Perhaps someone or several people close to you are flight attendants and you just don’t know what gifts to buy them for that special occasion? Be it their birthday, Christmas, graduating from aviation school or any other milestone – you want to get them something thoughtful but also something that will be practical and of use to them!
Let me help you: as a former flight attendant I have hand-picked my 25 favourite gift ideas for airline crew! You can be sure one of these ideas below will be perfect for that special flight attendant – check them out below!
1. Plane model
A plane model is the perfect aviation memorabilia for your favourite hostie! This is one of those things that all flight attendants secretly want, but somehow never get around to buying. So do your friend a favour and buy it for them! Just make sure it is of the airline that your friend works at!!
For a bonus, try to find out what their favourite aircraft type is and get that model (many flight attendants love the Boeing 787 aircraft the most, although the Airbus A380 is popular too!). Here are links below of plane models (all easily to assemble) of some of my favourite international airlines – click to shop!
2. World map
A world map to hang on the wall is a great gift to get for flight attendants! Over half the flight attendants I know have a world map hung on the wall somewhere in their house! Click on the images below to shop these gorgeous ones on Etsy.
3. Crew Bag Tags/Keyrings
Another really fitting gift item for cabin crew is a crew keyring or an airline crew bag tag to put on their trolley suitcase. Popular ones include airline specific ones (usually you can buy these in the onboard duty free magazine), ones that say ‘crew’, or ones that say ‘remove before flight’. Click below to shop.
4. Anti-ageing skincare products
Due to the harsh conditions the skin is exposed to when in the air, all cabin crew need to take extra care of their skin to keep to hydrated and to prevent premature ageing. The hottest face cream flight attendants are all talking about is La Mer skin cream. If you just don’t know what to buy your cabin crew friend, treat them to this – it’s a sure-fire winner!
5. Multi Vitamins
A simple yet much appreciated gift you can buy for a flight attendant. Many cabin crew take multi-vitamins or supplements to make sure their body is not devoid of vital nutrients and that they have enough energy. It’s great to take multi-vitamins, but it’s also a good idea to take Vitamin C effervescent tablets too. Taking Vitamin C regularly helps flight attendants boost their immune system, which often gets compromised when flying, and it helps to combat germs they may come across onboard – especially as the air is recirculated. Click below to shop for multi-vitamins and Vitamin C effervescent tablets.
6. Collagen
Another really popular beauty product for your favourite airline crew member to combat the signs of ageing! There are many collagen products you can buy these days, so how do you know which one to get? Ask any hostie that regularly flies to Japan, and they’ll know the Japanese brand Shiseido. Their collagen products are one of the most trusted ones out there. You can buy the collagen in liquid form, tablet or powder form – below are two of their best-selling items.
7. Face Masks
All flight attendants know that South Korean beauty products are top notch! In particular they have really great face masks – just what a flight attendant needs after a long flight to relax! Clay masks, sheet masks, sleeping masks – they have them all! Some really good quality brands you can buy online for your air stewardess friends include: Laneige, Nature Republic, Innisfree, The Face Shop and TonyMoly. Click below to shop some of the most popular ones!
8. Phone Charger
Wireless Mobile phone holder charger for car
This comes in really handy for flight attendants who drive. Not only does it hold the phone on the dashboard which is great if the driver needs to use GPS to get around, but it also charges the phone too!
Power Bank
If your flight attendant friend doesn’t drive, how about getting them a power bank. This way they’ll never run out of phone battery when out and about on their layovers!
9. Rehydration/electrolyte replacement
Another popular product flight attendants use during flight. Electrolyte products are primarily used to replace fluids, nutrients and electrolytes from exercise and to enhance performance. But many flight attendants use them onboard to keep their brain functioning high, and to maintain good hydration levels.
10. Hair spray
You can’t go wrong with this one. All female flight attendants need to use hair spray! My favourite one is L’Oreal Elnett as it really keeps the hair back, without damaging it or leaving it looking greasy afterwards.
11. Hand cream
Another staple in the flight attendant’s hand bag. But any old hand cream won’t do. You need to really make sure it is a thick, moisturising one as flight attendant’s hands get so dry up in the air. The German brand herbacin kamille is excellent, and renowned worldwide by flight attendants who travel to Germany. Do your flight attendant friend a favour and stock up for them!
12. Facial Mist Spray
Facial mist sprays are a really useful and affordable gift to get for flight attendants. You’ll find most female flight attendants carry one of these around in their crew hand bags! They help to set makeup and also keep the face moisturised during long flights. This Evian one is the one that I always used and I really recommend it.
13. Reusable water bottle
Flight attendants drink a lot of water onboard to keep rehydrated and to combat jet lag. Help them to help the planet by not using plastic cups each time they want some water. Instead, they can fill the water into their reusable drinks bottle and drink from that. This way they are also able to keep tabs on how much water they are drinking.
14. Mini Hot Water Bottle
It can get really cold on the plane for flight attendants stuck in the freezing galley whilst all the passengers are snuggled up with their blankets in the cabin. Especially if a flight attendant is tired, they will feel the cold a lot more. A mini hot water bottle can come in really handy to keep flight attendants warm on those long night flights. Buy a mini one such as the one below so it won’t take up too much space in their trolley bag.
15. Kindle
Perfect to pass the time on those long flights, when they can’t sleep on their rest or when they’re in the bus to the airport or hotel. Despite what you may think, flight attendants don’t get free internet on flights, so a kindle is a great way to fight boredom.
16. Watch
All flight attendants need to wear a watch on duty so this can make a really great gift! Try to get a watch that is fairly plain so they will be able to wear it on duty. I used to wear the watch below – it was very simple and pretty inexpensive but people used to compliment me on it all the time.
17. Airplane bottle opener
One of my favourite flight attendant gifts – an airplane shaped bottle opener! This makes such a cute, inexpensive and thoughtful gift for your airline friends.
18. Travel shoe bag
Almost all female flight attendants have 2 pairs of work shoes – 1 pair of heels for wearing outside the plane (in the airports and on the journey to/from the airport) and a flat pair of shoes for wearing during the flight. To keep the shoes clean and prevent other items in their trolley bag from getting dirty from the soles of the shoes, flight attendants are advised to buy a shoe bag to keep their spare shoes in.
If you can get a personalised one made – great! When I worked as a flight attendant one lady was making and selling personalised embroidered shoe bags – it had our name and staff number on and an embroidered cartoon picture of us. It was a nice touch and something that most of us will keep forever! If you cannot get a personalised shoe bag made, check out the one below.
19. Suitcase
Ok, seems like a strange one but trust me, flight attendants can never have too many suitcases! In most airlines flight attendants will buy their own luggage (often black according to company standards) for work trips. Being used constantly, they wear down quickly. And also, flight attendants still go on holiday of course, so like to have different luggage for this! Check out the carry on suitcases below – one black, which complies with most airline employer standards, and a rose gold one for personal travels!
20. Airplane necklace
An airplane necklace is a really thoughtful gift that any flight attendant would appreciate! This silver necklace is affordable and would look great on any flight attendant!
21. Jewellery storage organiser for travelling
I received this as a present two years ago and love it. Prior to this, all my jewellery always used to get tangled up and ruined whenever I was travelling, but with the jewellery organiser, shaped like a regular purse, I am able to keep my jewellery organised whilst I am away from base.
22. Vintage Pan-Am cat flight attendant pillow cover
Definitely my favourite item on the list! How cute are these pillow covers!
23. Portable photo printer
Definitely comes in handy for your flight attendant friend to print all their favourite memories from their layovers! This printer is really small – about the same size as a mobile phone, and can print photos from your phone instantly. I borrowed my friend’s one for months and loved it so much! I loved the size of the prints too: 2×3 inches, such a nice compact size!
24. Universal Travel Adaptor
Universal Travel Adaptors always come in handy for flights attendants, who are constantly leaving adaptors behind stuck in the wall in the hotel on a layover! This universal travel adaptor works for over 150 countries and you can also charge from a USB.
Gifts specifically for male flight attendants:
25. Airplane cufflinks
Cufflinks make such a great gift for male cabin crew! Check out these super affordable ones below:
Still looking for more ideas to get something for your flight attendant pal? Perhaps treat them to a relaxing day at a spa, book them a massage or pay for them to have a manicure, seeing as they always have to have their nails neat for the flight! Flight attendants put a lot of pressure on their bodies so it’s important they treat themselves too! I hope you enjoyed the list and found something suitable!
If you are thinking to become a flight attendant, check out my post on attending a cabin crew assessment day! Or if you would like to know the pros and cons of being a flight attendant, click here.
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