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Flying on an almost daily basis can be challenging yet rewarding, as most flight attendants will tell you. It is a unique career, and as time goes on, packing your essential items becomes more streamlined and much easier. Schedules often change, and you may suddenly be staying somewhere you did not expect or working longer hours than planned. Every day is different, and you never really know what will happen.
You will always see flight attendants with a carry-on bag walking through the airport, heading for their flight, whether it’s regional, low-cost, or long-haul international. Flight attendants always plan for the unexpected as well as the necessary. It is about being practical, convenient, and having comfort too. It may be a one-day trip or a ten-day trip, but their packing tends to stay the same. What exactly do flight attendants keep in their carry-on bags?
The Absolute Essentials
There are some things that a flight attendant must carry at all times on every single flight. Everyone has the obvious items, such as keys, a wallet, and a cell phone. Flight attendants must also, by regulation, carry their crew license and airside ID card, medical certificate and vaccination card, health insurance, as well as their passport and any necessary visas for travel. They must also carry their manuals (which can be paper or digital) for safety and emergency procedures, aircraft type, first aid, and service manuals. There may also be a Quick Reference Handbook (QRH), as well as announcements and checklists. This can vary depending on the type of airline.
Personal presentation is very important as flight attendants are the face of the airline, and uniform rules are very strict. Women carry two pairs of shoes: one with a heel for ‘presentation’ pre- and post-flight, and a pair of flat shoes to wear during the flight. There is also a waistcoat or apron to be worn for service. Flight attendants also pack a spare shirt in case of food or beverage spills and spare hosiery.
Wearing a watch is also a necessity, not only for adapting to time zones and checking the time, but also for use in medical emergencies and reporting. A small personal torch is often carried to help with security checks and can be used in an emergency evacuation. Most crew also have a personal mask for CPR, in case of a medical emergency that requires this life-saving technique.
Presentation And Practicality
As presentation and company image are so important for flight attendants, they will have a number of items in their bags to refresh themselves during the flight. This may include a fragrance, tissues, and wet wipes. A mini makeup kit with company color-approved lipstick is all-important, along with a powder compact. A comb, extra hairpins, and a small travel-size can of hairspray keep hair in place. A shoe shiner ensures shoes are kept shiny.
A mini sewing kit is useful for uniform repairs during the flight, and safety pins are useful when time is short for a repair. Flight attendants always take hotel notepads and pens from their layover rooms. These are useful in the cabin when taking a passenger request, listing special meals, and when passengers always ask for pens when filling out immigration or customs forms.
On the practical side, not all airlines provide crew meals or refreshments onboard. Some flight attendants prefer to take their own homemade healthy meals, a water bottle, and a selection of their favorite teas. Most flight attendants will also have a set of eating utensils in their bag, in case they buy a quick meal at the airport, but there are no utensils with it.
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Comfort Items
The cabin environment is very dry and can be uncomfortable on long flights or during long workdays. Flight attendants create their own ‘amenity kit’ with items such as lip balm, facial mist, nasal spray, and eye drops as a minimum. Toothpaste, a toothbrush, and mints are essential too. They personalize their own kit with anything that makes them more comfortable during the flight.
crew rest is an important part of long-haul flights to ensure that the crew remains alert during flights in the event of any emergency. Some crew bring their own loungewear or pajamas for sleeping and change from their uniform. Although a pillow and a blanket are provided in each bunk, they are not always comfortable, so crew sometimes bring their own travel-size pillow and a child-size duvet that can be rolled up tightly in their carry-on. Night flights can be very cold, so some crew take a miniature hot water bottle to keep warm.
Being away a lot of the time means flight attendants like to have a sense of home comfort with them, especially during layovers. This may just mean some comfortable loose clothing. Some take things like room sprays or scented products that make a room feel more personal. Playlists of music or TV shows are often essential for familiarity and relaxation. Some may take snacks from home, instant soups, or a favorite hot drink sachet for extra comfort.
As part of being a flight attendant, on some flights you may have extra duties, depending on the airline, your seniority, and personal interest. For example, some crew may be trained as sommeliers or mixologists and may have a lapel pin that specifies this and have a related guide or accessories. Some airlines partner with charity organizations, and crew volunteer to be ambassadors for them. They will have a collection bag, individual donation envelopes, and information about the charity, an announcement card, and a lapel pin.
In-flight retail is often an assigned duty on commercial flights and can include duty-free items or food and beverage items, or a mix of both. At the base and after the crew briefing, the crew member will collect a cash float, card reader, retail forms, and bags that can be sealed on return to base. Flight attendants who often participate in in-flight retail duties will carry a calculator and some fragrance samples.
Flight attendants on private jets also have extra items to pack in their carry-on. These mostly concern service and food preparation, as this is where the focus tends to be, more so than in commercial aviation. This can include utensils, ziplock bags, squeezy bottles, oven foil, and much more. These may not be standard for every flight attendant in business aviation, but it often depends on how well the aircraft is equipped, whether they change aircraft frequently, and what provisions the operator supplies.
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Unexpected Layover?
Flight attendants have to be prepared for schedule changes and the unexpected. A change of clothes and a light pair of shoes can be kept in the carry-on, just in case. Phone chargers and a tablet or laptop are always useful. Always prepared, flight attendants often have travel or sample-sized toiletries in their bags for unexpected layovers or to freshen up during the flight.
A mini first-aid kit is essential, with a basic painkiller, any necessary medication, and band-aids for cuts or uncomfortable shoes. Antiseptic wipes and hand sanitizer have been essential items since the pandemic. Sachets of cooling burn gel are very useful, especially as we work closely in small galleys dealing with ovens and hot meals; burns do happen on a regular basis. Anti-diarrhea medication can be a lifesaver on long-haul flights, and electrolyte sachets will help replenish.
Flight attendants often have busy schedules and like to be prepared, so many will keep the same items in their carry-on, crew bag, and checked-in suitcase. After a trip, they do not unpack; clothes are washed and replaced, usually in exactly the same place. Toiletries are replaced or topped up. Everything is always ready to go within minutes, especially when on standby duty, as you don’t know where you are going and how long for until the very last minute.
In A Nutshell
Flight attendants have to pack a lot of items in their carry-on on a daily basis to prepare for every flight. Some items are regulatory, such as crew ID, a passport, and manuals. Some items are meant to maintain the company image and personal presentation, for which airlines have very strict rules and uniform guidelines.
The items carried by flight attendants can vary from airline to airline. Long-haul international crew probably carry the most items due to having crew rest and longer trips. Some items are for comfort during long flights or long layovers away from home. Working for a regional or low-cost airline, you would only have one small crew bag or trolley case, as you would be flying short hops or there and back flights. Most crew carry an extra uniform shirt and a spare set of clothes, just in case.
Flight attendants are always prepared for the unexpected and, with time, know exactly what to pack and then continue to pack the same way to save time and ensure they have everything covered. One thing is for sure, if you know a flight attendant and something unexpected happens, just ask, and they probably have a solution in their crew bag.
