Woman boards Delta flight. Mid-way she looks over, can’t believe what seatmate is doing to pass the time: ‘This feels dangerous’
A woman flew with Delta, expecting to have a relaxing flight. However, she looked over to her seat neighbor and noticed them doing something incredibly dangerous and a little outrageous. Saying nothing in her video, @abernathy_habit let her face speak for itself. As she panned over to her seatmate, she managed to capture the woman actively curling her hair. With what? A curling iron that she plugged into Delta’s on-flight outlets.
She then posted the clip to TikTok on Dec. 31, 2025. Many commenters asked how the woman sitting in an aisle seat wasn’t stopped by Delta’s flight crew or even banned from the aircraft. Since then, the video has garnered 3.5 million viewers.
Why is a curling iron a fire hazard?
One of the reasons commenters were so deeply appalled by the woman’s brazen use of a curling iron on board a Delta Airlines flight is that it creates an obvious fire hazard. The electrical system could quickly catch fire with one wrong mishap or movement. This should make it a “big no-no” on an aircraft.
Any fire onboard an aircraft can immediately risk the lives of passengers, no matter how small it is. On an aircraft, there is no direct escape unless the plane lands. Smoke and combustion can quickly endanger the lives of passengers, as there are no windows or additional airways that people on board can rely on. Generally, that means that a fire can have its strongest impact when it starts somewhere like a plane. The lack of escape for everyone on board means that it can almost immediately become an “unstoppable” force as soon as it starts.
What did Delta say?
The airline confirmed as much in an email to The Mary Sue. A spokesperson for Delta stated, “The safety of our customers and crews is our No. 1 priority and as such, Delta crew members are empowered to determine the acceptability of items used by customers onboard the aircraft. Delta prohibits the use of any device that interferes with the normal operation of aircraft equipment or impacts the safety of our customers or crews. If a customer’s item is found to be unacceptable for use, Delta crew members will kindly request the customer discontinue use of the item.”
They later confirmed that any personal electronic devices that produce or emit heat are not allowed to be operated at any time on Delta flights.
“That would, of course, include hair dryers, straighteners, and curling irons. Additionally, corded electric shavers are allowed to be used by customers in onboard lavatories as there is a dedicated outlet for that specific device.”
What other issues could occur when someone uses a curling iron on a flight?
Curling irons also require slightly higher voltage than what a “plane outlet” might usually take. In recent years, aircraft have offered customers complimentary outlets to use to charge their portable devices. But these outlets are not generally used for larger electronics. Flight attendants sometimes even warn passengers not to use them for that purpose.
Many commenters mentioned this, reiterating that outlets provided by airlines are specifically for low-voltage portable charging.
As one commenter stated, “There was a literal announcement from the pilot on my last flight that the plug ins on planes are for phones only. [They told us not] to not curl straighten or blow dry your hair.”
Multiple flight attendants also stated that this wasn’t a best practice. “As a flight attendant… DO NOT do this. PLEASE,” commented one viewer.
Another added, “Flight attendant here, you can’t do that. Those outlets aren’t meant for things like this.”
@abernathy_habit ? @delta this feels dangerous… #fyp #delta #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ original sound – abernathy_habit
Can a flight crew stop a fire once it starts?
Flight crews are trained to deal with fires effectively and quickly. But it is better not to take any risks to begin with. That’s one of the reasons that lithium battery fires, which are now a weekly occurrence on flights, are so concerning. There are so many lithium battery-powered devices overheating in air spaces that fires have become commonplace emergencies on flights. It’s especially risky in the cargo hold, as no one can stop the fire once it starts there. The only option is to notice the smoke and land the plane as quickly as possible.
Overall, @abernathy_habit’s seatmate engaged in an incredibly dangerous activity. She probably should have waited until she was back on the ground to continue curling her hair. Although some commenters thought that @abernathy_habit should have let her be and ignored her curling.
We’ve reached out to @abernathy_habit via TikTok direct message.
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