The popular TikTok hack was shared by US influencer Abby Baffoe, who shared a video with the caption “Thank you to whoever showed us the seatbelt idea, I tried this and was so comfortable my whole flight.”

Commenters were divided on the ‘hack’, some excited to try the trend on their next flight, others pointing out the potential safety concerns of not properly using the seatbelt. 

“Nothing about this looks safe,” wrote one commenter, while another said  “I don't wanna get flung all around the plane during turbulence.”

Experts have also raised concerns over the practice, with Angus Kidman, travel expert at Finder, telling news.com.au that seatbelts are crucial for safety.

“Wear your seatbelt properly. If you need more legroom for comfort, splurge on an exit row,” said Kidman. 

Dr Richard Dawood, a specialist in travel medicine, told The Telegraph the trend “does not look safe at all”.

“I’m not aware of any formal impact testing on passengers wearing lap straps around their ankles, well below their centre of gravity, but with a frontal impact, the likely result would be to catapult the passenger forwards, over the belt and into the back of the seat in front.”

@abbybaffoeAs someone that needs to sit with their legs up ILY FOR THIS 💖✈️ ♬ Paper Planes - M.I.A.