Find the PERFECT gift for your favorite frequent flyer
Got a frequent flyer in your life? Wondering what to get your favorite flight attendant or pilot this holiday season? Well, look no further! This high-flying gift guide has wrapped up the best gifts to get for the flight attendant, pilot, or traveler in your life. All of these are items I personally have or WANT to have. Plus, I took some suggestions from other flight attendant friends.
Without further ado, here they are: 2020’s BEST gifts for flight attendants, pilots, and travelers.
*Note SOME of the links below may be affiliate links. So you won’t pay more, but I could earn a small commission to help keep this site going. Win-win-win (when you add in the gift recipient!)
For Commuters
For non-industry people, “commuters” are those who live in one state and work in another. they get to work by airplane! These are essential gifts for flight attendants and pilots who spend a lot of time commuting.
Noise-Cancelling, flight enhancing, sound.
You might consider getting them Apple AirPods Pro. I do not own these, but according to my flight attendant friends, the noise-cancelling feature seriously delivers. Perfect for drowning out crying babies, anti-masker drama and inflight Pas for a peaceful commuting flight. This is the priciest item on the list, so read on for more gift ideas!
A really good sleep mask.
Sure, you could use the one that comes in a free amenity kit, but let’s up our game a bit here. This sleep mask is said to be light-proof and is designed with lashes in mind. It’s “bubble” shape around the eye allows you o blink without crushing your eyelashes. This means less pressure on your precious lids, no makeup smudges, and no costly lash fixes. Rest easy on that commuting flight!
For the (Flying) Fitness Fanatic
The everywhere workout.
Think you need fancy equipment to get a good workout? Guess again! Check out these resistance bands with carrying case, perfect for an in-room workout.
Yoga Socks
Carrying a yoga mat on your travels is less than ideal. You can throw a towel down on the hotel floor, but try doing a down dog without your hands and feet sliding. These yoga socks will prevent slippage so you can get your Ommmm on.
Try these toe-less ones from TOETOESOCKS via Etsy.
OR these Meikan skid-proof socks, both from Etsy.
Aviation SWAG
For the flying family
Check out these super cute tees for the high-flying family. Perfect gifts for flight attendants and pilots who happen to be taking on an even more exhausting job—new parents!
She/Her: Gifts for Womyn on the go
WHO RUN THE WORLD? Show some love to your favorite female flyer with these boss gifts. Female pilots make up such a small percentage of the industry that it is super important that we let them know just how appreciated they are! FAs and leisure travelers alike will dig this swag.
Airplane tee by SimurghApparel via Etsy.
Female pilot tee by Inkful Merch via Etsy.
For the new homeowner
Getting grounded is a big deal for us sky-dwellers. Make your flighty friend’s day with one of these custom aviation-themed home décor gifts. Airportag.com has a huge selection of all things Aviation-themed. Besides the throw pillows, shower curtains and wall art below, they’d got rugs, blankets, clocks, and anything else you can THINK of for the home. The airport code items come in all different colors and codes. So you can gift your favorite traveler swag from their hometown airport or their new home base.
Etsy has some really adorable items as well, like this welcome mat.
For the sky-high couple (barf, I mean swoon!)
The rumors are true: Coupling up is quite common in this industry. These gifts are great for your favorite flying couple, or for your significant other. Theirs and theirs promise rings or a customizable adventure map. Insert your favorite together travel spots for a one-of-a kind gift. Pilots, flight attendants and adventurers will love these sentimental, travel-themed presents.
More SWAG
If you know many pilots, you know that they loooooooooooove to talk about being pilots. Make Captain’s dreams come true with this 4-stripe hat from Airportag.com.
Don’t forget the most important accessory this year—the facemask. Checkout Airportag.com for more aviation and travel-themed masks. Like this rainbow airplane one.
Flight Instruments phone case: Buy at Airportag.com.
Airport Code phone case—European edition. Get it at Airportag.com
For the Go-Green Flyer
Stasher Bags
This gift will help your flight attendant/pilot/travel bud go greener and keep their lunches FRESH! These puppies may look pricey, but add up the cost of all those boxes of throw-away plastic sandwich baggies you won’t be buying, and you’re breaking even or better! These little storage bags are made from non-toxic silicon and are microwave safe and dishwasher safe. Can your Ziplock do that? Plus, a portion of each sale goes directly into nonprofits helping to clean up our oceans.
Multi-Size Bundles | Snack, Sandwich & Storage Bags – Stasher (stasherbag.com)
Reusable silicon cotton swab
I know it sounds gross, but so is killing the planet with a million disposable health and beauty items. Your Earth-loving globetrotter will be pumped to try this gift out!
Totes cute gifts!
These cute, foldable totes are easy to toss in a suitcase and use for unexpected grocery store runs or a trip to the beach. In other words, the perfect gift for a flight attendant.
Cutlery for Keeps
Get your eco-conscious traveler an eco-friendly cutlery set to match. This 9-piece set even comes with chopsticks, reusable straws and a straw cleaner. The best part? It is 100% plastic free! Bamboo is more eco-friendly and won’t get you stopped at TSA.
Get this 9-piece set from Citroc via Etsy.
Gift Cards for ALL!
It may sound cliché or impersonal, but name me someone who doesn’t like a gift card. These specific ones are especially good gifts for flight attendants, pilots, and other humans who frequent airports.
Starbucks
With haywire schedules that can start at 5am or 12am and everything in between, we basically run on caffeine. Do we love to support local coffee shops instead of chains? Sure. But we also work in airports, and it is all but guaranteed there will be a Starbucks in any one in any city. We’ll be eternally grateful for this gift during long de-icing delays and workdays that stretch from long to never-ending. We can get fired for falling asleep on the jumpseat, and I know no one wants to THINK about a tired pilot up front.
Airbnb
Someday travel will be a thing again. Help the frequent travelers in your life to prepare for their next trip with an Airbnb gift card. I almost always prefer staying in an Airbnb over a hotel, which might be because I basically live in hotels for work. This a great gift for flight attendants and pilots who love to travel.
Never tried Airbnb? Use THIS CODE to get up to $65 off your first stay. You’re welcome!
Groupon
I know these seem so generic. But they are actually *customizable* and therefore perfect gifts for flight attendants, pilots, or people who like to travel! Groupon is not just cheap jeggings in weird colors and half-off massages. The getaways section offers great deals on resorts and hotels, and the “Things to do” section is a great way to snag a deal on a fun activity—wherever you’re going.
Like this architecture Boat tour in Chicago, this whale watching trip in Seattle, or a private off-road jeep tour through the Red Rocks of Sedona, AZ. There are salsa-making classes, salsa-dancing classes and a whole litany of other interests.
Audible
Encourage your frequent flyer to get off social media and into a good book. This is great for commuters, travelers, and those of us who like to listen to books while we run or work out.
Odds and Ends
Random gifts that make life on the road (and in the air) better.
For the thirsty ones.
Get your favorite traveler a reusable water bottle so they can stay hydrated on the go. Opt for a double-walled version that will stay cold or lock in the heat.
This one from Etsy is cool because of the lid-flip feature. Sip a cold beverage through the built in straw, or flip the lid upside down for the perfect coffee or tea sip. Buy on Etsy.
I’m currently using this one by Camelbak and really like it. You can buy it at REI.
Yeti is always a solid choice for beverages and keeping things cool. Buy this 36 oz bottle on their site.
Make it Spicy.
Life on the road shouldn’t be bland and flavorless. Spice up their life with this multi-spice jar from Amazon. Prefect size for travel.
Face masks.
We will be happy with any face mask you give. In these days of Coronavirus, layovers are just not what they used to be. Where we used to go out and party with our crews, layovers now consist of staying in our room, catching up on reading or Netflix and getting into some skin care. Plus, with mask-ne (The Other Pandemic) in full swing, we could use all the help we can get.
A cute shoe bag.
This is an easy, go-to gift for any flight attendant.
Like this one by ChicTravelsToo. Get it on Etsy.
Or This one from Amazon. Buy it HERE.
A portable humidifier.
Airplane air is DRY. Pair it with winter conditions and forced heat in hotel rooms and you’ve got yourself flaky skin, a scratchy throat and maybe even a nosebleed. Moisture is important not just for our skin’s appearance but also for our health. These portable humidifiers will make a hotel room feel more homey and our skin and sinuses feel healthier.
These little babies come in cute colors and this one is SO travel-friendly—just stick it in water!
All the lip balm.
As I said, it’s dry out there. Pick what you like and they’ll like it too.
All the $1 bills you have.
No, we’re not going to the strip club. We are using these pieces of paper cash to tip our van drivers who lug us to and from the airport and lift our heavy bags. It’s a custom, and one we should consider increasing, honestly.
And there you have it folks, the best gifts for flight attendants, pilots and travelers. Whoever your special someone is, whatever type of traveler they are, I guarantee that one of these flight attendant-approved gifts will rock their world. (Or at least their next flight.)
For you travelers out there—what was the best travel-related gift you’ve received? FAs and pilots—what do you dream of finding in your stocking? And what are your favorite travel-inspired gifts to give to friends and family?
As always, the gift that counts most is your kindness. Let’s all do our best to give it freely this season.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy, wonderful holiday season!
xoxo
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