Why Are People Bragging About Their 'Boring' Flights? Raw-Dogging Trend Explained

For many, a long flight means catching up on the latest movies, diving into a Netflix binge, or tuning into a favourite podcast. But a quirky new trend on TikTok is challenging passengers to go without any distractions. Welcome to the world of “raw-dogging” flights.

The concept is simple: endure an entire flight without any form of entertainment or distractions—no phones, no TV shows, no books, no music. Some raw-doggers even skip the free snacks.

U.K.-based DJ Wudini kicked off the trend with a video posted on June 4, boasting about his seven-hour flight with “no headphones, no movie, no water, nothing.” The video quickly went viral, amassing over 13 million views.

Since then, other TikTok users have jumped on the bandwagon. Veronica Skaia shared her own raw-dogging experience in January, writing, “My beige flag is that I raw dog flights. No headphones. No movies. I just stare into the abyss for hours and watch the little GPS plane.”

Australian musician Torren Foot joined the fun on June 25, recounting his 15-hour flight to Melbourne. “Just raw dogged it, no music, no movies, just the flight map (I counted to 1 million twice),” he posted.

The trend even caught the attention of TikTok user Michelle, who observed a flight from New York to San Francisco. “I have never seen so many people raw-dogging a flight in my life,” she remarked. “Literally just staring straight ahead the entire time.”

Another TikToker, West, shared his seven-hour flight experience in May, noting he only looked at the flight map. He asked his followers, “Anyone else bareback flights?”—a term that seems to be gaining traction.

West told GQ that he found the quiet, distraction-free flight similar to meditation. “Visually, you are kind of impaired,” he said. “All you hear is the drumming sound of the engine. It’s just white noise.”

The trend even sparked nostalgia for TV fans. David Puddy from Seinfeld was noted for his no-nonsense approach to flying. In a season 9 episode, Puddy annoyed Elaine by refusing any reading material and simply staring straight ahead.

On X (formerly Twitter), a user commented, “Respectfully, you are not ‘raw-dogging’ if you watch the flight map. Puddy was staring at the back of the seat in front of him. Man up.”

Whether you’re joining the raw-dogging movement or just watching from the sidelines, this TikTok trend is redefining how we experience air travel.