Flight attendant reveals secret button hidden on plane seats – and why it can make your plane ride more comfortable

A flight attendant has revealed a lesser-known trick to make your flying experience a little more comfortable.

Most airplanes have clearly visible buttons that allow passengers to raise and lower the armrests of the middle seats on the plane. However, many passengers mistakenly assume that the aisle seat armrest stays in place.

Virgin Australia’s flight attendant corrects this assumption in a viral video shared on the airline’s official TikTok account, in which she reveals that there is often a “secret button” under the armrest of the aisle seat that can be pressed, to raise armrest – so passengers feel more comfortable at 38,000 feet.

In the video, which has been viewed more than 118,000 times, cabin crew press a “special button” near the armrest hinge and quickly push the armrest up.

The caption reads: “Ever had problems with the aisle seat armrest? Stop messing with this chair heel!”

A Virgin Australia flight attendant revealed a “special button” on the armrest of the aisle seat. She revealed that the button in the armrest hinge can be pressed to raise the armrest

It goes on to say, “Press this special button and raise the armrest. Try it on your next flight.”

The trick, which seemed to be little known to many TikTokers, attracted a lot of likes (over 3,000) and many comments.

A TikTok user named Shmali wrote: “Thank you! I can [do] That and relaxing in the sky.” While another named 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 gives them more room to spread out and better access to overhead bins, it’s important to keep airline safety in mind when using the trick.

The flight attendant explained how to use the button in a video posted on Virgin Australia’s official TikTok account. One TikTok user commented that the button trick was “life-changing.”

Sebastien Bouevier, a safety and emergency procedure instructor for a major airline, previously explained that armrests must be folded down during take-off and landing to prevent passengers from being injured, reports News.com.au.

Bouevier said that “if the airplane came to a sudden stop,” any armrests that were not safely positioned “could swing forward at the same speed as the airplane did before it came to a stop,” and thus “in the side crash.” . ‘ with great force, reports the publication.

In addition, FAA guidance states that the armrests must be in the normal forward position before takeoff 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. Movable armrests on airplanes are primarily intended to help people with mobility problems.