A new Southwest flight attendant was told to collect a cabin air sample. So she scooped a plastic bag over a passenger’s head

A new Southwest Airlines flight attendant learned that some parts of the job are not covered in the official training manual. As first highlighted by BroBible, a TikTok posted by Ericaonthefly shows the new hire performing a task that sounds vital but is actually a classic aviation prank.

After being directed by a senior crew member to collect a cabin air sample, she walks down the aisle with a plastic bag held open to catch the air. She even scoops the bag over a passenger’s head before sealing it tight against her chest. The video has drawn nearly a million views, showing the flight attendant looking completely serious while performing the task in her full uniform.

She included a “smack my face” emoji and the acronym iykyk in the on-screen text, suggesting that she realized the joke after the fact. She noted in the comments, “I didn’t learn this in training class.” Her caption on the post read, “I should have never told them I was new to aviation.”

Plenty of crew members have fallen for the same trick

The air test is a well-known prank in the industry, and many viewers commented to share that they had experienced the exact same thing when they started their careers. One person wrote, “Not the air test!!!!!” Another viewer shared, “Oh lord she fell for the get a air sample….”

Others mentioned different versions of the joke, such as being told to find the keys to start the airplane. One person commented, “Been there, done that,” and included a picture of their own air-filled bag from a similar prank. Southwest Airlines also joined in by commenting on the post, writing, “The very important air test [laughing emoji].”

Even though the flight attendant was the target of the joke, she appears to have taken it in stride, and the comment section treated the clip as a rite of passage rather than a cruel trick. Not every cabin story ends this lightly, as a JetBlue flight that turned around over one passenger’s thrown warning slip showed.

Workplace pranks have their defenders outside aviation, too. Michael Kurcina argued on Spotter Up that a well-run prank can strengthen a team, provided the target ends up sharing the laugh. IDEO general manager Tom Kelley made a similar case in comments reported by Time, saying pranks “encourage the camaraderie that’s so essential to fruitful collaboration.”