- A TikToker gained traction with videos about plane etiquette, like who gets the middle armrests.
- The videos have drawn both support and backlash, with arguments brewing in the comments.
A travel influencer account has gone viral on TikTok with a list of plane etiquette rules, including a controversial one arguing that middle-seaters deserve both armrests to themselves. Her clips have drawn both agreement and backlash as viewers argue over the rules.
The TikTok account @HillnPoo's first plane etiquette clip urged fellow travelers to not stuff their jackets in the overhead compartments, which takes up room for luggage. The account is run by travel influencers Matt and Hillary, who document their luxury travels on Instagram.
@hillnpoo Are we wrong for thinking jackets in the overhead is a crime? #airlinetiktok #airplaneetiquette #hillnpootravel2 #traveltiktok ♬ ceilings - Sped Up Version - Lizzy McAlpine
"If you plan to fly in 2023, please don't be the people who fill up an entire overhead cabinet with your jackets," Hillary says in the clip, which has over 230,000 views. "It's an absolute waste of space. They could sit on your lap or most airlines have hooks."
The video sparked both cheer and derision; some said this was just common sense, while others refuted the suggestion, saying they have every right to use the overhead bin.
"Considering that the crew staff asks you to put your jacket there, it doesn't make any sense not to do it," one top comment said.
After her clip gained traction and fiery replies, she made a follow-up video that amassed even more views with additional plane etiquette rules.
Perhaps her most divisive claim was that people in the middle seat, widely considered the least desirable, should be allowed to use both armrests to the left and right of them. As an amendment to her previous video's rule, she also said people should wait until all the flight's luggage is put into the overhead compartments before adding their jackets. She also admonished the (mostly) men who spread their legs out on flights, spilling over into other passengers' leg area.
@hillnpoo What are your top 3 airplane etiquette rules? #planerules #airplaneetiquette #flyingrules #hillnpootravel2 ♬ Little Things - Tiqta
A surge of commenters disagreed with the armrest etiquette.
"100% wrong," one user wrote. "Middle DOES NOT get both armrests."
"You don't get both armrests if you sit in the middle seat, you didn't pay more, you paid less," another person commented, referring to the add-on fees many airlines charge to allow passengers to pick their seats. "You sit in the middle, suck it up."
Insider reached out to @HillnPoo for further explanation of her etiquette rules.