Plane travel comes with a lot of warnings.
Don’t drink too much, be on time, be patient, and don’t hog the arm rests. But there is a new one out there we did not see coming.
Don’t wear leggings on a plane.
Say what?
One of the world’s most comfortable items is now frowned upon for one of the world’s most uncomfortable experiences. This had better be good.
Well, according to aviation expert Christine Negroni, wearing leggings on a plane could be fatal or at least leave nasty scars … if there is a fire in the cabin.
Aviation expert
Ms Negroni knows her stuff. She has a Wikipedia page and has written several books about travel and aviation including The Crash Detectives: Investigating the World’s Most Mysterious Air Disasters.
She says mixing fire and artificial fabric is not a good combination. Solid advice.
“Everyone is wearing yoga pants on planes now, but I avoid all artificial fibres because they are more likely to burn and stick to you if there is a fire,” Ms Negroni says.
“I’d advise wearing cotton clothes or anything made of natural fibres.”
“You might have to escape through a cabin fire or there could be a separate fire on the ground once you leave the aircraft,”
If you are a nervous flyer and wearing cotton brings you comfort, you should totally do that, but I am not too worried about wearing leggings on a flight for a few reasons.
Firstly, the chances of you being engulfed in flame on a flight are incredibly slim.
Odds of a crash
According to Harvard University, flying in the US, Europe and Australia is significantly safer than driving a car.
Your odds of being in a crash are one in 1.2 million and the chances of that accident being fatal are one in 11 million.
I’m happy with those odds.
And next up, if I am engulfed in flames, I don’t think the difference between cotton and lycra is going to mean the difference between life and death. Death is probably the only outcome.
Unless you are prepared to rock a complete fire suit – although, these racing ones are kind of sexy – your choice of fabric is probably the least of your worries.
And finally, who is going to be bothered with wearing a complete cotton or wool outfit? This rules out a puffer jacket for a start.
No, I will continue to wear comfy clothing of questionable origin while flying, confident in the knowledge that the chances of my leggings or any pants with a high elastic content will kill me are pretty low. You should too.
Are you a nervous flyer? Would this advice prompt you to change what you wear while flying? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Also read: Five quick tips for your dream US road trip
Having gone down the chute 3 times in my life (so far), I’ve experienced first hand how people having to exit a plane get injured, sometimes with serious burns eve is no fire.
Oops, sent before complete. I was saying that having gone down the chute 3 times in my life (so far), I’ve experienced first-hand how people having to exit a plane get injured, sometimes with serious burns even if there is no fire.
The problem is the slides are made of a material that is designed to allow easy movement, but creates heat if a synthetic material slides on it. Anything other than wool or cotton builds static or heat and often it is this that causes minor or serious burns on legs and buttocks.
I only wear cotton on board and take a woolen top layer as these breathe and are universally safe, whatever happens.