Travel Essentials for Women Over 50 on Long Flights

What I Personally Pack on Long Flights as a Woman Over 50

A Personal Note

After traveling from California to Italy twice a year for decades, I’ve come up with what I call my list of travel essentials for women over 50, and more generally, travel essentials for women who want comfort and ease, focusing on what actually makes a difference on long flights.

A quick-reference cheat sheet with the key points is available at the end of this article.

The Bags I Use When Packing for Long Flights

In addition to my checked suitcase, I always bring three pieces:

• A small sling bag (worn on my body almost the entire time)
• A medium backpack with a trolley sleeve
• A carry-on suitcase

Since airlines only allow one personal item bag plus a carry-on, I always make sure the backpack has enough room to store the sling bag inside it, in case I’m asked to consolidate, and also before going through security.
Right now I’m using a backpack from Tumi, but whichever personal bag you choose, make sure it has:

• A trolley sleeve (so you don’t have to carry it through the airport)
• A zip-top closure (to prevent things from falling out)
• External pockets (for easy access)
• A size that fits under the seat and meets airline requirements

Inside the bag, I organize everything using internal compartments and zippered pouches with different textures, so I can find what I need easily.

Sling Bag Content

This bag pretty much stays on my body from the time I leave home until I arrive at my destination, and it contains what I consider international flight essentials, not just for convenience, but also in case of an emergency evacuation. If I take it off during the flight, I place it into my locked backpack. Here I keep:

• Passport + Global Entry card + boarding passes
• Phone (which has a mini wallet for one ID + one card + 100 Dollar bill) and its lanyard
• A separate thin wallet with health insurance, backup cards + 100 Euro bill
• A one-page printed itinerary with emergency contacts and travel insurance info
• Tissues and a couple sanitizing wipes
• Lip gloss, plus chewing gum (which helps with ear pressure during takeoff and landing)
• One soft N94 mask from Korea. I wear it before boarding and keep it on until the engines start, then again after landing until I reach the terminal. If someone near me sounds sick, I wear it during the flight too. Even if I’m the only one wearing a mask, it doesn’t bother me, because by now I’ve adopted a better-safe-than-sorry attitude.

Backpack Content (Personal Item Bag)

I like using a Tumi backpack as my personal item bag because it’s lightweight and easier on my back and neck if I have to carry it at any point, and I can use it as a day bag at my destination. It has multiple exterior and interior pockets and a separate compartment for a tablet or laptop. The main compartment can be locked, which is a good thing when I travel alone and may leave it unattended by my seat.

Here’s what I pack in it:

• Main wallet with cards and cash
• Small pouch with jewelry plus home/car keys
• One pill organizer with one week of daily meds
• A second pill organizer with two days’ worth of vitamins and supplements
• Sunglasses in a protective sturdy case
• iPad
• A light packable puffer jacket, even in the summer, because planes get cold
• A scarf (lightweight in summer, warmer in winter)
• A beanie (in winter)
• An extra pair of socks
• Small notebook and pen
• A 12 Oz. Refillable water bottle
• Extra N94 mask and hand sanitizing wipes in an outer pocket
• A couple of transparent plastic bags to protect the backpack from dirty floors, and my shoe soles, if I have to place it under the seat.

Electronics Pouch:

• Chargers and wires
• Plug adapters for the countries I am going to
• Power bank (TSA-compliant, under 100 watt-hours)
• Headphones
• Screen/lens wipes

Toiletry Pouch:

• Toothbrush, floss, lip gloss
• Enlarging mirror, comb, eye pencil, dry compact
• Nail clipper, personal hygiene wipes, hand sanitizing wipes
• Tissues

A note about freshening up in the airplane bathroom. I believe it’s best to refrain from freshening up just before landing, do it earlier, when most people are still sleeping. Those bathrooms are limited, and many passengers just need to use the toilet. Chewing gum works well for me to freshen my breath until I reach an airport bathroom, where I can actually use running water to brush my teeth. (Don’t use the one from the plane, it’s nasty.)

Carry-On Suitcase Content

When it comes to my carry-on suitcase, I divide the contents by accessibility. Some items go in the external pocket so I can reach them easily. Others stay in the main compartment until I need them later.

External Pocket (Easy Access):

Flight AmenityBag

(I remove it before sitting down and keep it in the seat pocket so I can easily access what I need during the flight.)

• Sanitizing wipes + a small Ziploc bag for trash
• Sleep mask and ear plugs
• Cozy socks (I don’t wear compression socks)
• Snacks: sweet treats calm my nerves during turbulence, but I also pack a couple of protein bars in case I get hungry between meals

Liquids Bag

(TSA Compliant, ¼-gallon see-through bag)

• Small toothpaste tube
• Medications in liquid or cream form
• Mosquito repellent + sunscreen (if traveling to warm weather)
• Moisturizer, hand cream and eye drops

Main Compartment:

• Pouch with small first aid kit and other meds (not liquids)
• Ziplock bag with supplements and vitamins.
  Note: use original packaging for meds and supplements to avoid having them potentially taken away if your carry-on is inspected at security.
• Packing cube with a full outfit change: tank, tee, pants, socks, underwear, bra
• Pajamas 
• Flip flops
• Lint roller
• A packable tote to keep medications or other essentials with me, in case I’m required to check in my carry-on on short connecting flights

More Tips on Travel Essentials for Women

Here are a few things I’ve heard other travelers recommend when listing travel essentials for women over 50. You may want to try them:

• Handheld Fan: good for stuffy cabins before the engines start or after landing
• Bluetooth Adapter: lets you use wireless headphones with in-seat entertainment systems on most international flights
• Compression Socks: they help with circulation on long-haul flights and may prevent blood clots. If you are like me and can’t tolerate them, ask your doctor if you should take Aspirin instead.
• Travel Blanket: many of them have pockets, some can also be be used as shawls or scarves.

The truth is, everyone travels differently, but hopefully you got some useful ideas from this list of travel essentials for women over 50.

One-on-One Consulting

If you want help thinking through travel plans and options, Anyes offers one-on-one consultations focused on practical next steps.

If you are going to be traveling soon, you may also be interested in these other articles:
Travel Tips for Older Adults: What to Know Before You Go
10 Flying Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner

To be notified when new content is published, please join our mailing list below.

Download or Print the Cheat Sheet

Travel Essentials for Women Over 50 on Long Flights

Explore Related Topics