Travellers spark debate with ‘rude’ plane seat hack

‘Maybe ask someone before touching their designated things’

Travellers have sparked a debate after sharing their hack for using their phones on a plane.

In a video posted to TikTok in November, a woman named Ida, who goes by the username @idaaugusta, documented her flight with her friends. As the text over the footage read “airplane hack,” one woman could be seen walking down the aisle of the plane, before she flipped three headrest covers over, with the red cloth now covering the back of the seats.

The footage continued with two people sitting in their seats, as the cloth headrest cover is in front of them. The travellers could then be seen wrapping the fabric around their phones, before placing their phone cases on top of the red cloth.

As a result of the plane hack, the headrest cover was securely holding the passengers’ phones up in front of them, so they could sit back and watch what they wanted without holding their devices. In the caption, Ida simply asked her followers if they were aware of the travelling hack, writing: “Did you know?”

The video has gone on to go viral on TikTok, with more than 2.5m views. However, there were some mixed reactions in the comments, with many people criticising the travellers for appearing to use the headrest covers on the seats, without telling the passengers in front of them.

“Maybe ask someone before touching their designated things,” one critic wrote, while another added: “The way they just flip it over towards them without asking.”

A third wrote: “It’s just rude! And rather unhygienic, I wouldn’t want my phone where someone’s hair, sweat etc has been.”

Others noted that travellers could “just hold their phone” on the flight, or simply place the devices on their tray tables when watching something.

Amid the criticism, many other people questioned if it was an issue for travellers to use those headrests to hold up their phones.

“But it’s just a flap of fabric?” one wrote, while another added: “Why is everyone so upset? I don’t think anyone cares that much about a thin piece of fabric.”

A third explained why they wouldn’t have a problem with a passenger using their headrest cover, claiming: “I wouldn’t mind because I know they don’t change as they [are] supposed, it’s dirty as a s***.”

The Independent has contacted Ida for comment.

This isn’t the first time that a plane seat hack on social media has sparked a debate. In a video posted to TikTok in May 2023, one traveller addressed a way that airline passengers can respond when aggravated by a traveller in front of them who pushed their seat back.

“When you are on a flight and the person in front of you reclines their seat all the way and leaves you no room,” the text over the video read. “Turn on the air con[ditioner] above you on full blast and point it at the top of their head.”

At the time, multiple people responded to the video by claiming that shouldn’t plane seats shouldn’t be able to “recline anymore when” passengers are being packed into rows “like sardines”. However, other people disagreed with this statement, as they noted that they’d be reclining their seats “all the way back” on every flight they go on.