My Dad’s a Pilot, and These Are the 15 Travel Accessories He Won’t Board a Flight Without — From $6
From safety devices to a spacious carry-on, these are his top-recommended essentials.
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Growing up with a dad who worked as a pilot for Delta Air Lines had some major perks — obviously, the main one being the unlimited chance to fly stand-by (but having a kitchen bin that was always full of Biscoff cookies and the occasional can of Pawberry Punch didn’t hurt either). I got to see the world by his side as we ventured together to places like Peru, France, and Germany. He would tell me to pack my bag for “Rome or Hawaii,” and then we’d show up at the airport to see which flight we could get on. His roughly 43 years of experience as a pilot also had a profound effect on how I travel (carry-on-only, of course) and what I pack (multi-purpose items always).
Even after working as a travel writer for more than 15 years, it’s still my dad’s travel hacks and packing tips that come to mind as I’m preparing for any type of trip. He instilled in me a passion for travel along with a very minimalist “be ready for anything” sort of mentality when it comes to packing. I’ve now been to 86 countries, and still, some of my favorite moments have included meeting up with him at Atlanta Airport when our layovers overlapped, swapping travel hacks and mishaps over a quick cup of coffee. The evidence of his influence can be seen in my carry-on, and these are some of my favorite “dad hack” travel essentials that I turn to most often.