Phone: check. Passport: check. Boarding pass: check. Make it look cute: check. (Click.)
Over the past few months, influencers and content creators have flooded TikTok, Instagram and other social media sites with pictures and videos of aesthetically pleasing … airport trays. Yes, those gray, plastic bins in which you put your shoes, keys, laptop and other personal items.
In the images, the utilitarian bins come to life with carefully arranged accessories — cameras, headphones, tickets. Some displays get elaborate, adding designer purses and makeup, while others simply arrange commonplace items in a nicer way.
A recent video showed a creator’s monochrome variations for different cities. Others opt to display the contents of their gadget-filled personal carry-on item or their favorite book.
For Hitha Palepu, the author of “How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip,” the trend is one of her “biggest travel pet peeves and icks” for several reasons: inconsideration of fellow travelers and security staff, “gross” hygiene and an unrealistic portrayal of the messy — and often stressful — realities of travel.
@pipertaich Replying to @Kimberly Mayflower TSA bin aesthetic photo tutorial! ✈️ #pinterest #thrifted #airportaesthetic #phototutorial ♬ original sound – piper taich
On a recent afternoon at Los Angeles International Airport, not all passengers were aware of the tray trend (yet). Some were baffled — European travelers, in particular — and some were intrigued. Others said they had encountered it.
@chelseaasoflate @chelseamaninang ♬ original sound – speedz!
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