How to Pack a Suitcase, per a Flight Attendant

Certain travel products are only made to last for one trip — be it toiletries, containers, and so on. Maybe it’s the Taurus in me who has an affinity for well-made things, or maybe it's simply that I don’t like buying the same items multiple times, but I've always preferred using quality gear to enhance my travels as a flight attendant. 

These days, I'm all about packing light, and over the last decade, I've curated a host of time-tested gems that make carry-on-only travel possible. Below, you'll find the travel gear and accessories I swear by to make everything fit in my beloved Tumi International Dual Access 4-Wheeled Carry-on, whether I'm on the tarmac for work or play. From packing cubes to genius little storage bags, this is how to pack your suitcase like a pro.

The North Face Borealis Commuter Laptop Backpack

A great trip should start with great luggage — well, in this case, a great personal item bag. My trusty The North Face travel backpack picks up the slack when my carry-on luggage fills up too fast, providing extra space for essentials (I love having the elastic bungees on the exterior to keep my blanket and neck pillow accessible instead of crowding my suitcase).

But my favorite features on this backpack are the interior pockets for easy access to my passport and safe-keeping for smaller items like earbuds. Plus, it’s super handy to have an actual backpack for day trips and exploring.

Bed Stu Cadence Convertible Crossbody Bag

Most travelers confuse packing light with cutting corners, and the last thing you want to do is misplace an important travel document. This convertible crossbody wallet checks every box on my list of must-haves with its functional and multitasking design. Typically, I remove the strap and leave it in my roll-aboard until I’m at my destination and use it as a wallet inside my backpack. 

I love the outside zipper pocket for quick access to cash or my identification.  There’s tons of room for credit cards and room keys inside, which stay extra secure behind the snapped strap. Plus, there are two more zipper pockets for an Apple AirTag, lip gloss, and other personal items — proof that the brand really did think of everything I’d need.

Aerotrunk Compression Packing Cubes

Word from the wise: don’t even start packing unless you have packing cubes. This packing system quickly became my favorite when I saw the expansion and compression zippers. Sometimes, I pack exactly what I need, but in the off chance I need to pick up something on a layover, I’m grateful for the zippers to help me get everything home in the bag I arrived in. The mesh windows are great for seeing what’s inside each cube, and you won't feel restricted by your carry-on's dimensions when you have everything tucked into these tidy packages.  

PrettyGarden Women’s 2-piece Outfit

Carry-on-only travel used to mean making wardrobe sacrifices, but that was before I discovered matching sets like this one from Amazon-loved brand PrettyGarden. They help you pack light while still maximizing your outfit options; wear the set as is, or pair the top with a pair of trousers or jeans and the pants with a sweater or blouse. Pro tip: You can wear them together for yoga or a stroll if you don’t want to pack additional workout gear.

Veja Women's Volley Sneakers

Another strategic packing hack I've adopted is opting for versatile footwear; the fewer pairs you need, the more suitcase space you'll have to play with. I love these low-profile Veja shoes because they’re lightweight, easy to stow in a packing cube, and wardrobe chameleons that can be paired with anything from skirts and dresses to pants and jumpsuits. Metallics are basically neutrals to me, so I recommend being bold and going with the Silver Pierre hue (your flight attendants will surely compliment your style).

HyozorGo Travel Shoe Bags Set

Speaking of shoes (and packing cubes), I recommend giving your footwear the same packing treatment as your clothes with this set of shoe bags. Similar to traditional packing cubes, they ensure that your kicks have a secure place to hang when you're on your way to your destination — plus the added benefit of keeping the dirty soles away from your favorite outfits and toiletries. Some bags can even hold multiple pairs of shoes, depending on their size and design. 

Cauyuan Contact Lens Case Portable Travel Box

Packing my contact lenses used to be an elaborate process until I found this nifty travel case, which fits one contact lens container, one care solution bottle, one contact lens tweezer, and one makeup remover stick inside its compact shell. It also comes with three additional contact lens containers and hardly takes up any space in your personal item bag or carry-on. 

Stasher Silicone Reusable Storage Bags

I'm a big proponent of bringing snacks on the plane, especially when I'm on the clock, which is why I always have something packed inside one of these reusable storage bags. But, when I don't need something to nosh on, these bags also double as excellent organizers for small essentials that I often leave floating around my carry-on. They also make a great water-resistant pouch, too. 

Auvon XL Weekly Pill Organizer

 Medications, supplements, vitamins, probiotics — they all deserve a spot on your packing list. But instead of keeping them in the bulky bottles they came in, pack them in a convenient and sleek pill organizer like this one from Auvon. The seven-day design comes with compact capsules that divide your medicines by day and night, ensuring you have everything you need for your trip without sacrificing any precious luggage space. 

Tocelffe Travel Bottles Set

Similarly, it's unlikely that your carry-on will have space for your toiletries if you keep them in their original packaging. Instead, transfer them over to one of the slim, travel-friendly bottles and jars from this top-selling 18-piece set, which comes with its own travel pouch to keep everything together and compact in your suitcase. 

Mayfiy Makeup Bag With LED Mirror

Maintaining your daily routine is essential during travel, but poorly designed gear can make it hard to pack those must-haves. This is especially true when it comes to toiletry bags — which is why I've switched to well-organized and multifunctional ones like this style from Mayfiy. It has plenty of compartments to fit your skincare, makeup, and haircare products, and opens wide so you can see everything that's inside. 

I particularly love the built-in LED mirror, which saves the day when your hotel bathroom doesn't have proper lighting or space. It can also come in handy on planes, trains, road trips, and more. 

Luxtude Electronics and Cord Organizer 

It seems like everything has its own charger or adapter nowadays. Rolling up your phone charger, laptop cables, and other tech accessories may seem like the move, but somehow they always end up tangled at the bottom of your bag (and taking up more space than you thought they would). This annoying travel woe can be easily avoided by packing them in a tech organizer like this slim one from Luxtude; it offers a variety of pouches, compartments, and pockets to give your chargers, adapters, plugs, memory cards, SIM cards, and more a secure, easy-to-find spot. 

Amazon Kindle

I’m a huge fan of physical books (I love anything that's not sending me notifications, and there’s just something nostalgic about the smell and feel of a book). But I don’t always have space for all the books I’m planning to read. The Amazon Kindle has been my favorite book backup plan; it has no notifications, a soft-lit display, and plenty of space for multiple reads. This Kindle is the perfect space-saving solution for travelers like me.

Moggly Compact Foldable Travel Jewelry Case

Wearing my jewelry on my flight used to be my go-to method for keeping it from getting damaged and tangled in my suitcase, but that just resulted in juggling too many items in the TSA security line. Now, I pack my favorite pieces inside a space-saving jewelry organizer so they're secure when I'm on the go. 

With a ring strap, plenty of room for several different earrings, tangle-free necklace storage, and a zipper pouch, the Moggly travel jewelry case covers all the bases. The part I love the most is the closure tie strap instead of a fixed latch or zipper; if your items are a little bigger, there’s no risk of crushing your precious gems.

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