9 Things You Should Always Carry On A Plane, According To A Repeated Flier

As a professional travel writer and all-around wanderluster, it seems like I’m always in a state of packing and unpacking for a flight. I log dozens of flights and many thousands of miles in the air each year for both work and leisure.

Off the bat, here’s a pro tip from me to you: Because I’m an avowed carry-on-only type, I streamline my packing process by keeping my carry-on bag stocked at all times with some of the essentials I know I’ll always need with me in the cabin. It means having a duplicate set of these items, but it’s so worth it to cut down on time and effort ahead of each trip. (You’re welcome!) 

Now onto my advice for the must-have items I always pack in my carry-on luggage—and advise you do the same.

Backup Power

As a repeated traveler, I know this one thing to be true above all overs: ABC. That’s “always be charging.” You can’t count on having in-seat power. And if your phone or other device dies, so does your lifeline for in-flight entertainment, rideshare arrangements on landing, updating loved ones on your ETA, and so much more. So I always travel with a backup power bank for my phone (and make sure the backup is juiced up, too).

Medicines

Loss and delay of checked-in bags is a notorious problem in this era of confused air travel. That’s why you must always keep your prescription medicines with you in the airplane cabin, and never leave their whereabouts up to chance by storing them in a checked bag. (Losing your favorite swimsuit, say, is inconvenient, but it’s not a matter of life or death, like going without a potentially life-saving medication.)

Glasses and/or Contact Lenses

Since you can’t easily replace prescription corrective lenses at your destination if they get lost, do keep any glasses or contact lenses with you in your carry-on. I wear daily disposable contacts, and I make sure to pack several extras for each eye in case I drop or damage one—or in case my trip gets unexpectedly extended. (This happened to me earlier this year when thousands of flights were grounded due to a maintenance issue; my five-day family vacation in Hawaii turned into nine days after we got stuck in paradise!)

Lip Balm

Airplane cabins are notoriously droughty environments, and that can lead to uncomfortably chapped lips even on a relatively tiny flight. That’s why I always carry lip balm within arms reach. (My skin stays pretty saturated, but if yours tends to toward droughty, I recommend you also bring along hand lotion for the same reason.)

An Extra Layer

Even when it’s intensely heated and damp outside, airplane cabins are sometimes over-air conditioned and freezing. And sometimes, the temperature changes dramatically in flight. That’s why layers are key to comfort. I always bring a sweatshirt or cardigan to throw on top if I get frigid, plus a pair of socks to cover my feet.

GPS Tracker

The future is now: GPS trackers are real, they’re petite, they’re everywhere, and you can buy one for about the cost of an airport bloody mary. My preferred brand is AirTag, because it seamlessly syncs up with all my other Apple devices, and I put one on each carry-on bag for every member of my family. Carrying on your essentials is only a good strategy if you know where your carry-on bag is—and keeping a tracker on it will lend a hand you do that even in the event of loss or theft.

Headphones

Don’t be the person in a confined airplane cabin playing your beepy game or taking a FaceTime call so everyone can hear it. It’s a bad look and it deprives everyone (including you) of privacy, so headphones are simply a must.

Hand Sanitizer

Germs are everywhere: in crowded airports, on packed planes, and emanating from the mouth of that passenger right behind you every time he coughs. I’ve gotten my share of colds, Covid, and stomach viruses while traveling—and I’ve learned my lesson to stay as protected as possible to minimize the transmission risk. Carrying hand sanitizer is one petite, economical, helpful thing you can do that helps. (I also bring along Clorox wipes to wipe down high-touch airplane surfaces like my tray table, screen, and armrest when I get on the plane.)

Pen

It seems like a petite thing—and it is—until flight attendants hand out customs forms to every passenger on an international flight, and only a few of them have one on hand. Unless your seatmate has one to loan you so you can fill out your paperwork leisurely in flight, you’ll be scrambling to fill out forms at the airport as lines queue behind you. And that puts precious extra moments between you and your ice-cold blended cocktail on a tropical beach (or whatever other treasures your travels have in store for you).