This Is the 1 Thing Travel Experts Say You Should Always Bring on a Flight-and No, It's Not a Neck Pillow

""I landed in Dar es Salaam after a red-eye, [with the] immigration hall packed and buzzing, all of us funneling off the plane, and by the time I reached the counter every pen was gone-dry, vanished, even the chained-up one," Fowkes says. "There I was, holding up the line, with the rest of the no-pen folks, waiting for my turn to borrow one. Not my finest travel moment.""

""People assume there will be pens waiting at immigration. Maybe, but with a few hundred passengers hitting the counter at once, those pens disappear fast," Fowkes says."

""Pull a spare pen out of your pocket at 35,000 feet and people look at you like you've just invented fire," Fowkes says. "In that moment, a pen is social currency at 35,000 feet.""

Bring a ballpoint pen on international flights to fill out required paper customs and immigration forms. Airports and immigration counters often run out of pens, especially during busy periods and late-night arrivals. A traveler arriving after a red-eye in Dar es Salaam found all pens dry, missing, or chained, which caused delays. Carrying one or two inexpensive pens prevents holding up lines and allows travelers to help others in need. A basic, reliable pen is sufficient and can act as a small, practical courtesy when many passengers lack writing instruments.

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