Shay Mitchell Loves An Airport Martini

Shay Mitchell doesn’t just travel — she studies it. As the founder of Béis, she’s built one of the most recognizable modern luggage brands by obsessing over how people actually move through the world: overpacked suitcases, gate changes, the need for something equal parts functional and elevated. So it makes sense that she’s joining Capital One Travel as its first-ever travel ambassador.

The timing is spot on: The bank just debuted its newest lounge concept, the Capital One Landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York. And this isn’t your standard grab-a-seltzer-and-sit-by-an-outlet situation. Think chef-driven menus from the José Andrés Group, martinis that come to you via mobile ordering, and enough intentional design to make you forget where you are. In an era when air travel is usually synonymous with mild chaos, the LGA Landing makes a case for getting there early on purpose — which, if you’ve ever heard Mitchell talk about flying, tracks.

We caught up with the queen of travel to talk about her packing must-haves, her new method for ordering airport martinis, and what’s next on her vacation wishlist. (Spoiler: A romantic getaway is welcome.)

Congrats on the Capital One travel ambassadorship — so exciting. What’s one thing you do every single trip — a nonnegotiable for you?

The unpacking process. Even if I’m only there for a short time — for example, I just came back from San Francisco and was there for one night, but right away, I unpacked. I need to feel organized, have my things in their place, put things in the bathroom — and then I can continue along.

So you’re not a carry-on person?

I’m not. I’m an overpacker. If it’s one check-in, that’s great — it’s mostly two. I am overprepared. If you are stuck next to anybody while traveling, you want to be next to me because I have the snacks in my bag. I have the random safety pins and the cuticle oil. Fish oils, melatonin — what do we need?

Do you like to arrive early and get settled into a lounge, or are you rolling up right before departure?

Oh, no. [Laughs] I’m a big advocate of going as early as possible. I really enjoy the whole experience. I always have; I always will. People thought it was crazy back in the day when I was a kid — I wasn’t going to lounges, but I loved eating the airport food.

The new Capital One Landing lounge — it’s another level I’ve never been able to experience. A Michelin-star restaurant in an airport? I’ll be there three hours early. A martini cart, a caviar cart that just passes by so I can still be on calls while all of this is coming to me? I’m not really understanding what else I need in life.

Where are you usually in a lounge? Corner doing work? At the bar?

I’ll be honest — before I experienced the Capital One carts, I would say I was at the bar. But now I don’t have to be. Nobody needs to know I’m having my martini. I can be in the corner taking calls and Zooms and working — and the cart comes to me.

What’s your go-to packing strategy?

At Béis, we have compression packing cubes and noncompression packing cubes. I like both, but I’m a packing cube girly. I feel like you can get more in.

When I’m traveling with my kids, they have their own dedicated packing cubes. Everything is separate. I know where everything is. If I need to grab it and put it in a drawer, it’s easy.

What types of trips do you love?

Any. All. I love a work trip. I love a vacation. I love a girls trip. I haven’t been on a romantic trip in a long time. [Laughs]

What do you do before boarding?

I download magazines and TV shows. Ask me if I really watch them — no. It’s the idea of having them.

But I’m on my phone. I’m going through photos, deleting photos, choosing ones for the next carousel. It’s the one time I can go through everything. I bring the iPad every trip and don’t use it.

What are your ride-or-die travel products?

Wet wipes. Hand lotion. I will never have dry hands on an airplane again — I have five in my bag. Mints for fresh breath when I land. A toothbrush for long flights. A face mask always. Moisturizers — I have moisturizing sticks from Korea that I love.

I always travel with my own water bottle. I buy water at the airport and fill it up. I bring liquid aminos, collagen powder, Hydrolyte — all that goes in my water. I have a whole concoction.

An eye mask — always my own. Headphones, wired headphones, two chargers. Cuticle oil. And I never remove any of it. I have an airplane bag — my Béis cosmetic organizer — and it just moves from suitcase to suitcase.

What’s your ideal airport experience?

I’m always Type A when I travel. When I travel with my partner, I’m grabbing his passport because I don’t trust that it’s not in the seat.

So, if I have the luxury of a greeter, that’s ultimate. Then I can just follow someone. I don’t care who it is — I can make friends easily. I just don’t want to know the gate for once. Lead me to it. But I am not missing that flight. And I will be one martini deep before I get on the plane.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.