Flight Attendants' Best Clothing Tips To Save Luggage Space With A Carry-On Only

If you think stuffing everything you need for a seven-day vacation in only one carry-on is a Herculean task, you haven't heard game-changing packing hacks from flight attendants. These professionals are known to be elite packers, cramming what seems like an impossible haul into their trusty bags. While us amateurs continue to struggle to zip our suitcases shut, they hop from point A to point B with everything they need efficiently stowed away in a single bag. Apparently, the secret lies in being strategic about space efficiency.

If you aspire to join the ranks of one-bag travelers, taking a leaf out of a flight attendant's book is a good start. You can start by wearing your bulkiest items rather than attempting to make them fit into your carry-on. From hefty boots to thick coats, these items do nothing but take up precious space. CiCi, a flight attendant and social media influencer, advises wearing such items on board instead. Despite the inconvenience of possibly overheating if you're flying out of a sunny city, she told Business Insider that this trick allows for significantly more room in your bag.

Sure, peeling off layers at security might be a pain, but think of it as a small price to pay for extra suitcase real estate. Plus, those extra layers can be your defense against the freezing temperatures on board. In fact, with how chilly planes can be, dressing light is the one clothing mistake to avoid when getting on a flight.

For efficient packing of carry-ons, it simply doesn't make sense to try and squeeze half your closet inside. You may want to bring a capsule wardrobe instead. While the famous 54321 packing rule dictates that you should pack a certain number of items, creating a capsule collection involves focusing on versatility and the ability to mix and match.

Influencer Katherine Johnsen, whose mother worked as a flight attendant for decades, told Good Morning America that developing a capsule collection lets you streamline what you bring while simultaneously multiplying your outfit options. "If you really think about what you wear in a week, you definitely have a selection of favorite pieces," she said. "Focus on a capsule collection of clothing, with favorite basics. You need to be able to get at least three wears out of each piece you bring."

Meanwhile, flight attendant Jazmin Monaè suggests sticking to neutral colors, particularly black, to take the guesswork out of having to plan outfits. "We have to worry about things matching because sometimes you have stuff in your bag that just like doesn't make sense, so I always have a few options of black shirts, black leggings, a pair of jeans, a pair of sneakers... And I have boots," she explained in a TikTok video, noting that neutrals help in coordinating effortless looks. "It's been working, it's great, I never feel like I don't have the appropriate clothes to wear."

But if you're the type to prepare for every possible scenario and can't help but feel the need to pack extra outfits "just in case," consider garments made from thin, flexible materials that can be easily folded or rolled. This allows you to maximize the amount of clothing you can pack into even the smallest compartments. What's more, selecting items that are wrinkle-resistant will save you the hassle of ironing during your travels. TikTok user @flywithvivian, who works for a major U.S. airline, discussed in a video that packing such clothes also cuts your packing time in half while enabling you to pack more.

"Just pack essentials, and pack items that are wrinkle-free and easy to fold up and store in your bag," she explained, adding that with clothes like this, you can efficiently pack diverse items, including swimsuits and various types of pants and shirts, without needing additional packing accessories like cubes or compression bags. "It's funny cause I'm not even using compression bags, which of course, will make things fit even better. But again, the material that I use in these items are easily foldable, non-wrinkled, and I can really fit so many outfits in the small 18-inch roller bag."