A model has divided even the most experienced travelers after declaring she only wears jeans when flying: and swears it’s the secret to getting an upgrade.
Model and content creator Natalie Elise posted the controversial video to TikTok, claiming her ‘number one travel tip as an international model is to wear jeans to the airport.’
‘Since doing this I’ve had so many upgrades, free meals/drinks, and overall better experiences,’ the New York-based model captioned the video.
But her claims sparked a massive debate in the comment section, with some branding her choice of clothing as ‘psychotic’ and others applauding her advice.
‘OK so denim for a flight is actually psychotic, that’s gonna be a no for me,’ declared one user.
‘Jeans… on a flight… no thank you,’ laughed another.
‘The older I get, I love jeans and feel so much more confident in them versus leggings,’ someone else declared.
‘I have never and will never leave my house in sweats, especially an airport?’ read a fourth comment.
‘I’ll always have a change of clothes for red eyes, but not walking through public places.’
Some viewers wondered if Natalie’s good looks had scored her the free upgrades, rather than her choice of clothing.
‘It also might be because you’re a model,’ one user responded sarcastically.
‘Dressing better elevates anyones appearance, but for real being a stunning model might have more to do with your experience than the jeans,’ another agreed.
In a comment, Natalie insisted that dressing up makes her feel more confident, which helps her score the upgrades.
‘I think dressing confidently makes you show up in the world differently,’ she responded in the comments section of the video.
While leggings or yoga pants may be the easiest thing to throw on before a long-haul flight, a flight expert previously revealed the terrifying safety reason you should never wear leggings on a plane.
The expert also advised against taking off your shoes whilst in the air.
Aviation journalist Christine Negroni has written about air travel for decades and is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Crash Detectives.
Speaking to The Sun, the writer explained that no matter how tempting it may be to get cozy on your long haul flight – it’s probably not worth the risk in the event of a disaster onboard.
She explained: ‘You might have to escape through a cabin fire or there could be a separate fire on the ground once you leave the aircraft.
‘Everyone is wearing yoga pants on planes now, but I avoid all artificial fibers because they are more likely to burn and stick to you if there is a fire.’
And don’t even think about taking off your shoes because in the same situation you would have a rather painful walk to the emergency slide and safety.
She continued: ‘If you escape an aircraft, the floor could be very hot or cold, it might be covered in oil or on fire, or in a cornfield – you won’t want to be barefoot.’
