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Whether it’s taking a tennis ball in your carry-on luggage (a travel tip we’ve tried ourselves) or not drinking alcohol from the drinks trolley, there’s plenty of dos and don’ts on flights.
And now former British Airways cabin crew member Kris Major, who worked for the airline for more than 17 years, has added a surprising new no-no to the list.
In short, you should never wear black socks on a plane. If you’re someone who likes to take your shoes off then you’ll want to take notes.
Kris branded black socks a ‘nuisance’ and a ‘risk’, saying: ‘On a night flight, cabin lighting is low, and dark socks blend into the shadows.
‘The trouble starts when passengers stretch out and let their feet drift into the aisle. In those conditions, crew may not spot your feet until the last second.’
What happens as a result? The cabin crew member says staff can trip over you, disrupting the peace and jolting sleeping passengers awake.
‘It’s not about fashion. It’s about visibility,’ he adds. ‘In a narrow aisle, the crew are moving quickly, sometimes carrying hot drinks, and often working around bags, elbows, and half-asleep travellers.
‘Anything that’s hard to see at floor level is an accident waiting to happen.’
But it’s not just others who could suffer if you wear black socks that are hard to spot, your toes could also get run-over by the food and drinks trolley.
Ouch!
Flight footwear
While you should avoid black socks on the plane, there’s one type of sock that is becoming more and more popular on flights – compression socks.
Back in March, we spotted one video of a woman wearing compression socks on a plane hit five million views on TikTok alone, and 444,000 likes, with another hitting 4.1 million views and 430,000 likes.
It’s become trendy as people become more conscious of the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) while flying, according to the American Society of Haematology.
It warns ‘blood clots can sometimes form in your legs during air travel because you are immobile for long periods of time, often sitting in cramped spaces with little leg room’.
The longer the flight, the greater the risk, with eight to 10 hours or longer posing the greatest risk.
Deep vein thrombosis explained
DVT is a blood clot in a vein, typically in the leg, and it can be dangerous.
Symptoms
- Throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both legs), usually in the calf or thigh, when walking or standing up
- Swelling in one leg (rarely both legs)
- Warm skin around the painful area
- Red or darkened skin around the painful area – this may be harder to see on brown or black skin
- Swollen veins that are hard or sore when you touch them
Who is most at risk?
You are most likely to get DVT if you’re 60 or over, a smoker, or overweight.
You’re also at risk if you take the contraceptive pill or HRT, have cancer or heart failure or have varicose veins.
And of course, journeys of more than three hours via plane, car or train could also cause problems.
Treatment
The main treatments are blood-thinners which you’ll need to take for three months or longer, or surgery to remove the blood clots. Then you’ll need to walk regularly and keep your leg raised when sitting down, as well as avoid long flights or journeys for at least two weeks after taking blood-thinners.
Source: NHS
According to the NHS, travel-related deep vein thrombosis was first reported in 1954 in a 54-year-old doctor who developed a blood clot following a 14-hour flight.
The condition was dubbed ‘economy class syndrome’ by researchers, who believed there was a link between DVT and long-haul air travel in cramped conditions.
Studies have found airline passengers who wear compression socks during flights of four hours or more can significantly reduce their risk of DVT and leg swelling.
These socks stop just below the knee and apply pressure to the ankle to help blood flow.
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