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We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
They know what's actually worth the money, thanks to their vast travel experience.
"Less is MORE. Seriously, packing cubes and choosing clothes that can be mixed and matched go a long way!" —michellee48b2133e7
With these, you simply remove your bag of tops and your bag of socks and undies, unzip your bag of pants, get what you need, then throw the other bags back in! Zero mess, zero stress.
Promising review: "These are exactly what I wasn’t looking for and didn’t know I needed but I am SO HAPPY I stumbled upon them. I’m a flight attendant and these have helped compress two weeks worth of clothes in my bag, easily. I’m a big guy. My clothes aren’t small. If you’re petit I bet you could pack a month or more in these guys. Happy with my purchase!" —Michael A.
Get a highly rated set of four zip-up packing cubes from Amazon for $21.99 (available in nine colors).
For more on why this particular one's great, read a BuzzFeed editor's mini steamer review. TL;DR, this steamer's incredibly useful: it heats up in about 90 seconds, steams about five garments before needing refilled, and is all around perfect for anyone who doesn't want to wait too long or work too hard to get the wrinkles out.
Promising review: "This steamer is very compact, easy to use, and well-made. I am a flight attendant so this has helped my life tremendously. I never even pick up an iron anymore. It works extremely well on my uniform and also just to get wrinkles out of my clothes while on layovers. The best part is that it doesn't take up too much space in my bag. I hate ironing with a passion, so I am so glad that I found this product!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $24.97.
"For saving some $$$ on coffee while on the road, I’ve bought a collapsible travel kettle from Amazon and a travel French press mug and made fresh coffee in my room. Just fill a sandwich bag up with the grinds you desire; I use a foldable flask by Vapur to hold the creamer I like. The kettle comes in multiple uses to make tea, oatmeal, and ramen as a backup food option." —michellee48b2133e7
Get them both from Amazon — the kettle for $35.89 and the travel mug for $22.99 (available in four colors).
"A sweater that goes with everything!" —kaylab4c9863587
Reviewers who traveled with this sweater said it looks good through multiple washes in a hotel room sink, is cozy enough to sleep in if a hotel room happens to be way too cold (which would work on a flight, too), and holds up without snagging or pilling even if it ends up wadded up in the bottom of a bag for a bit.
Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in sizes S–XXXL and 45 colors/patterns).
"For security in a hotel room, Add-a-Lock. It’s a fantastic door stopper just in case. Trust me, once you’ve had someone walk in while you're undressing, it’s pretty hard to shake." —michellee48b2133e7
Get it from Amazon for $17.95.
"Compression socks!" —rosem443e8bba5
Compression socks may also help prevent deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot that starts in the legs and can be serious); to know if you're really at risk of that, however, you'll have to talk to your doctor.
Reviewers say they're tight but still comfortable! This default pack comes with one solid black pair, one solid gray pair, one solid white pair, and one pair each in black with white accents — either stripes, polka dots, or hearts.
Get a pack of six pairs of varying patterns from Amazon for $20.55+ (available in sizes S/M and L/XL, and 27 color/pattern combos).
The review below is from 2017; hopefully if a flight attendant felt sick these days, they wouldn't have to fly!
Promising review: "As a flight attendant, I recommend that anybody who is a frequent traveler keep a pair of these in their bag. I have problems with my ears because I flew while congested, and use these all the time. If you have to fly while having a cold, you should use these just to avoid the pain and problems you could possibly have during descent." —Vanessa
Get a pack of three pairs from Amazon for $17.49.
Promising reviews: "I am a flight attendant and it's perfect for my international flights going through security. I love the handle, easy to pull out of my suitcase." —Kristi
"I travel very frequently and had never heard of a liquid travel bag like this before. I was a little worried because the back is not see through, so I brought a 1-quart plastic baggie as back up just in case. But everything I needed fit perfectly and I had no issues in TSA/China security. So far I have been through MSP, IAD, NKG, and PEK airports using this pack already and it's a life changer! I will never again have to worry about having to scramble to buy baggies just for liquids, and it is much more durable." —Courtney Swanson
Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in 10 colors).
"A power bank! Bringing along too many cords and an international adapter is such a hassle that you sometimes leave it in the hotel room, so a power bank is my go-to power source. It’s light, compact, and can charge a lot of items on the go! I always carry mine during layovers." —fritziebeatricen
This highly-rated slim option holds about 2.25 charges for iPhone 12, 1.6 charges for Galaxy S20, and 1.2 charges for iPad Mini 5 and comes with a Micro USB cable (to charge the charger) and a travel pouch.
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
Promising review: "As a flight attendant for a major airline I have heard from passengers how much they like this pillow. So I ordered it...I LOVE IT. I lost my U-shaped memory foam pillow recently so I thought I would give this a try. It's smaller than a U-shape pillow and easy to pack up. Lots of fun colors to match your outfits. But most of all it works. It's cheap enough to give it a try...so just do it." —Franny
Ciera Velarde, an editor here at BuzzFeed, also loves this! She says: "I've used this for the past few years and swear by it! Before this, I always found traditional neck pillows uncomfortable and would end up ditching them halfway through the flight and getting frustrated. The Trtl pillow is adjustable — you wrap the pillow around your neck and secure it with Velcro, and if you find it's too loose, just make it a bit tighter! I've truly never slept better on a plane than with this pillow."
Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in four colors).
Promising review: "I am a flight attendant and have a wacky work schedule. I frequently have to sleep during the day. These are SO comfortable and cool as well. I have ordered and tried out at least 10 eye masks off of Amazon and have found these to be the best. They are SO comfortable and do not have Velcro on the straps, for which I am thankful, because I usually sleep on my back and am sensitive to the thickness of eye masks that have the Velcro straps." —sw
Get one from Amazon for $13.54.
"Melatonin for long red-eye flights! Take one before takeoff so you feel great getting off the plane." —rosem443e8bba5
BTW, some Amazon reviewers report their gummies arriving melted, so if you live somewhere hot, consider finding these at a local store instead. But others whose gummies arrived intact say these help them sleep the whole night through with no hangover feeling.
Get a jar of 50 gummies from Amazon for $12.79.
Learn more about the link between melatonin and sleep at the National Sleep Foundation.
The instructions say to take one at take off, every two hours during the flight, and then again after you arrive. One box is good for 50 hours of flying!
Promising review: "I swear by this stuff — it works if you take the doses exactly as indicated. I set my timer on long flights to make sure I wake up on time for my next dose. And drink plenty of water, which sucks on long flights having to use bathroom all the time, but it's worth not getting jet leg. I was a flight attendant for six years and always used this when I worked long flights!" —Jvelez
Get it from Amazon for $11.04.
"E-readers are awesome to have a book with you on the go without taking up too much space." —michellee48b2133e7
Yes, that means it's waterproof! Its black-and-white screen reads like paper, even in direct sunlight. If you're a Prime member, you get free access to over 1,000 books and magazines.
Get it from Amazon for $129.99+ (available in two physical sizes, with 8 GB or 32 GB of memory, and in four colors).
"Clarks shoes have been the best, hands down, for all-day footwear and comfortable heels!" —michellee48b2133e7
Get these 2-inch Clarks from Amazon for $28.99+ (available in sizes 5–11, including half sizes and wide options, and 19 colors, although not all sizes are available in all colors).
"For skin hydration, I’m a fan of spritzing throughout flights (just bring your fave...I’m loving ones by Kiehl’s and Mario Badescu)." —melialexander
The Mario Badescu sprays each have slightly different scents and ingredients, although they all have aloe for hydration — the pink has rose water, the green has cucumber and green tea, the purple has lavender and chamomile, and the orange has orange blossom and sage.
Get a travel-friendly pack of four Mario Badescu sprays from Amazon for $20 or the travel-size Kiehl's Cactus Flower and Tibetan Ginseng Hydrating Mist from Kiehl's for $27.
Yes, you can bring food through security! Although to bring big water bottles or ice packs through, you have to freeze them and make sure they stay frozen solid the entire time you go through the checkpoint (so if you plan to do this for a vacation, be sure to have a way to freeze them for your way home).
Promising review: "I use this bag for work all the time and LOVE it. I’m a flight attendant, so I pack for several days at a time. It gives plenty of space for all the food I need for three days, plus room for ice. The top dry storage is very spacious and fits all sorts of stuff. I love the removable lining, makes it very easy to wash. I’ve never had the bag leak. It keeps the ice cold easily overnight and throughout the day. Mix this bag with the Hot Logic Mini and you’ve got the perfect kit for all your meals" —Lindy
Get it from Amazon for $72.95.
Multiple reviewers note that you'll want to pull the sheet out of the container *before* you get your hands wet, though!
Promising reviews: "Love them. So convenient. I give them as presents to my friends I fly with. Being a flight attendant in these changing times you never know what to expect at the hotels. Soap on the go." —Mona
"Exactly what I wanted! Hands feel very clean after wash! Highly recommend! Each sheet of soap produces enough soap to give the comfort of knowing your hands are throughly clean." —Clippin4You
Get them from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in eight sizes).
Promising review: "I’m a flight attendant and travel A LOT! This is a game changer! Folds up super small in the cute bag they provide and really makes a difference when on those long flights. The people in front of me had no idea I was using it. Thanks for the great product!!!" —sarah rubin
Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in three colors).