Travel Tips

Travel Tuesday: Silly But Genius Travel Gift Ideas from Airportag

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about some intriguing travel products I’ve found thanks to ads on Instagram. Well, after I published that, I realized I had left out a few other items that have caught my eye as well. As it turns out, many of these actually came from the same site: Airportag.

So, since most travelers are still grounded and because all of us could use a smile these days, I wanted to share some of these fun items that have tempted me on several occasions and just might make a great gift for your loved one (or yourself). While I can’t speak to their actual quality having not ordered them personally, I can attest to their entertainment value. Take a look:

This Lionel Richie Bag Tag

There’s something very important you should know about me: I watched an unhealthy amount of VH1 as a kid. Because of this, I can not only ace any one-hit-wonder quiz you care to throw at me but have also come to appreciate a good cheesy pop song reference. With that context, I think you can understand why I love this so much. I also appreciate the artwork and, to be honest, it captures the mindset of most travelers quite well. And while I don’t typically check luggage, this bag tag 1) will come in handy when I have to valet check my bag on the small planes we sometimes take out of Springfield and 2) hopefully give my fellow passengers a nice chuckle — assuming they’re as nerdy as I am.

This Customized Boarding Pass Throw Pillow

How cool is this? Funny enough, this is the product that was first advertised to me and led me to discover the site. As you can see from my quick mock-up, several elements on this pillow cover are customizable, such as the cities, flight number, gate, seat, date, and of course the name. This gives you plenty of opportunities to work in some fun and meaningful references if you’ll be gifting this to your special travel partner. You can also change the color scheme if you want: blue, black, red, orange, green, or pink.

Something I should note, however, is that this one is pretty pricey, fetching $50 for just the cover or $55 with the pillow insert (the latter sounds like a no-brainer then, doesn’t it?). Meanwhile, there’s also a similarly-styled customized phone case, mug, tote bag, and more available if you prefer.

This Airplane Lavatory Shower Curtain

Okay, so this is random, weird, and totally overpriced — but I had to share it because it made me laugh. I feel like you have to really, really love flying to want to intentionally install this sight in your home, but who am I to judge? If nothing else, I guess it will make your tub feel comparatively large when you consider the alternative.

This Travel Pouch That Defines Loyalty

Even travel enthusiasts know that airport pick-ups suck. Thus, I enjoy the sentiment expressed on this one. I can also see the practicality of this pouch… but I don’t really understand how the two go together. I’m probably overthinking it because, at the end of the day, it’s a fun and useful item that we can all relate to.

This Super Honest Sleep Mask

Alas, not all of us can fly in the premium cabin on every trip. So, for those of us stuck in economy and just trying to get some shut-eye on a long haul flight, there’s this class-acknowledging mask. By the way, for the more elite among us, there’s also a “Do I look like a fly economy?” version (which I guess could also be worn by rear cabin guests if you think about it) along with plenty of other designs, such as the equally blunt “Sorry We’re Closed.” Brilliant.

Hopefully you at least found these items as enjoyable as I did, but the real question is: would you actually buy any of them? Personally, I think custom boarding pass items (while expensive), could make for the best gifts. Meanwhile, some of the sleep masks seem both practical and humorous. With that, perhaps before my next trip — whenever that might be — I may just pick up some of these items for myself.

Also published on Medium.

Other Articles by Kyle Burbank