As the UK endures its typical cold, grey and wet weather, holidaymakers are eagerly planning their sunny escapes.
While it might seem sensible to dress for your destination when heading to the airport, flight attendants have offered various reasons why this isn’t always wise, particularly due to chilly plane air conditioning.
However, a former Emirates flight attendant has taken to TikTok with a safety tip that goes beyond comfort as he advises against wearing shorts on flights. “Obviously you think that’s a joke, but what I’m saying is do not wear shorts,” Drake cautioned.
He revealed that during his training with Emirates, they practiced using the emergency slides from different aircrafts.
“This was the best word of advice is that, especially in an emergency when you’re trying to get out quick, this stuff [on the slide] is designed to get you down as fast as possible, and it burns,” he said.
Drake stressed the importance of protecting your skin during such situations: “Like to the point where, if you’re sliding down, you are supposed to keep your hands on top of your thighs because if you try to use your hands on the slide, your hands will get burned and your skin could get burned off.”
The seasoned traveller issued a crucial piece of advice to airline passengers, emphasising the need to don long trousers while flying. “Obviously, no one wants to get into an emergency, but this could save you a lot of pain,” he pointed out.
Although the tip was met with gratitude, it sparked a debate among users. One person questioned: “Wait so why do some flight attendants uniforms require skirts then? I know they typically also require pantyhose but is that enough fabric to prevent the burns you’re talking about?”
Another chimed in: “If it burns skin then don’t wear work out leggings either! The material will melt and fuse to your skin.”
Additional plane goers highlighted more reasons for wearing long trousers, as one flight attendant advised: “As a flight attendant – please wear pants, those planes are not properly cleaned!”
Furthermore, someone else warned: “Always wear long sleeves too because I had a co-worker got a skin disease from the airplane arm rests.”