Bring ziplock bags and tape on a flight? 9 essential carry-on items for long-haul flights and their clever uses

Packing hacks to make your life easier—travel experts share their tips. (Illustration/Photo provided by DAGI Images)

International long-haul flights can be grueling, often requiring you to stay in a cramped cabin for over ten hours. Naturally, you’ll want to bring essential personal items, and the type of luggage you carry can vary depending on whether you’re traveling for leisure or business. TripPlus shares 9 must-have carry-on items for long flights and their clever uses. So, what can a ziplock bag or strong tape actually do on a plane?

There are many types of travel styles and purposes—whether for business trips, family visits, vacations, long or short hauls, weekend getaways, island destinations, snowy adventures, or big cities—the items you pack can vary greatly. Today, I’ll focus on international long-haul flights with checked luggage, highlighting the essentials I carry in my hand luggage. I’d also like to clarify that these are my personal preferences. Any brands or products mentioned here are based solely on my own experiences—I truly liked them and wanted to share the “good stuff” with friends, with no hidden marketing agenda or incentives involved.

A zip-around passport holder features left and right compartments for your passport and boarding pass, as well as various membership cards, with a central zip pocket for other personal documents. (Image provided by TripPlus)

1. Passport Holder

I currently use a zip-around passport holder from Muji. The left compartment holds my passport and boarding pass, while the right one is for various membership cards. There’s also a zip pocket in the middle for other personal items and documents. In addition to my passport, here are some things I always keep in my passport holder and rarely take out:

Priority Pass Select Membership Card: Most premium credit cards come with a Priority Pass Select membership, and although there’s a digital version, I still carry the physical card just in case.

Single-use airline lounge vouchers included with credit cards: Even if I might not use them, I keep them in my passport holder because I’m likely to forget them if I store them elsewhere.

Taiwanese phone SIM card: Same logic—I only return to Taiwan once a year, so I don’t need the SIM abroad, but it’s so small I’d probably forget it if I stored it elsewhere. Keeping it in my passport holder ensures I can use my phone as soon as I land, which feels amazing.

Global Entry physical card: Although the Global Entry data is stored in my passport’s electronic barcode, and I don’t need the physical card when entering the U.S. by sea or land, I still carry it when traveling abroad just in case. Many premium credit cards now cover the application fee for Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check—I highly recommend eligible readers apply, as it saves a lot of time for both domestic security checks and re-entering the U.S. from abroad. TripPlus author Joshua has written a detailed guide on how to apply and get Global Entry for free—check it out if you’re unsure about the process.

Wallet-sized marriage certificate: You might wonder why anyone would bring a marriage certificate abroad. It’s my husband’s (very cautious!) insistence—since we have different surnames, he believes having quick proof of our marital status could save us trouble in an emergency. Fortunately, where we live, you can apply for a wallet-sized version of the marriage certificate for a very low fee, and we applied for one when we got married for just an extra fifteen dollars.

Printed official visa-exemption documents: I developed this habit after two experiences with Taiwanese passports when flying to Europe—airline staff unfamiliar with visa-free policies had to consult their supervisors, causing boarding delays. Although everything was resolved in the end, I now print the relevant documents just in case.

Most airplanes now come equipped with standard power outlets or USB charging ports, so bring your own charging cables and adapters. (Image provided by TripPlus)

2. Charging Cables, Power Adapters, and Backup Batteries

Nowadays, most flights come with standard or USB power outlets, but you’ll still need to bring your own cables and adapters. Plus, according to aviation safety rules, power banks can’t go in checked luggage, so you’ll need to carry them with you. I usually bring an Anker three-outlet USB extension, which lets me charge multiple devices at once. I store the cables and adapters in small cosmetic bags I get from buying skincare products—or even the overnight kits airlines sometimes provide.

3. Voltage Converter / Plug Adapter

In addition to charging cables, power adapters, and backup batteries, I also carry a compact plug adapter based on my destination—just in case I have the charger but the wrong plug type. Currently, I use Samsonite’s Converter/Adapter Kit. These travel universal adapters are all pretty similar, but I chose Samsonite because its design separates the different plugs, so I only need to carry the ones I’ll actually use for the country I’m visiting—no need to lug around a bulky universal adapter.

4. No-Foreign-Fee Credit Cards / Debit Cards

Before traveling abroad, I always double-check my wallet to ensure I have at least two no-international-fee credit cards and debit cards. My go-to credit cards are currently the Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR) and Citi Prestige, mainly because Visa and Mastercard are more widely accepted than American Express. But if I know I’ll be staying at Marriott or SPG hotels, I’ll also bring the Amex SPG card. My husband, who doesn’t have the Citi Prestige, mainly uses the CSR and also carries the Amex Premier Rewards Gold and Amex SPG cards as backups. For cash, I always bring two no-foreign-transaction-fee, no-ATM-surcharge debit cards to withdraw local currency directly overseas. My top choice is the Fidelity debit card, because the Fidelity Cash Management card not only has no foreign transaction fees, but also refunds any ATM surcharges charged by non-network ATMs. Aside from the Fidelity card, we also carry a second debit card as a backup. My Chase checking account allows five no-foreign-fee withdrawals per month, and my Capital One 360 debit card is also no-foreign-fee—but neither refunds ATM surcharges like Fidelity does, so I only use those as backups.

For long flights, pay attention to skin hydration—bring basic cosmetics, moisturizer, toothbrush and floss, cleansing wipes, disposable warming eye masks, etc. (Image provided by TripPlus)

5. Makeup Bag

Besides everyday basics like makeup, moisturizer, toothbrush, and floss, I also bring cleansing wipes, a hydrating spray (I’ve loved both Clinique and Chanel’s in recent years), facial essence or lotion (the small sample sizes that come with cosmetic purchases are perfect), disposable warming eye masks, and sometimes even a sheet mask or two. But I stopped using sheet masks because I kept falling asleep with them on, waking up to find my face dry and dehydrated. Now I stick mainly to facial essence.

6. Travel Neck Pillow

When you’re on a budget, you spend more time sitting than lying down—so a good neck pillow can make economy class much more comfortable. Over the years, I’ve tried several neck pillows, but my favorite is Muji’s contoured travel pillow. Unlike the usual rigid U-shaped pillow, this one can be bent or straightened to your liking, and the cover is removable for washing. It also has loops on both ends, so you can hang it on your carry-on or personal item during layovers—super convenient.

7. Comfortable Clothing

Comfortable clothing is crucial for long flights—whether you’re trying to sleep in business class or economy. I usually wear stretchy yoga pants, a long, lightweight cardigan, and slip-on flat shoes. Even if I’m lucky enough to get a business or first-class sleeper seat with pajamas, I usually don’t change into them. Partly because my dad loves getting those free, comfy pajamas as gifts, and partly because I have a mental block about changing in airplane bathrooms and risking touching the floor. I choose yoga pants because airplane air conditioning is often freezing—even loose pants or skirts don’t keep my legs warm, but tight yoga pants block the cold. My favorites are Lululemon’s Wunder Under and Athleta’s Chaturanga. A long, thin cardigan is versatile—you can use it as a blanket or scarf if you’re cold, or just take it off if you’re warm. Slip-on flats are great for going through security (especially on airlines that don’t partner with TSA Pre-Check) and save time. My current favorite are TOMS’ simple, flat fabric sneakers.

8. Ziplock Bags

I always carry extra ziplock bags on long flights—they’re incredibly useful for organizing or separating items. Another great use is bringing snacks in the lounge before boarding in economy class, in case the in-flight food is terrible or you can’t finish your meal and want to save dessert or bread for later.

Be cautious of loose caps on canned liquids in your luggage; reinforce the seal with an extra layer of tape. (Photo provided by TripPlus)

9. Duct Tape

This last item, Duct Tape, was actually suggested by my husband. I have only mild myopia of one hundred degrees and rarely wear glasses, let alone contact lenses, which I’ve never used in my life. But my husband, who is severely nearsighted, is a different story. In addition to carrying spare contact lenses when traveling, he also brings small travel-sized saline solution and contact lens solution. And he always packs a small piece of Duct Tape. According to his lengthy explanation, there’s always a chance that any canned liquid might leak due to a poorly sealed cap. If that unfortunate event happens even once, the electronics in your bag could be ruined. By taping over each can’s opening with Duct Tape before you leave, you eliminate the risk of any spills. He says Duct Tape has very strong adhesive power—it can be reused two or three times without losing stickiness. So before a trip, he first seals the bottle caps with Duct Tape, then wraps another strip around the body of the solution bottle. When it’s time for the next flight, he simply peels off a piece from the bottle and uses it—no need to carry a whole roll of tape, taking up no space at all. He even treats all kinds of bottles and cans in his checked luggage this way. It may not look pretty, but it’s extremely practical.

※This article is published with authorization from TripPlus, which has agreed to the newsletter introduction and title revision.※