Flight attendant reveals the pleasant ‘secret’ behind black triangles in airplane cabins

Have you ever settled into a window seat on a flight and noticed a small black triangle above the window? Most passengers overlook it, but for flight attendants and crew, that marking serves an important purpose. A Cebu Pacific flight attendant, Henny Joyce Lim—known as @hennylim on TikTok—revealed the meaning behind the black triangle in a 2022 video that has recently resurfaced.

"Passengers sitting next to the triangles get the best view of the wings," Lim explains in the 36-second clip. But the marking isn't just for aesthetics—it’s a crucial reference point for the flight crew. "If flight crew need to check the wings, these triangles let them know the best vantage points for the slats and flaps outside," she adds.

or those flying on airlines that allow seat selection, Lim offers a pro tip: "Look for one of the triangles in the cabin. Anybody who loves taking window shots or videos will get the best view of the wings from these seats." She wrapped up her video by wishing viewers a safe flight—now with a little insider knowledge.

The TikTok users who had no idea about this left amusing comments. @khilaryfsb questioned, "When there is no seat available, can you sit anywhere? Or when checking in, do they give you a seat like that?" Lim responded by writing, "Aircraft transferring on seats is not allowed unless authorized by cabin crew." @k4tric3 noted, "I'm always in the window seat near the wings, same as in the video, but I don't notice the triangle." Lim also revealed in the comments section that "those triangle-marked seats are either at number 10 or at 18, but it still depends on the type of aircraft one is traveling in."

@sandoboyngtondo joked, "I saw that. I was seated at 29A and a few seats from me, I saw something like that. At first, I thought a fly had entered the plane." @gingerhead joked, "Who wants to get the best view of the wings? Definitely not me." Just like Lim, other flight attendants have been making useful videos to ease passengers while traveling. A flight attendant named Destanie–who goes by @destanieaaa on TikTok–explained to her viewers how they can get upgraded between different classes while flying in certain cases. If there is an empty seat in the first class, people with some status with the airline are given first preference

"There have been multiple times that men have hit on me, thinking that I'm gonna move them to first class because they told me I was pretty," Destanie revealed. A recent incident happened with her when a passenger came on board and complimented her. "This is the most beautiful cabin crew I've ever seen," she recalled the passenger's words. She was flattered, but she understood his ulterior motive. The passenger had spotted a first-class seat that was empty and wondered if he could take it and asked Destanie to let him know if any first-class seats were open. She politely turned him down and gave him back his compliment in clear words. He tried to "apologize," but the attendant got away from the situation with a smile on her face.

You can follow Henny Joyce Lim (@_hennylim_) on TikTok for more travel and flight hack videos.

This article originally appeared 10 months ago.