13 Items People Always Forget to Bring, According to Flight Attendants

No matter how often you fly or don’t, the nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten something always lingers. Thankfully, flight attendants, the unsung heroes of the skies, know it all. They’ve passengers who’ve helped passengers who have forgotten snacks, borrowed phone chargers, or had a packing fail.

To help you avoid a mid-air crisis and save yourself from that forehead-slap moment at 35,000 feet, here is a compilation of 13 items that are often forgotten.

Passport Copies

Traveling internationally? It’s a good idea to keep a few paper copies of your passport stashed away in your carry-on or suitcase. Your actual passport is the one that gets the glory, but if the original goes missing, a photocopy can be a lifesaver.

Reusable Water Bottle

You can’t take a full water bottle past the airport security, but an empty one is fine. Passengers are known to spend their cash on the overpriced, tiny bottles of water they’re handed on a flight or worse, on the tiny cups at tiny prices. A reusable bottle is always a win-win! You stay hydrated and save the environment from waste.

Phone Chargers

Chargers would sweep a ‘Most Forgotten Item’ award. They’re necessary to keep connected, whether it’s the classic wall charger or portable power bank. Let’s be honest, no one wants to be that awkward person mid-flight asking a stranger for a charging cord.

Snacks

Airplane snacks are hit or miss and you can forget those tiny portions. Pack your own goodies to stop hunger pangs. Don’t be that person who looks at flight attendants with longing in his eyes over their snacks. And if you’re going to be flying, a stash of your favorites beats mystery airline peanuts any day.

Headphones

Headphones are often forgotten, you’d think they’d be impossible to forget. Without them, you’re left to the mercy of the airline’s flimsy freebies or worse, hours of engine noise and crying babies. Thank yourself later and pack a trusty pair.

Comfortable Socks

No one wants to walk barefoot through security and airplane floors are chilly. Long flights are made better by cozy socks. They’re also sworn by flight attendants, especially for passengers trying to sleep through a red eye.

A Pen

You wouldn’t think a pen would be so high on the “most useful” list, but it is useful for travel abroad. Customs forms? Landing cards? Those don’t fill themselves out. Trust us, flight attendants have limited spares, so it just makes sense to have your own.

Travel Pillow

Sleeping upright is an art and a good travel pillow is the brushstroke you need. You could improvise with a balled-up hoodie, but why suffer? Even a cramped middle seat is bearable—or at least, less miserable—with a pillow.

Small Toiletry Kit

A travel-sized kit (toothpaste, deodorant, face wipes) is a game changer on long flights. Freshening up before landing gets you feeling human, not like you just crawled out of a luggage compartment.

Medications

Vital medications often end up in checked luggage, or worse, forgotten altogether; Horror stories that flight attendants hear all too often. Make sure to store them in your carry-on where you can easily access them. No one wants to get a health scare mid-flight.

Spare Set Of Clothes

Lost luggage can be frustrating and you don’t want to get to your destination with nothing to wear. Changing up your clothes in your carry-on can save you from having to attend dinner in yesterday’s wrinkled outfit. No flight attendant will consider this an option, they all recommend this tip as nonnegotiable.

Portable Luggage Scale

Overpacking is a rookie mistake, but overloading your bag without you even realizing it? That’s a recipe for more fees. A small luggage scale is worth its weight in gold. Use it before you leave home so you don’t have to do those embarrassing bag reshuffles at check-in.

Travel Documents Organizer

Papers floating around your bag? Nightmare fuel. Keep all of your important papers like your boarding pass, ID, etc. in a simple organizer. This hack is the best thing flight attendants recommend to save passengers from unnecessary stress and delays at security.

Affordable Home Entertainment: 11 Must-Have Finds For Enhancing Your Family Movie Nights

Affordable Home Entertainment: 11 Must-Have Finds For Enhancing Your Family Movie Nights

10 Best African Photo Safaris You Must Experience

10 Best African Photo Safaris You Must Experience