9 Coolest Free Perks You Can Get When Flying Economy

When I first moved to New Jersey more than two decades ago, I started flying to Taiwan on EVA Air from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to visit family. I was surprised to learn that instead of making my own way across two rivers and hours of traffic, the airline had a shuttle to the airport with routes through both Jersey City and Edgewater, and stops as far as Philadelphia. Once I was on the shuttle, I could exhale knowing I was in the airline’s hands, and the service was free for all passengers, regardless of booking class.

Sadly, after decades of taking advantage of the service, which had also been available in parts of Texas and California, the free bus routes were eliminated. While China Airlines picked up the shuttle service in New York City, it now charges $20 a ride, which will go up to $30 next month. But knowing that airlines offer free services like this that aren’t widely known made me wonder what other complimentary perks come with an economy-class ticket. 

Of course, many amenities that used to have upcharges are now available for free. For instance, many carriers now allow free texting and messaging onboard for members of their free-to-join mileage programs, and most have some sort of free entertainment system, usually with numerous options for movies, TV, podcasts, and even in-flight yoga and meditation on a seat-back screen or streamed onto personal devices. (Remember when you used to have to swipe your card to watch a movie?)

Family seating — or allowing parents and their young kids to be assigned to adjacent seats — used to require an additional cost, though a proposed government rule is set to eliminate those fees. Of course, most famously, airlines tend to have some sort of free amenities for kids, some that are provided on a surprise basis, and others that need to be asked for.

Carriers are also starting to rev up their Wi-Fi offerings, with United recently announcing that as early as late 2025, all passengers will have free high-speed service from gate to gate through Starlink, a perk that will be available on all 1,000-plus aircraft.

On top of that, things like water, blankets, pillows, basic amenity kits, first-aid kits, headphones, and extra snacks and drinks are usually available upon request for all fliers. 

Here are nine of the best fun and free amenities that economy passengers can get on some airlines.

Aircraft Trading Cards

Customers flying on a United or Delta light can ask their pilot for a trading card. Much like baseball cards of the airline world, the collectible items feature the latest livery on one side and stats on the flip slide, like cruising speed, passenger capacity, and wingspan. 

As a sign of their popularity, there are plenty of sets up for bid on eBay, such as this set of five currently on sale for $45. 

Amenity Kits

Some airlines treat their economy passengers to amenity kits on select long-haul flights as well. Among the stand-outs is Turkish Airlines’ kit, which comes in a vinyl bag from the Italian fashion brand Mandarina Duck. All the comfort essentials are inside, including an eye mask, ear plugs, and toiletries. 

Emirates also provides a reusable kit with socks, an eye mask, a dental kit, and a bookmark, many of them sourced with sustainability top of mind, while Qantas provides a pouch made of recycled PET bottles with earplugs, an eye mask, and a dental kit.

Air Tahiti Nui Tiare Flower

The island getaway begins the moment that fliers step onto their Air Tahiti flight to Papeete from either Seattle or Los Angeles. Upon boarding, every passenger is presented with a white Tiare flower (Tahitian gardenias), its tropical scent and vibrant hue serving as a maeva, or welcome in Tahitian. The flowers are sourced from a local florist who gets them from Moorea daily, so that less than 24 hours pass before they reach the passengers. 

But there’s more meaning behind the floral greeting. When it is worn behind the left ear, the side of the heart, it symbolizes that the person is in a committed relationship. However, when it’s behind the right side, that means the wearer is open to proposals. Appropriately, the airline was recently featured on the Oct. 31 episode of The Golden Bachelorette. 

Free Wi-Fi

In-flight Wi-Fi is one of the amenities that most airlines, including United and Delta, are working on adding for fliers of every tier. Currently, JetBlue appears to be the most comprehensive, offering the fast and free service it calls “Fly-Fi” on every flight, except for a few outside the continental U.S. and Europe.

Other airlines are also adding service, though not quite on every flight yet. Hawaiian Airlines allows those flying on A330 and A321neo aircraft the opportunity to stay connected via free Starlink Wi-Fi.

Air New Zealand is also rapidly cranking up connectivity, encouraging passengers to check before their particular flight. Norwegian Air Shuttle’s high-speed service is on most flights. Philippine Airlines provides up to 10 MB of data to all passengers. China Eastern allows passengers to apply for a “free trial of in-flight internet services” starting 30 days before departure, granting access to 100 customers per flight. Breeze Airways’ Wi-Fi service is on select A220-flights for those with the Nicer or Nicest bundle, and when one person on the booking purchases Wi-Fi, everyone else on it also gets the service.

24 Hours of Paramount+ Access on Delta for Loyalty Members 

Many other airlines offer free Wi-Fi to loyalty program members. Delta is one of them, but SkyMiles members who log into Delta Sync Wi-Fi also get a fun perk: free continuous access to streaming service Paramount+ for 24 hours, including after landing. That added freedom puts an end to having to pair in-flight entertainment to flight lengths. 

Air Canada Kids Luggage Tag

Young travelers get special treatment from the start at Air Canada’s family check-in counter with their very own luggage tag, branded with the airline’s own little high-flying superhero character. On the Montreal-based carrier’s international flights, kids can also get an entire tote bag filled with goodies, including an activity book and crayons.

TAP Air Portugal Kids Certificate

TAP Air Portugal understands that flying is a big deal for kids. So at the end of international flights, they’ll receive a flight certificate confirming and commending their amazing journey. On top of it, the airline also offers one of the most comprehensive kids kits. The drawstring bag comes with a wide variety of items to keep little ones occupied, including a deck of cards, a foam tic-tac-toe game, a paper scroll with puzzles, an activities passport, colored pencils, and a kid-friendly mask and socks. 

Swiss Air Plush

There’s nothing more important than a kid’s stuffed animal, and several airlines will surprise children with toys and goodies. One of the cutest: Swiss Air’s plush airplane named Swissli, a sassy stuffed plane sure to calm any high-flying fears.  

Delta also gives kids wings, as well as trips to the flight deck, when available. 

Air France Baby Kit

On long-haul Air France flights, kids can use a thoughtfully-made children’s kit with dog, suitcase, and plane figurines, plus a puzzle, activity book, and colored pencils. The entire box opens up into a French bakery for imaginative play — and all of it is plastic-free. 

But what really stands out is its baby kit for families traveling with infants under the age of two, which comes with a toy made of recyclable materials. In premium classes, the toy comes with a matching pouch, organic thermal water, and cotton squares to properly pamper the baby on board.