Travel Essentials.

As an ex long haul Stewardess for British Airways, I have travelled the world and learnt a few travel tips along the way. Long haul flying can be exhausting, but it needn’t be with the right travel essentials.

If you are following me on instagram you will know that I am presently in Florida visiting my Mum. As I write its over 90 degrees here!

I know this is the time of year when many of you will be flying away for vacations, so I thought I would share with you what I pack in my hand luggage…

As an ex long haul Stewardess for British Airways, I have travelled the world and learnt a few travel tips along the way…

Travel Essentials

1.Water: a small bottle of water for each of the family

This one will come as no suprise to any of you, hydration is essential when flying. Due to security regulations when flying today, you will not be able to take bottles larger than 100 ml into the departure areas. This means you will need to buy it in the duty free areas in the departure lounges. I know it will be available on the flight  but very often you will receive a small cup and have to wait awhile to get it. Even on a short haul flight I would recommend taking a bottle. I recently travelled to Milan and forgot mine, I ended up drinking wine (oops)

2. Moisturiser.

A beauty essential this time and one for you (forget the kids on this one) I never wear make-up on a flight these days (I may add a touch of Mascara when I land ) but I do moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. My favourite one at the moment is the new Elizabeth Arden 8 hour miracle hydrating mist. Luckily it comes in a 100ml bottle so you can take it through security in your hand luggage. I spray it whenever I get the chance. It is my new best friend. feels super refreshing too!

3. Phone headphones.

Always handy, and great for listening to those podcasts you dont have time for at home. I never rely on the plane headphones or entertainment systems being fully functional. Although on my last flight I was able to plug my phone directly into into my seat, which meant I could recharge my phone too! I was so glad I had packed my own earphones (Brilliant idea Norwegian Air)

4. Travel Pillow.

Another obvious one, especially when travelling with kids. Even on a day flight its nice to be comfy. I was given this Tempur travel pillow and now I won’t travel without it. (At home I keep it in my car) It is so soft and malleable that it moulds to its own space and your head, which making sleeping on a long haul flight very easy. This one ties in with no.5 on the list too…

5. Sleep Mask.

Perhaps best for a night flight, I pack mine in my suitcase and use it for the return night flight. A good quality travel sleep mask will block out light and hopefully allow you to sleep for awhile. My tempur sleep mask has a little weight to it, so when you press it down it moulds to your face and blocks out light perfectly. Great for that annoying moment when your seat neighbour decides to read, when everyone else is asleep! right? (combine this with no.4 and you are all set)

More:

Of course I could add Jelly babies, antibacterial hand wipes, lip salve and more to my list of essentials, but the five above are the most important ones for me…

The ‘Tempur® Challenge’

You too can claim a free travel pillow just like this by taking the The ‘Tempur® Challenge’ from the 10th July – 7th August, which offers you the opportunity to go into a store, test out the mattresses and win a Tempur® travel pillow of their own. Full Details here: http://uk.tempur.com/tempur-challenge.html

I would be very interested to know what you always pack in your hand luggage for a long haul flight? Any more tips to add to my  travel essentials list?