A TikToker sparked debate with a 'poor man's first class' flight hack to buy an entire row of seats and then refunding it before the trip

• A TikToker went viral with a hack he's calling the "poor man's first class."
• He advised viewers to buy a full row of plane tickets, then refund two of the three before boarding.
• While it's gained over a million views, not everyone is convinced this is a worthwhile endeavor.

A TikToker has gone viral with a so-called "flight hack" about how airplane passengers can sneakily get an entire row of seats for themselves. While some thought it was clever, it also received backlash, as viewers debated how ethical or effective it was.

In the video shared on February 22, the creator @ndainternet advises viewers to buy an entire row of fully-refundable tickets — and then refund two out of the three tickets 45 minutes before boarding. According to his logic, airlines won't have enough time to resell those tickets, and the customer will have a luxurious empty row to themselves.

"This is called a 'poor man's first class,'" he says in the clip, which has amassed over a million views and 40,000 likes. "There's no catch. Just make sure the two additional tickets are fully refundable."

While there are a plethora of flight hacks to score the best deals, viewers aren't so sure about this one. People quickly noted that this hack would be short-lived as soon as airlines would take notice.

"The catch is the airlines will stop offering refundable tickets and the rest of us suffer," one top commenter said."They'll ban you from buying tickets if you keep refunding most of them," another noted.

People also reminded the creator of standby lists. Anyone who sells their tickets will just free up space for passengers who didn't have a seat before. 

"There's always a standby list. They will always fill that seat," one commenter wrote. Another person who said they frequently fly standby jokingly "thanked" the creator for offering more standby seats with this hack.

Others simply thought a method like this to game the system was ridiculous: "I bought all refundable tickets and had the whole airline to myself!" one person quipped.

Insider has reached out to @ndainternet for comment.

The TikToker has uploaded other airplane-related tip videos, including one on how to use Google's flight-search function to find the cheapest flights and a method for flying on a private jet for low cost.

Tips for flying and airplane etiquette continue to be a hot-button issue on TikTok. Earlier this month, an influencer went viral after she refused to swap seats so a family could sit together on a flight. While some thought her refusal was impolite, many cheered her on for standing her ground. In November, a TikToker was praisedfor asking a passenger to switch seats because she offered him a better seat option than he had.