After taking an average of 25 flights a year, I was convinced there had to be a better way to keep my transit necessities organized. As it turns out, the solution came from an unexpected source: my sister.She has always been naturally organized, but she took it to the next level after having her first baby. Anyone who has traveled with young children knows that air travel instantly becomes more chaotic. We took a family trip to St. Thomas when my nephew was just over a year old, and my sister arrived with an essentials pouch packed with baby wipes, pacifiers, books and every other necessity required to keep him clean, happy and entertained. Somewhere between her reaching for baby wipes and pulling out another toy to entertain my nephew, I had an epiphany: I needed an in-flight essentials bag of my own.The bag I swear by is the Cotopaxi Nido accessory bag. I originally purchased it for toiletries, but it quickly became my favorite travel companion because of its thoughtful design. It features multiple zippered compartments and pockets that make it incredibly easy to organize the items that usually end up floating at the bottom of a backpack.After traveling to nearly 45 countries, I’ve learned that the most stressful part of flying isn’t the journey itself — it’s the constant digging through your luggage once you’re finally seated.You know the routine: You buckle your seatbelt, the person next to you has already settled in, and suddenly you need your headphones. Then your lip balm. Then your hand sanitizer. A few minutes later, you’re reaching under the seat again for your eye mask or your Kindle. By the end of the flight, half your belongings are scattered around your seat.Now, before every trip, I prepare one dedicated bag that contains everything I might need from takeoff to landing. It never resides in the overhead bin and never gets shoved to the bottom of my backpack. The moment I reach my seat; I extract this kit and stow my larger carry-on. My Sony noise-canceling headphones are the only exception; I keep them around my neck before boarding to maintain a flawless flow through the aisle. I’ve developed a specific system to keep everything accessible:The first section: I keep my eye mask in the main compartment for hygiene reasons, while the hidden zipper compartment is perfect for my charging cords and AirPods.The middle section: This is my entertainment hub. I use it for my mini iPad, my Kindle, and my portable charger.The last section: This is all about health and wellness. I keep a travel pack of Clorox wipes, sunglass wipes, hand sanitizer, Advil, migraine medication, a pen (you never know!), tissues, lip balm, and a few small snacks for when hunger strikes.Everything has its place, which means I am never fumbling mid-flight.This system works whether I am taking a quick two-hour domestic flight or a long-haul journey halfway across the world. The kit simply transfers from one carry-on to another, and I know my essentials are already packed and ready to go.It also makes deplaning effortless. Instead of gathering items from the seat pocket, the floor, and multiple compartments, everything is already contained. I zip it up, slide it back into my bag, and I’m off.After countless flights and thousands of miles in the air, I’ve realized that the products that make the biggest difference aren’t always expensive gadgets or trendy luggage. Sometimes, it is simply an intentional organizational hack that shifts the entire tone of your trip from chaotic to composed. Once you master your carry-on, you stop just getting through the flight — and finally start enjoying it.