Flight attendants lead intensely busy lives, constantly traveling, dealing with various personalities, and grueling hours. They have genuinely challenging jobs within the hospitality industry. Finding time to rest and regroup is hard when you have such a demanding schedule. It’s high time to applaud them for what they do!
Here are our picks for the best gifts for flight attendants that will fit various budgets and occasions. If You’re looking to impress a romantic partner, friend, or family or you’re buying something proactively for the next thoughtful attendant there is something for you.
1. Scratch-Off World Map Poster
Part of the reason why flight attendants are willing to deal with such a fluctuating and busy schedule is for the traveling perks. You rarely get to travel the world for free!
Why not gift them a way to remember everywhere they’ve traveled? This scratch-off world map poster is the perfect gift for a flight attendant who wants to keep track of their excursions, marking every country they’ve visited.
They’ll get beautiful memory stickers, scratch tools, and a magnifying glass for tiny countries that are hard to see on the map. This gift is budget-friendly and great for both men and women.
2. Airplane Cufflinks
One thing’s for sure, flight attendants always dress to impress! Women wear business skirt suits, and men don nice-fitting suits, giving off an air of professionalism.
Consider these personalized airplane cufflinks if you’re looking for a memorable gift for a special guy. It’s an ode to his profession while adding that personal touch with his name or nickname engraved in steel or sterling silver. It’s a small token that’ll mean a lot.
3. Flight Attendant Tumbler
If you’re looking for a practical, compact, and thoughtful gift, consider a personalized tumblr from Etsy. It’s a cute gift that’ll get plenty of use, and it has a laser-engraved plane on the stainless steel insulated travel mug. It has the title “Flight Attendant” above an airplane, with the attendant’s name beneath.
Since the material is durable and engraved, you don’t have to worry about the design rubbing off. The recipient will always have a reminder of how you appreciate their efforts! This unique gift is perfect for birthdays.
4. Self-Care Kit
Some flights are incredibly long, and it’s easy for the flight attendants to feel drained afterward. They’re serving refreshments, answering questions, and having to be alert for extended periods. They only get rest in spurts.
By the time they get off the plane, it would be nice to have a mini relaxation session. What better way than with this lovely self-care kit? It contains:
- An organic soap that moisturizes and softens the skin,
- Bath bomb
- Luxurious body scrub
- Deep sleep mist
- Mood booster
- Bath salts.
By gifting them this kit, they’ll feel rejuvenated by the time they reboard the plane!
5. Portable Food Warmer
While some in-flight meals are exquisite, all aren’t. Who doesn’t love a good home-cooked meal over airplane food when traveling? A portable food warmer is a beautiful idea because it allows the attendant to store food for a long time without checking it constantly.
They plug it in, and it can warm frozen dishes effortlessly. It has customized heat settings, so your friend can heat their food, and it automatically shuts off when it reaches the ideal temperature. It thereafter retains the heat until they’re ready to eat.
6. Flight Attendant Demo Kit
If you know someone who’s an aspiring flight attendant, this is the perfect gift to help them practice what they learn in training. The flight attendant demo kit contains the same items on a plane, where you’ll have to teach passengers how to use a life vest, an oxygen mask, and seat belts.
The attendant-in-training can ensure higher professionalism and proficiency during this interaction, and it’s an excellent motivation gift.
7. 14K Gold Airplane Necklace
Jewelry is always an excellent idea for gift-giving. This 14K gold airplane necklace is beautiful and comes in solid yellow gold or rose gold. It is resistant to corrosion, has a stunning lister, and features a small airplane pendant on a delicate chain.
The chain also comes in various lengths that you can choose from. This necklace is perfect to wear with the official uniform or for a casual occasion when the attendant is off-duty.
8. Cruising Attitude Book
Sometimes it’s funny to give lighthearted gifts that can make your loved ones chuckle. The Cruising Attitude book is for new and old flight attendants alike. An actual flight attendant, author Heather Poole, gives a personal account of her 15 years of experience as an attendant.
This witty book contains crew drama, crazy passengers, finding love in the air, and other delightful encounters. So, during those few hours that flight attendants get on long trips, this will give them a good laugh and tips on what to expect during their tenure.
9. Travel Blanket (4-in-1)
Comfort is paramount when traveling and this 4-in-1 travel blanket will work wonders. You can easily strap it to your luggage or carry it by hand. Once you place the blanket inside the case, it also works as a pillow.
The thick and plush polyester material will keep the attendant nice and warm while traveling. There are also two mesh pockets for snacks, travel documents, a phone, and more. It’s also great for lumbar support!
10. Flight Journal
For friends and loved ones that enjoy writing, this flight journal is a fantastic and thoughtful gift. It allows one to jot down their thoughts and document their adventures as they travel.
This hard-backed book is compact and has 128 lined pages, with plenty of space to capture a world of memories. There are also little airplanes all over the cover, which looks neat. You can even get it engraved with their name to make it extra unique.
11. Compression Socks
Excellent for men and women alike, compression socks can be a true lifesaver! Flight Attendants are constantly on their feet, walking back and forth through the aisles, ensuring passengers are comfortable and accommodated.
They help to increase blood flow and soothe sore muscles. They also help to combat embolisms that can start to form within blood vessels from constant flying. These socks are soft, high quality, and a great gift idea.
12. Bluetooth Sleep Mask
Coming back to comfort, this Bluetooth sleep mask is a fan favorite. While trying to get some shut-eye, sometimes you just want to escape to your happy place and a more serene environment.
This mask blocks out light to promote better sleeping, it has built-in headphones that emit soft tunes when drifting asleep. It also features a lush velvet material that lines the inside. The attendant will only need to charge it for about two hours, lasting for ten hours without needing a recharge. Super convenient!
13. Neck, Back, and Shoulder Massager
Pushing and pulling beverage carts and reaching passengers to deliver the goods can take a toll on vital muscles. This heated massager offers optimal relief.
It has a built-in timer, automatically shuts off after 15 minutes, and comes with overheating protection. This ergonomic Mo Cuishle Massager offers bi-directional kneading motions. As a result, it’s reliable and safe while being easy to operate and transport.
14. Flight Attendant T-Shirt
This flight attendant shirt is super soft and made from comfortable cotton material. It’s perfect for lounging around the house on days off and comes in various colors. It’s one of those “just because” fun gifts that’ll elicit a smile.
You can also order it as a long-sleeve or a hoodie. For those looking for a valuable gift, this budget-friendly item is great as a birthday, holiday, or anniversary gift.
15. Keychain
A keychain tailored to the flight attendant profession is the perfect gift for a flight attendant you want to thank for doing their job well. It has the words “Fly Safe” engraved on the stainless steel keychain and is rust-resistant and hypoallergenic.
It also comes with a small airplane pendant, which is a nice touch. Since keychains are inexpensive, you can grab a few at a time to gift multiple attendants at once.
16. Aircraft Stud Earrings
Flight attendants are only allowed to wear a little jewelry when they work onboard, so you’ll want to give them something that isn’t too loud or flashy if they enjoy wearing jewelry to complement their attire. These appropriate airplane stud earrings are a great gift option.
These studs feature hypoallergenic sterling silver, which is gentle and doesn’t rust or tarnish quickly. They also come in a cute gift box with personalized cloth for polishing.
17. Gourmet Chocolates
Almost everyone loves chocolate! If you want to show someone how awesome they are, try this box of gourmet chocolates. Godiva makes some of the finest quality chocolates worldwide. The attendant you give these to can pass them to the rest of the crew.
There are assorted white, dark, and milk chocolate treats in a lovely gift box with a blue ribbon tied around it. G box of gourmet chocolates is a sensational gift for colleagues, friends, or family.
18. Cup and Phone Luggage Caddy
Sometimes flight attendants will need more hands to carry a water bottle, a coffee, their phone, and so on. Luckily, this luggage drink caddy is like another set of hands!
There’s an adjustable strap that you can use to attach the caddy to the handle of a suitcase securely. It has three pockets available: machine washable, foldable, and wear-resistant, made of premium oxford cloth.
19. Dual Time Zone Watch
The Philip Stein Quartz Watch is an excellent gift idea for any flight attendant that prioritizes being stylish while on duty. When traveling through various time zones, which happens frequently, it’s challenging to keep up with the time.
This dual time zone watch helps address that problem. It features two dials so the attendant can see the time in multiple regions. Both dials have separate knobs used to set the time. It’s water-resistant and made from stainless steel.
20. Iron Flask Water Bottle
Flight attendants need to stay hydrated when they’re traveling for long stints. The Iron Flask Sports Water bottle will do the trick. It’s insulated and can keep drinks hot for nearly 12 hours and cold for up to one day.
The metal water bottle also has three separate lids that have different spouts. In addition, there’s a handle lid, a flip lid, and a straw lid, all for convenience.
21. Make-Up Bag
A multifunctional cosmetics bag can store small electronic devices, toiletries, jewelry, and more. The high-quality canvas material looks great, and it’s also scratch/water-resistant.
Flight attendants don’t have much space on board, so they’ll need something quick for the occasional touch-up during long flights. This makeup bag is lightweight and easy to carry, with a thoughtful “Safe trip wherever you go” phrase and a picture of an airplane on the front.
22. Airline Poster
You can get vintage airline travel posters for virtually any popular destination from this site.
These posters are available in various sizes, which you’ll choose between based on where you want to hang them. These are great affordable gifts to give to a flight attendant for a birthday or the holidays.
23. Comfortable Shoes
Since female flight attendants must wear heels when they greet passengers, comfortable shoes are a priority. These Mary Jane-style pumps are lovely for work.
The heel is thicker, which offers more support, and is not too high. DSW is also known for high-quality shoes. It might seem strange to give them a pair of shoes as a gift, but I assure you, she’ll appreciate the gesture!
24. Cologne
Cologne is a great gift for male flight attendants who like to smell nice. Calvin Klein’s Eternity is a sophisticated, timeless, classic, thoughtful scent.
It’s perfect for anniversaries, and you can add a card to say why you chose this gift, one reason being that they’ll surely impress passengers with this captivating fragrance.
25. Language Translator
The Pocketalk Translator Device is one of those gifts for flight attendants that makes it easy to converse with anyone, anywhere in the world, without focusing on the language barrier. When attendants work during international flights, they’ll usually stop and enjoy a layover in a foreign country.
This voice interpreter works in real-time to translate nearly 82 languages from over 133 countries. Just push a button and start speaking while reading the conversation on the screen.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this mixture of unique and practical gifts for flight attendants has piqued your interest. With so many options that fit all different budgets and occasions, it should be easy to decide on something fantastic to give a fabulous flight attendant that you know!
Cardi “likes to party” Clark has 15+ years of designing, planning, and executing successful parties and events. Highly skilled in event strategy, management, planning, and execution with a track record of exceeding expectations. I make it happen. I get it done and people have fun!