Can you imagine navigating an evacuation slide in high heels? It might seem laughable, but according to Argentine flight attendant and TikTok sensation Barbara Bacilieri, your choice of footwear can be more dangerous than you think.
At a Glance
- Former flight attendant Barbara Bacilieri shares insider travel tips on TikTok.
- High heels are a serious safety hazard and must be removed before using an evacuation slide, as they can puncture it.
- Airlines have a “hidden dress code” and can remove passengers for attire deemed inappropriate, such as crop tops.
- The long-standing practice of pilots eating different meals is a precaution against shared food poisoning.
- The idea that a pilot can legally marry a couple mid-flight is a popular but untrue myth.
The Real Reason for the Airline Dress Code
In a series of viral videos, former flight attendant Barbara Bacilieri has been pulling back the curtain on the unwritten rules of air travel. While many travelers focus on comfort, Bacilieri explains that some fashion choices can pose serious safety risks. The most critical rule? “Heels can pop the evacuation slide,” she warns in a video cited by the New York Post. It’s a non-negotiable safety instruction: in an emergency, heels must come off, as a punctured slide could be catastrophic.
Beyond critical safety rules, airlines also have a subjective “hidden dress code.” As Bacilieri explains, passengers can be, and have been, removed from flights for wearing clothing the crew deems inappropriate, like crop tops. According to the Daily Mail, this authority comes from the airline’s contract of carriage, which gives them broad discretion to refuse service to anyone whose attire is considered offensive or disruptive.
Pilot Meals and Other Onboard Practices
Bacilieri also sheds light on a long-standing airline safety practice: ensuring the two pilots in the cockpit don’t eat the same meal. “Did you know pilots eat different foods?” she asks. This is a widely adopted airline policy designed to prevent both pilots from being simultaneously incapacitated by a single case of food poisoning. While some modern airlines have relaxed the rule due to high catering standards, it remains a common precaution across the industry.
Debunking a Popular Aviation Myth
One of the most persistent and romantic myths of air travel is that a pilot can legally officiate a wedding mid-flight. However, this is simply not true. As legal experts point out, for a marriage to be valid, the officiant must be authorized by the jurisdiction the aircraft is flying over (a specific state, for example). Unlike a ship’s captain in international waters, a pilot’s authority does not extend to performing legally binding marriage ceremonies. “Getting married in the air is not something you should leave up in the air,” attorney Casey Greenfield humorously noted to the New York Post.
Through her candid videos, Bacilieri offers travelers a valuable glimpse into the logic behind the rules, separating critical safety procedures from industry best practices and popular fiction.
