees continue to climb. This bag is compact enough to slide underneath the airplane seat in front of you, should the bins fill up quickly on your next flight. On sale for $50, this rolling carry-on is fully equipped with functional details, including a telescopic handle, a fully-lined and pocket-filled interior, a luggage trolley strap, and a USB charging port. One flight attendant gave this carry-on a perfect five-star rating, sharing that it’s lightweight, has plenty of pockets, and, as promised, seamlessly fits under a seat. 

Epicka Universal Travel Adapter

Do you only have access to one power outlet? No problem, as long as you have this Epicka Universal Travel Adapter. Great for international and domestic trips alike, this mighty wall plug adapter — which is currently on sale for $23 — has four different plugs that are compatible with outlets in over 150 countries. It comes with four USB ports, one USB-C port, and one AC socket, allowing you to charge up to six devices at one time. This flight attendant dubbed the Epicka Universal Travel Adapter one of their “travel must haves,” while another called it “so convenient” for anyone who frequently travels abroad. 

Morfone 16-set Travel Bottles Set

Skip the travel-sized section at the store. Instead, bring your favorite products from home with the help of this Morfone travel bottle set. For just $10, this set includes 10 TSA-approved squeeze bottles and containers that can hold your shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, lotion, and facial serum. “I’ve had a really hard time finding small containers that don’t break down or leak,” shares one flight attendant, who gave this toiletry kit a perfect five-star rating. 

Nesugar G3 Clothing Steamer

Considering their unpredictable schedules, airline crew members have to be ready to board at a moment’s notice. That’s why some flight attendants choose to invest in a portable travel steamer to help keep their uniforms wrinkle-free while away from home. This Nesugar G3 steamer, on sale for $36 when you apply the extra 10 percent off coupon, weighs less than a pound and heats up in just 15 seconds. This flight attendant writes that it’s “hands down one of the best purchases I’ve made for my travel needs,” adding that it’s sleek and easy to pack.

MQ Motion Sickness Patches 10-pack

If you know, you know: motion sickness can be a major travel nuisance. Thankfully, we’ve found a potential solution that doesn’t include nailing down a last-minute prescription for anti-nausea meds: the MQ Motion Sickness Patches, which were named “Best Patch” in our 2024 roundup of Best Motion Sickness Remedies. These topical patches stick to the back of your ear or around your navel and release a natural blend of essential oils to relieve nausea. “I purchased this when I was first hired as a flight attendant to help when I have five-plus flights per day,” writes one flight attendant, adding that they work “perfectly.”

Master Lock Portable Small Lock Box

This compact portable lock box has a four-digit combination and is large enough to hold your passport, keys, cash, and precious jewelry. One flight attendant gave it a five-star rating, sharing that they “highly recommend” it for keeping your belongings safe while traveling. Right now, it’s on sale for $23, but the peace of mind it provides is priceless. 

Jisulife 3-in-1 Handheld Mini Fan

Taxiing planes can quickly get uncomfortably hot and stuffy. One genius way that some flight attendants stay cool from takeoff to touch down is with a portable mini fan, like this $15 option from Jisulife. This rechargeable fan also acts as a mini flashlight and has a USB charging port that turns it into a portable power bank. Hold it in your hand for on-the-go relief, or place it on your tray table for hands-free cooling. “This product has saved me so many times,” writes one five-star reviewer. “I am a flight attendant, and in the summer the back of the aircraft can get extra hot. This fan has helped keep me cool. I don’t leave home without it!”

Yamiu Travel Shoe Bags 4-pack

Protect your clean travel clothes from smelly sneakers and dirty boots with these waterproof, flight attendant-approved shoe bags. Almost 9,000 Amazon shoppers have given these Yamiu shoe bags a five-star rating, with one flight attendant sharing that they’re sturdy, lightweight, and an all-around “great find.” 

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