Former Love Island contestant’s bold first-class cabin move sparks debate

Stock image of a man resting in a first-class cabin on a flight. Photo / 123rf

Lounging in first-class plane seats is relaxing. You’ve got your deluxe headset, fancy cutlery, perhaps a beauty kit or two. One former reality star, however, may have got a little too at ease - now a viral video of him nabbing cabin luxuries has sparked debate online about first-class etiquette.

Jonny Mitchell, formerly a contestant on British TV series Love Island (season three) and Celebrity Big Brother (season 21) and now a financial trader, took to Instagram to share a video of himself in the first-class cabin on an Emirates flight on July 29.

A quick scroll through Mitchell’s Instagram grid will give the impression of someone used to life’s luxuries. From giraffes eating off his plate as he casually dines to breathtaking views from exotic spots around the world, the 32-year-old loves to indulge.

In his video overlaid with the text “POV: You’re flying first class & the plane starts to land”, Mitchell films himself quickly grabbing anything and everything he could pick up, and packing them into his bag.

Among the packed items were an Emirates-branded notepad, a bowl of snacks, the bowl itself, a headset, the food menu - and flowers.

The video captioned “8k a ticket, you best believe I’m stealing” has racked up well over 7 million views and more than 220000 likes.

Many commenters expressed views about the absurdity of the act - taking extra items while being able to afford a first-class ticket - while others admitted to doing the same thing.

“You forgot to pack the air hostess,” said the top comment with almost 73000 likes.

Another wrote: “Is it really stealing if you payed [sic] 8k?”

“I thought I was the only one” another confessed.

Snatching free consumables isn’t just controversial on planes. It’s hotly contested when it comes to hotels too.

In November, an expert waded into the debate. British etiquette coach William Hanson explained in a video what is okay to take home from a hotel and what you should leave behind.

Those who love the hotel’s fancy ceramic mug or fluffy white robe will have to leave it behind, but small toiletry products are up for grabs, according to Hanson, who has almost 3 million followers across Instagram and TikTok.