Pillowcase travel hack backfires as airline call police on sneaky traveller

The man was pulled aside by gate staff at Orlando Airport after trying a commonly known packing trick. Photo / 123rf

Most people know that when it comes to travel (and many other things) what we see on Instagram isn’t always a picture of reality.

This doesn’t just apply to videos of seemingly perfect hotel rooms or empty beaches but also tips and tricks to simplify travel.

Tricks such as the pillowcase hack. While sneaky travellers may have used this tactic for years, it first went viral in 2021 via a TikTok video by a woman named Anya Lakovlieva.

Titled “The best travel hack ever – pillow flies for free” the video shows Lakovlieva stuffing a pillowcase with clothes and placing it atop her suitcase, allowing her to take extra luggage on board.

Posted during a time when lost luggage was at a high and carry-on was king, the clip was viewed more than 25 million times.

However, when others worldwide gave it a try, they quickly found it was far from foolproof and the trick was discredited.

One man appears to have missed the memo and ran into trouble with police in Orlando Airport after trying to sneak items onto a flight.

A TikTok has captured a tense altercation between a male passenger and airport employees, which ended with Orlando Police escorting the man away.

Posted on June 5 by @natashaorganic, the video shows clips of the man arguing with several employees while she explains what happened in the voiceover.

“Stop letting social media give you tips and tricks because sometimes it’s not gonna work,” she said at the start of the video, which was viewed more than 1.8 million times.

@natashaorganic

Stop listening to the internet #airline #travelhacks #pillow #frontier #mco #orlando

♬ original sound - natashaorganic

“This dude was trying to take in a pillowcase full of clothing and other items which he is stating was simply just a pillowcase,” she said, clarifying in the comments that it was a regular bed pillowcase.

The employee allegedly challenged the passenger, stating it was clear the pillow was filled with items.

“He waited all the way up until they closed the doors to be like, ‘Okay, I’ll pay for it now’ ... And they were like, ‘Bro, back away. We gave you your chance and you didn’t pay for it’,” she explained.

Eventually, the staff called the police, who escorted the man out.

Thousands of people commented on the video, with several criticising the man for choosing to be confrontational at an airport.

“The airport is the one place I’m making sure I’m a model citizen,” one person said, while another agreed they would never “act like a fool” at the airport.

One person pointed out that the pillowcase hack wasn’t what caused the issues and eventual police involvement.

“The problem is not getting caught, the problem is arguing. Better to say sorry, claim ignorance, pay the fee and be done with it,” they wrote.

Some people believed the employee should have let the man on board and not been “petty”, arguing it didn’t make sense for a pillow to be free to carry on board while a similarly-sized pillowcase full of items costs extra.

One person quickly noted that it wasn’t about the space but the weight of carry-on items.

“I don’t think people understand how important weight is on a plane,” one person wrote. “10lbs clothes vs 1lb pillow will be a big deal is 300ppl do it,” they added.

A self-described airport employee said they knew the pillowcase hack was doomed to fail when it first started trending back in 2021. Others said they’d used the hack successfully and suggested the man had made it too obvious.

Several viewers wrote that they weren’t surprised the incident occurred in Orlando.