These 5 Popular Airport Hacks Are Actually A Total Waste Of Time, According To Reddit

Planes can make trips in hours that once took days or even weeks. However, the convenience of air travel still has its downsides. The airport itself can be really stressful, from security lines to the anticipation of sitting in a cramped seat for what feels like forever. To combat this, fliers have come up with all sorts of hacks that supposedly make things easier. That doesn't mean all of them actually work. In fact, some of them are a complete waste of time.

We looked through Reddit to see which hacks travelers say don't actually do what the internet claims. They include dressing a certain way to get an upgrade, boarding last to choose any empty seat, freezing water to get it through a security checkpoint, stuffing clothing into a pillowcase to sneak a third "bag" onto the plane, and pretending to need a wheelchair to board sooner.

To find airport hacks that are a waste of time, we searched Reddit threads like r/TravelHacks and r/travel, as well as specific discussions about each tactic. We also looked at news stories related to some of these ideas. While there are certainly airport hacks that do work, skipping these may be in your best interest.

One travel hack from a bygone era is dressing like a business traveler to get an upgrade to business or first class. The same thing goes for wearing red to signal that you're "important," telling the gate agent that it's your birthday or honeymoon, or flirting with staff or bringing them gifts. This idea came up in a thread in Reddit's r/travel, with one person saying, "Sir, it's not the 1960s anymore. That's only going to work if you also have high [frequent flyer] status and/or pay for it. And don't flirt with people at work, yikes." 

In reality, flight attendants and gate agents rarely have the authority to move you between cabins without following airline rules. Plus, if they do it for one person, everyone else may get upset. If you want an upgrade, there are other ways to do it. Having elite status in a frequent-flyer program is one way, as is using a travel credit card with that benefit, or paying for an upgrade at the check-in counter if one is available.

Another popular airport hack suggests waiting until the last minute to board so you can choose from any empty seats. The idea is that you might score a better seat than the one printed on your ticket. Sometimes that works — but often it doesn't. You won't be allowed into a first-class cabin if your ticket is for economy. Plus, even when the plane is almost empty, flight attendants may need passengers to remain in assigned seats for takeoff, sometimes for weight-and-balance reasons. However, the biggest issue, according to many Reddit users, is overhead bin space.

In a thread on r/TravelHacks, one commenter wrote, "Boarding last is great if you've checked a bag, but if you're carrying on, you risk all overhead bin space being taken if you wait too long. Then you're forced to gate check." As you likely already know, especially if you've experienced a later boarding group in the past, there often isn't enough overhead bin space for everyone to bring a roller bag. As the Redditor says, you may have to gate-check your bag, which means you won't have access to it and may have to wait for it at baggage claim later. If you really want to switch seats and there are open seats in your cabin class, the simplest approach is to ask a flight attendant after boarding is complete.

Another hack making the rounds suggests freezing water to pass TSA checkpoints. According to TSA rules, ice is allowed in carry-on bags, which makes the trick sound plausible. In fact, it has worked sometimes, per a thread on r/TravelHacks. However, the agency also notes that if an item is "partially melted, slushy, or [has] any liquid at the bottom of the container," it must adhere to the 3-1-1 rule — meaning liquids must be 3.4 ounces or less and fit inside a single quart-size bag. If you're lucky enough to get to the airport quickly on a cold day, find no security line, and get right through, you may not be stopped. That is, unfortunately, not likely to happen.

In the same Reddit thread, one person joked, "Wait until you find out that ice melts!!!" Another added that "the problem with this method overall, though, is keeping water frozen long enough to make it through the ride to the airport, the walk to TSA, and waiting in line." A third commenter pointed out that even if it works, you'd still have to wait for it to melt before drinking it. Since many airports now have bottle-filling stations past security, bringing an empty reusable bottle and filling it after screening is usually much easier.

Yet another airport travel hack suggests packing a bunch of your clothing in a pillowcase. The idea is that no one will consider it a piece of luggage, letting you bring it along with your carry-on and personal item. But travelers say this can easily backfire. In one r/TravelHacks thread, a Redditor said they were on a flight where passengers were told to put their travel pillows inside their bags. Another mentioned that their airline counted crossbody bags, fanny packs, stuffies, and pillows as personal items.

While this may work with a small crescent-shaped travel pillow, which might only fit a few pairs of socks or other tiny items, a large pillow may get you in trouble, forcing you to check your carry-on or leave things behind. In at least one widely reported case, a passenger at Orlando International Airport was denied boarding after refusing to pay a carry-on fee tied to a similar trick. In most cases, it's simpler to stick to the airline's baggage rules or pack more efficiently inside the bags you're allowed. Here are some tips for packing everything you need for a week in a carry-on bag. 

The last airport hack that is a waste of time is pretending to need a wheelchair to get through the airport quicker and board earlier. Some able-bodied people board the plane in a chair, and then, when they land, get up and walk out of the plane. If you choose to do this and you don't need one, you're wasting everyone else's time and possibly leaving someone who actually needs a wheelchair without one. While it may work, doing so is widely considered unethical. However, to be very clear, as mentioned in r/SouthwestAirlines and r/disability threads, many disabilities are not visible. Some travelers can walk short distances but have difficulty standing for long periods or walking through large terminals. Others may need help only during certain parts of a trip. You can't always know what issues anyone has.

Unfortunately, it would be difficult to prevent people from trying this hack, despite airlines like Frontier Airlines declaring they are looking for ways to reduce misuse of wheelchair assistance. Ultimately, though, the system relies on passengers requesting help when they need it. If you think someone may be misusing the service, the best approach is still to avoid confronting them. You rarely know the full story.

To find the airport hacks that are a waste of time, we did extensive digging through airline Reddit threads like r/SouthwestAirlines, as well as r/TravelHacks and r/travel, to see what people were talking about. Then we searched again for what Redditors thought about some of these methods in places like r/disability and other r/TravelHacks threads. To verify some claims, we reviewed airline policies, TSA guidance, and news coverage discussing issues such as fraudulent wheelchair requests.