Travel influencer slammed over ‘not nice' hack for getting comfy when flying: ‘Very inconsiderate'

New York Post

11-06-2025

That's how to make your foot fall asleep.
Airplane passengers are constantly devising ways to make cramped coach seats more comfortable, from the controversial 'seatbelt sleep method' to using a seat cloth to make a hands-free phone holder.
However, one enterprising flyer has faced backlash after demonstrating how to make a makeshift hammock for her feet — with critics dubbing this hack inconsiderate to other passengers.
'I've never tried keeping my feet up like this before while traveling, but it really helped!' gushed globetrotter Nicole Lazo in the viral clip's caption. 'I was super comfortable and slept great!'
'You can break the table with your weight/pull,' said one critic while criticizing Lazo's foot sling.
@nicolelazotravel/Instagram
Lazo frequently shares travel tips on her Instagram, posting about everything from the best neck pillows for long flights to converting currencies via the calculator app.
For her latest tutorial, the content creator explained how weary travelers could use the complimentary blanket to MacGyver a cot for their trotters.
Lazo showed how passengers can simply roll up the blanket — although this can be done with a scarf or other thin fabric in a pinch, per the influencer — and knot it in the middle.
Lazo demonstrates how to create the footrest.
@nicolelazotravel/Instagram
They then pull the tray table out partway and loop the blankie around it, making sure to stretch out the bottom so it forms a stirrup shape.
Lazo demonstrated how easy it is to rest one's feet in the makeshift footrest per the clip.
However, she ran afoul of the ever-merciless Instagram critics, who claimed she was sacrificing other passengers' comfort for her own.
'That's a disturbance to the person sitting on that seat. Not nice,' accused one, while another wrote, 'The flight attendant should stop this kind of inconsiderate act. Unless they are paying for the front seat too . Very inconsiderate.'
Even industry insiders criticized Lazo. 'The person sitting in front definitely feels that,' said one former crew member. 'As a previous flight attendant, I'd not allow — I'd say that's not cool.'
Others expressed concerns that the sling could put an unnecessary strain on the tray table.
'You can break the table with your weight/pull,' declared one.
However, others felt that commenters were overreacting to a savvy hack. 'This is genius!! I'm short and this would be so comfy instead of barely touching the floor,' gushed one fan.
This isn't the first time passengers have come under fire for attempting to make their coach seat more like first class.
Flight attendants have been sounding alarm bells over the seatbelt sleep hack, in which flyers curl their legs up onto the seat and then fasten the seatbelt around their legs to prevent them from slipping off the seat once they nod off.
'If it's attached to your ankles, this could put you in a life-threatening situation as you take extra time to first unbuckle and rebuckle your seatbelt,' warned Michael Wallace, travel expert and CEO of Greenback Expat Tax Services. 'If the plane hits turbulence that causes you to lean forward at an increased rate, colliding with the seat in front of you and your knees can lead to two very different outcomes.'
He added that a sudden jolt could even cause the passenger to knee themself in the face, potentially causing a concussion.