First class passenger’s brazen act divides

A first class passenger on an Emirates flight has shared a now viral TikTok admitting to this brazen act – and it’s sparked a plane etiquette debate.

From raw dogging to shoulder nuzzling, we all know travelling economy class these days is a precarious endeavour.

But what you might not know is that flying at the pointy end can be equally fraught.

From screaming babies to broken monitors and seats that won’t recline (not to mention people with poor personal hygiene and lost luggage), first and business-class cabins are as prone to problems as any other human invention.

Speaking of which: A brazen in-flight act by an Emirates first-class passenger is going like the clappers on Instagram.

There’s one naughty thing many first class passengers do, that precious few admit to. Picture: Instagram/jonny_mitchell1991

The source of the controversy? A guy called Jonny has filmed himself taking everything not nailed down from his first-class cabin at the end of his Emirates flight, from the expensive headset to the drinks from the minibar.

He also takes the menu, the flowers, the in-flight beauty products, the notepad, the pen, and the amenities kit. He captioned the clip: “8k a ticket, you best believe I’m stealing everything”.

Surprisingly, many other Instagram users admitted to the same behaviour. Popular Instagram account ‘passengershaming’ wrote: “I’m absolutely taking everything” while another viewer: “I’ve been lucky enough to fly first with Emirates a few times and have pinched a few freebies.”

One frequent flyer shared a now viral clip on what he did. Picture: Instagram/jonny_mitchell1991

He took everything from expensive headset to the drinks from the minibar. Picture: Instagram/jonny_mitchell1991

Others wrote things like: “I thought I was the only one” and “Don’t be shy to steal they already made you pay for all these so indirectly it belongs to you”.

Others criticised Jonny’s behaviour, with comments like “The seat might have been 1st class but not the passenger” and “money doesn’t buy class” rolling in.

First class expert and founder of Flight Hacks, Immanuel Debeer told Escape: “You can take all the consumables but headsets and binoculars are off limits. Besides, those headsets have a 3-pin connection to render them useless if taken home.”

This man’s cheeky first class act has left the many travellers divided. Picture: Instagram/jonny_mitchell1991

“I’d say that if you take the headsets it’s rather telling of one’s character as a person.”

Generally, when it comes to the rules around what you can and can’t take away from a first-class cabin, Escape understands that pyjamas and amenity kits are fair game, but headsets and other equipment designed for the aircraft should remain on the aircraft.

As for food and beverages, when we spoke to one major airline, we were told that all food served must be left on board and directed to the Department of Agriculture for airlines operating according to Australia’s guidelines.

While some questioned his behaviour others, surprisingly admitted to doing the same thing. Picture: Instagram/jonny_mitchell1991

It remains to be seen whether Jonny actually took everything home or was simply delighting in enraging the Internet, but either way, his video has sparked a truly enlightening discussion.

Further, first-class etiquette rules many people might not be aware of include not intruding on other passengers’ space when getting your things from the overhead bins (the suites have doors for a reason) and not awkwardly hovering over someone while wandering around the cabin.

You also shouldn’t ask flight attendants if everything is free, because, as Air Travel expert Gilbert Ott once told Insider, “First class is about indulgence.

“There you have it: go indulge. Just maybe leave the headset where it is at the end of your flight …

This article originally appeared on Escape and was reproduced with permission