Flight attendant reveals secret button hidden on plane seats – and why pressing it could make your plane trip more comfortable
A flight attendant has revealed a lesser-known trick to make your flying experience a little more comfortable.
On most aircraft, there are clearly visible buttons that passengers can press to raise and lower the armrests on the middle seats on planes. However, many passengers incorrectly assume that the armrest of the aisle seat will remain in place.
The Virgin Australia flight attendant corrects this assumption a viral videoshared with that of the airline official TikTok accountin which she reveals that under the armrest of the aisle seat there is often a ‘secret button’ that can be pressed to raise the armrest, making passengers feel more comfortable at 35,000 feet.
In the video, which has been viewed more than 118,000 times, the cabin crew member presses a ‘special button’ near the hinge of the armrest, quickly pushing the armrest upright.
The caption reads: ‘Ever have trouble with the armrest of the aisle seat? Stop struggling with this chair hack!”
A Virgin Australia flight attendant has revealed a ‘special button’ on the armrest of the aisle seat. She revealed that the button, which lies in the hinge of the armrest, can be pressed to bring the armrest upright
It goes on to say: ‘Press this special button and lift the armrest. Try this out on your next flight.’
The trick, which was apparently little known to many TikTokers, generated many likes (more than 3,000) and many comments.
A TikTok user named Shmali wrote, “Thank you! I can (do this) and relax in the air.” While another called Adam Whiteman said: ‘Life has changed!’
And user Adam Bromley wrote: ‘More people need to see this.’
While fans of the ‘hack’ claim that using the button means they have more room to spread out and better access to the overhead compartments, it is important to keep airline safety in mind when using the trick.
The flight attendant explained how to use the button in a video posted to Virgin Australia’s official TikTok account. One TikTok user commented that the button trick was “life-changing.”
Sebastien Bouevier, a Safety and Emergency Procedures instructor at a major airline, previously explained that armrests should be placed down during takeoff and landing to prevent passengers from being injured. News.com.au reports.
Bouevier said that ‘if the plane suddenly came to a stop’, any armrests that were not safely positioned could ‘swivel forward at the same speed as the plane before it stopped’ and thus ‘crash into your side’. ‘ with great force, the publication reports.
Further, FAA guidance states that armrests are expected to be in the normal forward position prior to take-off and landing to ensure that they do not obstruct the passage between the row of seats and the emergency exit.
In an emergency, an upright or partially stowed armrest may pose a greater risk of obstruction, the report said, adding that movable armrests on aircraft are primarily intended to assist people with mobility problems.