Did you know? The hidden trick to lifting an aisle seat armrest on an airplane

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My family and I recently flew from Fiji to Australia and when I needed to use the lavatory, I simply flipped up my aisle seat armrest and was able to slide out without having to find a place for my food or fold up my tray table. My wife Natalie, sitting across the aisle from me, asked how I had managed to do it because she said her armrest wouldn’t budge. Little did she know that it actually does.

Fiji Airways seats. I explained that it’s a hidden trick, one that even many frequent flyers don’t know about — but it doesn’t work on all planes. We were flying on a Fiji Airways A350 (here’s my review), and the armrests on the aisle seats in economy class have a little lever on the underside, near the hinge. Below is a short video of me demonstrating how it works.

Now, it’s important to clarify that this trick isn’t for comfort. If flight attendants see the armrest raised, they’ll likely ask you to lower it. That’s because if a “person of size” uses this feature, their body could spill over into the aisle, creating a safety hazard. In fact, according to Volume 3 of the FAA’s General Technical Administration Handbook, Chapter 33 on Cabin Safety and Flight Attendant Management, Section 3 on Instrument and Equipment Requirements (3-3484) regarding protruding passenger seat armrests:

“Inspection of the Hardman Model 9500 and other passenger seats installed on several aircraft disclosed that the armrest in the upright or stowed position could protrude approximately 45 degrees aft of the seatback. In the event of an emergency evacuation, protruding armrests could present an obstacle between seat passageways, obstructing emergency exit access. Air carriers should emphasize to FAs that, prior to takeoff and landing, they verify that the armrests are in the normal forward/down position to ensure that they do not obstruct the passageway between the row of seats leading from the aisle to the emergency exit.”

While it’s a lot of technical information to digest, the purpose of this armrest function is primarily for people with mobility challenges and for use during aircraft servicing and cleaning.

I can’t recall every type of aircraft that has this feature, but according to ChatGPT, here are a few aircraft types where this feature is more likely to be found in economy class:

Boeing 737 – On many older models of the 737 (like the 737-800), you can find armrests that can be manually raised by flipping a switch or lever underneath, especially on the aisle seat.
Airbus A320 – Many of the A320 family aircraft (A318, A319, A320, A321) allow passengers to lift the armrest by flipping a switch or lever underneath the armrest in economy class.
Boeing 757 – Some older 757s also feature this type of armrest that can be lifted by operating a switch or lever underneath, particularly in aisle seats.
Boeing 767 – In some older 767 aircraft, particularly in economy class, the armrest can be manually lifted by operating a switch or lever underneath.

However, I disagree with the idea that this feature is only found on older aircraft. The A350 is a new model, and I can confirm that it has this feature. If you know for sure which aircraft types have it, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

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