I've been on a lot of long plane rides in my life and I've narrowed down my must haves for a carry on. Some of my specific favorite products are linked in the list below!
1 // Phone and Headphones
Listening to music and playing games is a great way to pass the time on long plane rides. I recommend using a service like Spotify Premium, which I recently signed up for, because they're having a promotion where you can have three months of Premium for $0.99. The offline mode is a lifesaver!
2 // Gum or Mints
Trust me, you'll want these after hours on a plane with plane food.
The air on planes in not good for your skin and makes it both dry and oily (it's a weird feeling), so these are a necessity to feel refreshed.
4 // Book
Sometimes it's nice to have something to do so that you can be unplugged for a while.
5 // Pillow or Neck Pillow
Plane seats are not exactly the most comfortable, so having anything to make it more comfortable is nice. (Extra nice if you're in a window seat, the walls of the plane are usually freezing!)
6 // Sweatshirt, Sweater, or Scarf
Again, anything to be comfortable and warm!
As I mentioned earlier, your skin will get dry during the flight and you will want some moisturizer for both your hands and your face.
You can buy miniature, disposable toothbrushes (like Colgate Wisps) from any drugstore and you will be so thankful to have them to feel fresh during and after your flight.
You'll be using your phone lots during travel and inflight, so back up battery is necessary. (Also, lots of planes have USB ports to charge your phone!)
Again, plane air is extremly drying!
11 // Eye Mask
Great for if you want to sleep on the plane but they haven't dimmed the lights yet.
12 // Noise Canceling Headphones
Something else to help with sleep. Music + sleep = the best ways to pass a long plane ride. :)
You can't bring a full one through security, but still pack a bottle so that you can get some water on the other side without having to pay super high prices!
I hope this helps!
-Gabi