These TikTok Travel Hacks Include Getting Compensation For An Airline Bump

Airlines are notorious for overbooking their flights. In the event that you’re ever bumped from your seat, you’ll want to know about the viral airline bump compensation hack from TikToker @erikakullberg. Basically, if an airline oversells seats and tries to bump you, you can ask for some major money in exchange for the inconvenience and “involuntary denied boarding.” If your flight is delayed over 2 hours, you can ask for up to 400% of your one-way fare. No need to read the fine print, because @erikakullberg already has.

The extra money you get if this ever happens to you can be put towards a nice meal on your trip, souvenirs to bring back home, or another adventure in 2022.

Nowadays, it seems like airlines are just trying to squeeze money out of you for every little thing. If you’re only allowed one carry-on item, you can try this pillow hack from TikToker @nolimitua. Since you need a pillow for sleeping on the plane and pillows fly for free, you can use yours as extra storage. Take a zip up pillow case and fill it up with any clothes and soft items that don’t fit in your carry-on.

During takeoff and landing, you can’t have your tray table down. While it’s a minor inconvenience to have to hold your phone up to watch Netflix, it is still an inconvenience. That’s where the hands-free phone hack from TikToker @shoshoni_vdv_ comes in handy. Using the bag provided in your backseat pocket, you can use that with your phone case to hang you phone up at eye level to watch.

A very similar airline travel hack comes from TikToker @kristenashleyblack. By rolling up some clothes in a sweater, you can make your own DIY travel pillow and sneak in extra clothes that don’t fit into your carry-on. You can even hide some items under a beanie.

The number of carry-on bags you’re allowed to bring seems to be a real issue with many travelers, and another way to save money is to sneak in another mini bag. Since security doesn’t care about how many bags you have, TikToker @miniadvantures suggests bringing along an extra drawstring backpack full of clothes that you can hide under a sweater once you go through security. This might be easier than having to wear a bunch of extra layers to bring all the clothes you want on your trip.

Sometimes, it’s as easy as asking politely. If one of your travel goals is to fly first class, but you don’t have the budget for it, TikToker @nielsen_xo suggests just asking once you arrive at your gate. While this travel hack may not always work, it doesn’t hurt to see if they’ll bump you up for free to your dream seat.

For more packing tips, TikToker @bblawncarekc has this travel hack for oversized items. This is actually perfect for clothes as a homemade space bag. All you need to do is place your items in a trash bag and suck the air out using a vacuum. It’ll compress them so it’s easier to pack, and you’ll have extra space for other items.

This travel hack comes from flight attendant and TikToker @katkamalani, so you can definitely trust this tip. While you may be tempted to drink the coffee on a red eye flight, @katkamalani suggests you avoid any beverages that don’t come from a bottle or can. That includes the coffee and tea, because the tanks and machines are rarely cleaned. Gross!

Another hack from TikToker @katkamalani is how to get the royal treatment on your flight. Kindness goes a long way, so @katkamalani recommends giving your flight attendants a small gift like a $5 Starbucks card or lip balm. By showing them some gratitude, they’ll make sure you get extra goodies and attention on your flight.

Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel has a super helpful travel hack for your toiletries. If you have a bag you throw all your items in, you know how messy it can get. So, Frankel suggest using smaller bags within your big bag for different categories like oral care, skincare, and makeup. That way, it’s easier to sort through and everything is ready to go when it’s time to catch your flight.