If you’ve read or watched the news lately, you’ve likely seen or heard stories of out-of-control passengers on commercial flights. Unruly travelers might not be a new thing, but it seems that many flight attendants are bearing the brunt of these difficult passengers more often than in years past. And while physical altercations don’t happen on every flight, flight attendants still have to manage A LOT each day, and they deserve our appreciation.
We can make a big difference in the day of the flight crew with a simple gesture.
Bringing small gifts to share with the flight attendants and flight crew is sure to brighten their day and make them feel appreciated, creating a positive experience for everyone! If you’re not sure what to give, we’ve got a list of the best thank-you gifts for flight attendants and flight crew, plus a downloadable freebie, so you can be prepared for your next trip.
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Ideas for Thank-You Gifts for Flight Attendants
If you’re not sure what to bring, here are a few ideas. Just make sure whatever you bring is individually wrapped and sealed.
Gift Cards
Gift cards are my top pick because they are small and easy to pack. If I’m flying on Spirit or Frontier Airlines, I don’t have room in my bag to fit anything else! And flight attendants say this is their favorite gift as well! Those $5 Starbucks gift cards are a great pick-me-up after a very long day or night.
We suggest you bring a few $5 (or more if you can afford it!) gift cards to tell your cabin crew thank you. If you’re on a large plane and can’t afford to bring gift cards for everyone, bring one or two to give to the flight attendants attending your section of the plane.
Here are a few favorites with locations at many airports:
- Starbucks
- Pete’s Coffee
- Dunkin Donuts
- McDonald’s
- Einstein Bros Bagels
- Chick-fil-A
- 7-11
Tip: Do a quick online search for coffee shops at your arrival or departure airport if you’re unsure what gift cards to get.
Chocolates
You can never go wrong with chocolate. My favorite place to get high-quality European chocolate is ALDI. It’s affordable and delish. You can choose bars, truffles, chocolate-covered espresso beans, chocolate-covered almonds, etc. I suggest bringing a variety of chocolates for the flight attendants to share.
Emergen-C
Flight attendants are constantly exposed to germs, so a satchel filled with Emergen-C is a thoughtful gift and offers a boost to their immune system.
Snack Assortment
Bring a gift bag or basket with an assortment of snacks for the flight crew. You could fill it with candies, nuts, dried fruit, popcorn, chips, jerky, etc. This is especially nice for those long-haul flights!
Hand Sanitizer
When I was teaching, I’d go through hand sanitizer like it was water. I imagine it’s not much different for flight attendants. Choose some nice-smelling hand sanitizer to share with your flight attendants. I love the Honest Company’s spray hand sanitizer. It smells great and is in a 2 oz bottle, making it perfect for carrying on board the plane. Just make sure to keep them in a quart-sized baggie when going through security.
Gel Eye Patches
Flight attendants have some long days and nights at times. These gel eye patches rejuvenate the eye area and are a great thank-you gift. These caffeine eye patches pack quite a punch when it comes to combatting eye puffiness and dark circles!
Gum and Chewy Candy
When I’m tired, having some gum or chewy candy to munch on helps me combat the fatigue. Some ideas are:
- sugar-free gum
- specialty taffy
- Haribo Gummy bears
- sour chewy candy
Protein-Filled Snacks
A trail mix, bag of nuts, protein bar, or granola bar helps hold off hunger pangs during the flight, making them a great gift option for the flight crew.
Chapstick
The air gets dry on planes, so some high-quality chapstick is a top pick. My absolute favorite chapstick ever is Aquaphor Lip Repair. It takes my lips from cracked and bleeding to healing in just a couple of days.
Goody Bags
If you can’t decide what to give, fill treat bags or small paper bags with an assortment of small treats and items mentioned above.
Gifts to Avoid
While almost anything is appreciated, here are a few things to avoid, so you don’t risk having your gift declined by the flight crew, left on the plane, or tossed in the garbage:
- alcohol
- homemade snacks or treats
- perishable items
- large, bulky items
- clothing
- mugs and cups
If you’d be reluctant to accept it from a stranger, don’t give it.
Flight Attendant Thank You Card and Gift Tag Download
We’ve created free downloads that you can attach to your gift. We suggest printing them on card stock. The first four pages contain gift tags you can print and cut. The last two pages contain thank-you cards to print, cut, and fold. Both the tags and cards are available in either charcoal or gold font.
Make sure you personalize it by signing your name and seat number, so they know exactly who it came from. If you’re passing the gifts out while boarding, they might not remember which passenger handed it to them in the busyness of boarding and take-off. They’ll want to know who to thank. And you might end up with a few flight perks, as well!
Note: PLEASE don’t do this just to try and manipulate better service or upgrades. The point is to genuinely show appreciation to the flight crew, not to get free stuff. If you get free things, then great! But make sure you go above and beyond to show the crew kindness and appreciation!
Wrapping-Up: Thank-You Gifts for Flight Attendants
We hope this list helps you as you choose thank-you gifts for flight attendants on your next trip. Obviously, any little gifts or tokens of thanks are a thoughtful way of expressing thanks to your flight attendants. It doesn’t have to cost much at all. Simply writing a heartfelt note in a thank you card will mean a lot after a long day of dealing with demanding passengers. But if you’re able to go the extra mile, it will mean even more!
