I’m a flight attendant – I never travel without two clever lifesaver items

GOING away can be a really difficult thing to prepare for, especially during the colder months, but as a flight attendant there’s a couple of items I always pack that keep my temperature up and costs down.

I’m partial to spending a night in while I’m away, as are most flight attendants.

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In fact, I’d say most travellers also enjoy a night in as well where they can relax, recharge and prepare for another day’s exploration. But there are a couple of things that can make that more enjoyable.

In this, my latest blog for Sun Online Travel, I’ll talk about the two items I always pack with me, especially when travelling during the colder months, that help me to have a cheap, cosy night in the hotel.

The first of them is the TRAVELISIMO electric heated lunchbox.

When planning a night in a hotel, food can be one of the hardest things to prepare – it’s usually either a takeaway, a terrible meal deal or a tub of instant noodles.

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Those meals aren’t always the most appetising, nor are they particularly healthy, and the more filling ones can also cost as much as having a meal out.

But the heated lunchbox is almost like a portable microwave that cooks meals for you, which opens you up to far more options than you’d otherwise have.

Typically, I’ll bring it on board the plane so I can reheat a meal while I’m in the air, meaning I don’t have to eat the plane food all the time.

Then, I can get simple, easy to prepare meals when I’m away and use the lunchbox to heat it through, giving me a homemade meal, that I’ve knocked up myself in my hotel room.

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The box is huge as well, so it can fit plenty in it.

It also comes with a cable that plugs into my car cigarette lighter, so if I’m peckish before my drive home from the airport, I can quickly heat up any leftovers and have a nutritious snack after work. It’s perfect.

It’s honestly an absolute game changer for me and for other flight attendants who are trying to eat healthily and cheaply while constantly away.

For something I use so much, the £24.99 it set me back from Amazon is such a good price to pay.

When I’m in my hotel, I like to be warm and cosy, particularly if I’ve been out and about in a colder destination.

So much so, that it’s not enough for me to just be wearing thicker layers, I like them to actually provide me with heat as well.

So, everywhere I go, I take the OHS heatable adult oversized blanket hoodie.

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The sherpa fabric-lined garment might be warm enough for some people anyway, but it also has heated pads on the front, back and shoulder to provide me with extra cosiness.

All you have to do is charge it up and turn it on, it’s really simple and really snug.

Not only has this served me well in hotel rooms, but I’ve also used it to get cosy in airports when I’ve been delayed, or even on the plane, where it can get pretty chilly sometimes.

Passengers rarely prepare for that, especially if they’re flying to warmer countries, but I’m always extremely grateful when I have this in my bag to snuggle up in during a break.

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I’ve actually used it much more than I ever thought I would and each time I’m really happy I bought it.

It also helps to keep costs down on heating at the moment, with prices rising through the roof this year.

It cost me £30 from Online Home Shop and I bought it on a recommendation from another flight attendant.

You wouldn’t believe how many of the cabin crew have got them now, they’re quickly becoming a must-have item for us.

I’m never happier than when I’m in my hotel room, wrapped with my warming hoodie on, tucking into a homemade meal in my lunch box.

Being a flight attendant, or even a passenger, can be really stressful sometimes and it’s the perfect way for me to spend an evening relaxing in a new city.

Meanwhile, this flight attendant revealed how you can get extra freebies on board without having to pay for them.

And another explained why we wear an important cosmetic item during flights.

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