The Viral ‘Airport Tray Aesthetic’ Trend: Gen Z Turns TSA Bins Into Fashion Statements (It’s Driving Travelers Crazy)

The airport security checkpoint is now the stage for a viral social media trend: the “airport tray aesthetic.” Passengers curate and photograph the contents of their TSA bins.

Gen Z passengers arrange designer bags, perfumes, gadgets, and books to create color-coordinated, visually pleasing compositions. They’re turning a mundane part of travel into creative expression. It gives them control over something where control has been taken from them – you’re going through a government checkpoint, walking through naked imagine, and having your water bottle confiscated. The checkpoint has more germs than the monkey in Outbreak.

@chelseaasoflate @chelseamaninang ♬ original sound – speedz!

But they’re also slowing down the line. Long security lines and passengers stressing over making their flights lose patience over influencers stopping to set up their trays and snap photos. TSA avoids against the slowdown, but is largely powerless to stop it (there are limits to the limits they can place on photographing at checkpoints).

@_shoppursue kicking off girls trip with some controlled chaos ✨✈️ #airporttray #airportaesthetic #whatsinmybag #packing #pinterestaesthetic #airportstyle #phototutorial #airportdiaries #airportfashion #airportoutfit #ootd ♬ Very Demure Jools House of Evo Remix – CasaDi

So what do more mindful (‘very demure, very mindful’?) influencers do?

  • Set up their bins away from the checkpoint
  • Buy trays online, mock up fake boarding passes, because who needs authenticity in social media?

The airport tray aesthetic is about capturing the travel experience in a stylized way. Photos in exotic destinations are tired. Photos of the travel process itself are wired. Photos of what you’re forced to go through by the state as part of that process are, it seems, inspired.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

More articles by Gary Leff »

Comments

  1. This is a lot better than most of the other viral trends. As long as they recognize they are potentially slowing the process down and don’t get upset when other passengers move ahead of them, they can stay there all day and post photos of their belongings in a tray.

  2. If this slowed me down through tsa I would immediately dump their sh## on the floor. End of story

  3. If it’s possible for one person to slow down the line, then the problem is with the design/engineering of the line. Not the person slowing it down. One person slowing down the line is a SPOF which any elementary engineer knows to avoid.

    Checkpoints should accommodate multiple people preparing their belongings for screening. Those who finish first don’t have to wait for those who are still unpacking.

    To the point of a stressed and impatient traveler, I have two comments. One, you are urged to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Two, your urgency is not my emergency. I don’t orient my lifestyle to accommodate your schedule. If you were really so important, btw, you wouldn’t have this problem because nobody would be ahead of you – if you had to undergo screening at all.

    Keep fuming at those “influencers” and perceived roadblocks to your urgency in life. All it does is increase your blood pressure and increase your risk of mortality.

  4. @David, you dump my sh** on the floor, I knock your brains out onto the floor. I won’t be flying that day, but you won’t be living any more days. How about that.

  5. I’m sure these gals are pulling the bins aside and arranging their items. You don’t see any impatient travelers behind or around them in the videos.

  6. It’s not just one person slowing down the line if it’s a horde of them traveling together, as you can see for yourself in one of the attached videos. And I highly doubt you’d do anything about getting shoved out of the way. Maybe raise your hand for one of the disinterested TSA agents to ignore as another couple people cut in front of you standing still.

  7. SFO/EWR, yeah I don’t see you doing anything to anyone with seeing how you speak. Don’t hold people up and you won’t get hurt.

  8. Photographing what is in the trays is a good idea because it may be needed later when TSA pilfers stuff. I would keep my passport with me if possible due to my distrust of TSA. Usually you are allowed to keep it in your hand.

  9. @SFO/EWR you won’t do shit. You gen Z’s don’t know how to fight lol. You can have all the muscles you want and a fat 45-year-old gen X who’s actually been in a fight which didn’t involve him and 4 buddies kicking some poor dude on the ground or using weapons against somebody will destroy you in 15 seconds. Remember, you’re in an airport. It’s just you and some old guy, mano a mano, no weapons. You’ll get destroyed. And God forbid you went up against my Boomer Cowboy dad. At 77, he’ll still beat the living s out of you if you have no weapons and no buddies to jump in. You can bring the muscles and the moves and he’ll bring the mean, and you’ll be his 25th and last victory. And you’ll finally get what it sounds like you’ve needed for a long time.

  10. Sfo/ewr,
    Bring it on big guy, or are you too busy playing video games in your mother’s basement?

  11. Looking forward to seeing @David and @SFO/EWR in the same security line.
    What a first class pair of morons.

  12. Normal people are best off ignoring stupid Tik Tok fads. Take all the time you want in arranging your stupid photo; just don’t do it if you’re ahead of me in line.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *