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Hack or hazard?
Travelers continue to tout this viral seatbelt hack that allegedly makes it easier to sleep during your flight — but experts warn it’s “extremely dangerous.”
Videos of people encouraging passengers to put their feet up in their seats before buckling up for a mid-air nap have been going viral, despite experts warning against it.
In one viral tutorial, TikTok user @Lexi demonstrates how travelers can catch ZZZs in the infamously cramped economy section by curling their legs up onto the seat.
The passenger then fastens the seatbelt around their legs like manacles, to presumably prevent them from slipping off the seat once they doze off.
“To whoever it was that said to put the plane belt around your ankles, I owe you my life,” she gushed in the caption.
However, Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA warns that the hack could instead threaten their life.
“This is extremely dangerous,” she said in a statement to CNN.
“The seatbelt is designed to sit low and tight across your lap. This is to best protect you in the event of turbulence, an emergency landing or an accident.”
“This is not only for your safety; if you are not properly buckled in you will likely hurt someone else when thrown in turbulence.”
Nelson also noted that the hack could also cost you.
“Bottom line, this is a violation of federal regulations and instructions from crew members. Stop it,” said Nelson. “Willful refusal will also make you subject to a fine up to $35,000.”
Michael Wallace, travel expert and CEO of Greenback Expat Tax Services, further explained how passengers could injure themselves in this position.
“If [the seatbelt is] attached to your ankles, this could put you in a life-threatening situation as you take extra time to first unbuckle and rebuckle your seatbelt,” he told Thrillist.
“If the plane hits turbulence that causes you to lean forward at an increased rate, colliding with the seat in front of you and your knees can lead to two very different outcomes.”
Strapping your seatbelt around your ankles to sit with your legs folded up during a flight could also lead to health complications.
Dr. Nathan Connell, a hematologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, warned passengers to “be careful with anything that restricts blood flow because that may lead to an increased risk of clots.”
“If there was turbulence or an emergency, and someone’s legs were wrapped up in the seatbelt like this, it could lead to a leg or ankle injury, which could also cause blood clots as well,” he said.
Although blood clots aren’t common for flight passengers, the expert advised that staying well hydrated, wearing loose clothing that doesn’t restrict movement or blood flow and getting up to move during the flight can help reduce the risk — and of course, not cinching your seatbelt around your ankles.
