Flight attendant explains why they always have tiny suitcase – and what’s in it

Flight attendants always seem to have tiny suitcases with them as they breeze through the airport and if you’ve ever wondered what they take with them – you’re in luck

When moving through all of the hurdles the airport has to offer from the checked baggage queue to the line at security, you might have seen big groups of flight attendants and pilots breeze through with tiny packed suitcases. And if you’ve ever wondered what exactly they’re carrying with them on their trips, you’re in luck.

That’s because an air hostess has revealed what they actually pack in those slick black cases as essential items for their nights away on long-haul flights, or for quick layovers. Susan Brown claims to be a flight attendant and says she typically brings with her two to three suitcases on each flight, but each one is packed with specific organisation for what she may need and when.

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“You carry the handbag with you at all times. Doesn’t matter if you have a layover or not,” she revealed in a post on Quora.

But the handbag is the most important of the cases and will contain the important documents and items she needs for every flight.

“In the handbag, we usually have our wallet, passport, and various crew licenses. And of course whatever else we like to store in there,” she said.

Then comes the carry-on luggage which they get to keep with them at all times as well. These will be the medium sized bags which they can easily store on the flight, much like what passengers might bring for a city break, for example.

She said: “Doesn’t matter short or long-haul flights. In this, we keep our manuals, shoes, and PJs (if we have rest onboard). Then of course whatever else we want or need.

“For example, I have my oven gloves in this carry-on for the times I will be in the galley. I have one extra shirt there in case I spill something on my shirt and need to change.”

In this bag are the important different shoes as well as the air stewards will change from the ones they wear while moving through the airport, to ones better suited to the plane.

“The shoes we walk to and from the airport are different from the ones we wear onboard. The ones we wear onboard are flat or have a flatter heel. I have a small bag of my makeup as well. And a small mini medical kit for myself,” said Susan.

The biggest of the three suitcases will be the larger carry on which is normally reserved for the flights where they might have a layover at the destination before coming back.

“In this, we keep all our clothes, shoes and whatever else we need. For example, if you have a layover in a cold destination you have your winter jacket there,” she explained.

“I make sure to have some space in my large carry-on for all the shopping I do in various cities. So I can have some space there when we fly back. We check-in this large carry-on before we board our flight.”

So the next time you are making your way through the airport and see these flight attendants, you now know what it is they bring with them for their trips around the world.

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