Former British Airways cabin crew member Kris Major, who served the airline for over 17 years, has warned passengers never to wear black socks on a plane. He described black socks as a 'nuisance' and a 'risk', particularly on night flights when cabin lighting is low.
Why black socks are dangerous
'On a night flight, cabin lighting is low, and dark socks blend into the shadows,' Major said. 'The trouble starts when passengers stretch out and let their feet drift into the aisle. In those conditions, crew may not spot your feet until the last second.'
This can cause crew members to trip, disrupting sleep and potentially spilling hot drinks. 'It's not about fashion. It's about visibility,' he added. 'In a narrow aisle, the crew are moving quickly, sometimes carrying hot drinks, and often working around bags, elbows, and half-asleep travellers. Anything that's hard to see at floor level is an accident waiting to happen.'
Risk of trolley collisions
Wearing black socks also puts passengers' toes at risk of being run over by the food and drinks trolley.
Compression socks as an alternative
While black socks should be avoided, compression socks have grown in popularity on flights. A video of a woman wearing compression socks on a plane hit five million views on TikTok with 444,000 likes, while another reached 4.1 million views and 430,000 likes.
This trend is driven by awareness of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) risk during air travel. The American Society of Haematology warns that 'blood clots can sometimes form in your legs during air travel because you are immobile for long periods of time, often sitting in cramped spaces with little leg room'. The risk increases with flight duration, especially for flights of eight to ten hours or longer.
What is deep vein thrombosis?
DVT is a blood clot in a vein, typically in the leg. Symptoms include throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually in the calf or thigh, when walking or standing; swelling in one leg; warm skin around the painful area; red or darkened skin (harder to see on brown or black skin); and swollen veins that are hard or sore to touch.
Risk factors include age 60 or over, smoking, being overweight, taking the contraceptive pill or HRT, having cancer, heart failure, or varicose veins. Journeys of more than three hours by plane, car, or train can also contribute.
Treatment involves blood-thinners taken for three months or longer, or surgery to remove clots. Patients are advised to walk regularly, keep the leg raised when sitting, and avoid long flights or journeys for at least two weeks after starting blood-thinners.
According to the NHS, travel-related DVT was first reported in 1954 in a 54-year-old doctor who developed a clot after a 14-hour flight. The condition was dubbed 'economy class syndrome' due to the link between DVT and long-haul air travel in cramped conditions. Studies have found that wearing compression socks during flights of four hours or more can significantly reduce the risk of DVT and leg swelling.
