Would you ‘rawdog’ a flight? Bizarre travel trend sweeping TikTok explained
Parents cling to iPads, couples play cards and solo travellers fly through the movie menu – but would you “rawdog” your in-flight entertainment?
Despite the name, the self-imposed endurance challenge has nothing to do with joining the mile-high club.
“Rawdogging”, TikTok’s latest travel trend, requires plane passengers to sit silently and screen-free on long-haul stints in the sky.
That means no films, music, sleep, snacks or distractions once in the cabin.
Several content creators have shared on TikTok their “personal best” attempts at flying entertainment-free.
One user @oiwudini, a Manchester-based DJ and producer, wrote: “Just rawdogged a 7-hour flight (new personal best) no headphones, no movie, no water, nothing.”
“Incredible. The power of my mind knows no bounds,” he added.
The challenging concept has drawn parallels to Apple TV’s Hijack series. When Sam Nelson’s seven-hour flight is taken over by the bad guys, the Idris Elba character takes a stoic stare-forward approach from Dubai to London.
It seems the in-flight map is the one exception to screen time abstinence when rawdogging a flight.
Jonny Davies @jdrunsfar posted his personal best after an 11-hour flight “raw dogging the flight map” with the caption “The only thing to watch whilst flying Virgin Atlantic”.
Travel influencer Sophi Cooke @sophiandytravel also posted her mum’s “beige flag” to TikTok.
“My mom’s beige flag is that she rawdogs every flight, no matter how long. This is her on a 9-hour flight. No iPad. No headphones. No book. At least she’s comfy! Go girl,” wrote Cooke over a video of her mother reclined simply staring into space.
TikTok users were surprisingly on board with the no-frills approach to flying.
“This is actually an insane dopamine detox,” wrote one commenter.
Another said: “OMG! I thought I was the only one who stared either out the window or at the flight tracker. No music, no nothing, just peace!”
