Bags and Packs

Let talk about luggage…

Nobody wears out luggage faster than those who fly for a living (except maybe baggage handlers)

You have a LOT of choices when it comes to your bags, those most carriers do want them to be black in color in you’re working. We’ve found that regardless of how much you spend, you’ll replace your bags many times over the course of your career in the skies. There’s just no such thing as an indestructible suitcase.

We’ll list a few of our favorites here. But in general, we’ve found to following to be true for most aircrew.

Soft-sided bags are just more versatile. They do not show wear marks as easily as hard-sided bags, many of which scratch and scuff very easily. They give you just a little extra compression when you’re trying to stuff them into overheard compartments or other tight spots. Plus, who likes hitting their shins on a hard-sided suitcase?

We prefer spinner (four wheeled) to roll-aboard (two wheeled) bags, though there can be good reasons for you to choose either. A spinner style bag is SO easy to maneuver with little effort. The bag can stay upright while you simply guide it along with little pressure. A roll aboard bag will require you to tilt the bag and pull in along. This gets real old – real fast, especially when your back is killing you. There is one downside to spinner bags though, sometimes they’ll roll away from you unless you keep a hand on them on uneven surfaces.

We’ll freely admit we haven’t tried every suitcase of the market, but we’ve tried many, and we can confidently recommend the following spinner style bags.

If you prefer roll-aboard styles, these are great choices…

As you can see, we’re big fans of TravelPro luggage. You can shop all TravelPro products on Amazon for yourself by clicking here.

Food bags

Your food bag must have plenty of room for the things you like to bring along, but must also be easy to access during those precious times you actually get to eat:) These are a few of the bags we’ve tried and we like.

Other bags we love…

Flight attendants love tote bags for all those things they need to get to quickly. You can put a smaller purse or pack inside for walking around on your layover, and it will hold your other essentials such as your tablet, chargers, books, etc…

Totes:

Crossbody Bags:

Crossbody bags are pretty useful on layovers where you want to get out and explore but are mindful of security and ease of access to your essentials.

Backpacks:

Here are a few of the ones we’ve either used or have come highly recommended to us from our aircrew friends. We tend to prefer clean lines (for a pro look), not a lot of outside pockets (for security), and usually black in color as that most often complies with uniform standards.

Cosmetics / Toiletry bags:

Sadly, our all-time favorite make-up bags are no longer available. They were made by eBags which was purchased by Samsonite and subsequently shut down. But you might be able to find them second hand by searching the internet for “ebags pack-it flat cosmetics bag”. But let’s not dwell on the past. These are also great options for bags that are useful, easy to pack, and easy to get to for those quick touch-ups.

Our latest favs:

We’re obsessed with Aloha bags! they come in a variety of sizes and are super tough and lightweight, making then ideal for any purpose like a beach or shopping tote, or even a toiletry kit or cable organizer.

See all the Aloha bags at the Amazon Store…