Plane passenger sparks outrage over 'rude' travel hack to create phone holder

18 January 2024 , 14:34

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A simple travel hack has stirred opinions online (stock photo) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

There's drama in the air, and it's all down to a mobile phone.

If you've ever flown short haul you'll know how difficult it is to keep yourself or the little ones occupied without the luxury of a built in TV in front of you. Those wanting to watch films to pass the time have to hold their devices, which hardly puts you into a comfortable position.

For those unable to bear the dreaded pins and needles in your arm, one passenger has shared an 'airplane hack' that will solve all of your problems. However, the tip has sparked heavy backlash online, with some branding it 'rude'.

Passenger Isa recently boarded a Norwegian Airlines flight, which didn't have screens in front of each seat. To avoid holding her phone she and her friend flipped the headrest covers on the seats in front of theirs so it dangled freely in front of them.

Then, the pair took their phones out of the case, placed the device against the cloth, and reassembled them so the material was trapped inside the case. However, headrest covers are used to protect flyers from dust, dirt, or moisture - not for self-made entertainment purposes.

'A crying pregnant woman asked me to swap seats on a plane but I refused'

At the time of writing, the video has attracted a staggering 2.8 million views and thousands of likes. Hundreds of viewers took to the comments section to slam the travel tip, arguing it wasn't considerate of other passengers

"Maybe ask someone before touching their designated things," one user wrote. Another commented: "It's not yours to use unless you ask the person in front." While a third fumed: "The audacity of some people."

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Earlier this week, a travel expert warned holidaymakers to never use a hotel iron - even if your favourite Hawaiian shirt comes out the suitcase creased. Frequent flyer and travel blogger Gilbert Ott says rolling your clothes rather than folding can help prevent creases - as well as hanging them up whilst you take a steamy shower.

"It's worth inspecting the hotel iron, or testing it on a non-external-facing garment before trusting your soon-to-be crisp white shirt," he told . "Why? Pilots and others notoriously use irons to reheat pizza and other food during layovers."

What do you think of the travel hack? Let us know in the comments section below

Liam Gilliver