Will You Be Rawdogging Your Next Flight? We Have Some Tips

Another day, another viral TikTok trend to be tried, mocked, and abused. This time, it's for travelers who are “rawdogging” long-haul flights.

Simply put, "rawdogging" is the art of enduring long-haul flights (or any flight, really) without entertainment of any kind. That means no in-flight movies or music, no electronic devices, no games, puzzles, or reading material. Just hours of inactivity and blank staring.

The earliest mention of this viral trend appears to be a Reddit post from 2022. But then, in October 2023, TikTok hosted its earliest video on the trend. In the video, a user states, “My mom's beige flag is that she raw dogs 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.”

Since then, other travelers documented their “rawdog travel” on TikTok, eventually resulting in its recent virality. As with all trends, it has grown legs of its own. Some travelers are extending its meaning to include not staring at the in-flight map for distraction, others say no to headphones or earbuds to block out noise, and still others argue there should be no eating or snacking, either. Are people really staring at seat backs for a 10-hour flight? While there are now a plethora of TikToks that are clearly a joke or a stunt, some people are truly rawdogging their flights. There may be one flying overhead as you read this right now. 

“Just raw dogged it, 15-hour flight to Melbourne. No music, no movies, just flight map (I counted to 1 million twice),” wrote TikToker Torren Foot, in his viral video posted last week.

No one knows exactly where or how this trend began, but a CNN interviewed California therapist Michael Ceely, who argues it stems from the growing number of people who want to digital detox. “I was tired of the usual routine of watching a movie or reading a book (onboard) so I said, ‘I’m just going to kind of stare off into space, and use it is [sic] a Zen meditation,’” Ceely said of his own experience.

Not to encourage yet another outlandish and jokey TikTok trend, but if you’re curious enough to attempt the most 101 level of flight rawdogging—eschewing in-flight entertainment, books, games, and devices—below are some effective ways to maintain your sanity while doing so.

The day before your flight, tire yourself out so well that the second the plane lifts off, you’re out like a light. If you’re a deep sleeper, you may make it half of the flight before hunger awakens you. Relax yourself by spritzing your travel pillow with a sleep spray. If you're having trouble falling asleep on your flight, Dr. Henry Ting, senior vice president and chief health officer at Delta Air Lines, says to be mindful of your alcohol and caffeine intake and notes that comfy clothes and a nice pillow often are more effective than taking any sedative.

Taking full, deep breaths and saying positive words can help with flight anxiety and with centering your mind and relieving stress from long bouts of inactivity. Maybe some of the crystals that artist, author, and filmmaker Questlove always travels with would come in handy here?

Neck and jaw stretches, wide smiles, forehead lifts, and puckered lips are some face yoga exercises to try while seated. Practitioners say these micro exercises help firm skin muscles while smoothing wrinkles and lines.

Taking a stroll to the front of the plane can also double as a much needed exercise for the prevention of deep-vein thrombosis, but for an imaginative mind, it may help to take notice of fellow passengers and make up alluring stories about them as you walk back and forth to pee and stretch. No one said your mind had to lay dormant. Sitting in an aisle seat, of course, is helpful here.

Chat with the buddies to your left or right at your own peril.

Lastly, this is where being an introvert helps. The very act of zoning out with no thoughts, mentally organizing activities for when you land, or having full-on conversations with yourself in your mind is what introverts excel at and, frankly, they welcome the temporary inactivity.

As for me, I have rawdogged short-haul flights under three hours, my most recent one being a flight from Charleston and Buffalo. No in-flight entertainment is present on these shorter flights and even though I bring a book, I never read it. I suffer from flight anxiety so I always sit by the window to will away turbulence, take a short nap, or just run through thoughts in my head. Will I rawdog a long-haul flight? Absolutely not. I need the distraction of entertainment to maintain my sanity and allay my anxiety.

But you do you. Maybe the real trick is to have no thoughts at all. 

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