Airplane Etiquette Rules

[YVRRocketSurgery]

IMO, I don't think it's nice if the middle person does not get both the armrests. That said, I don't want them I don't want them encroaching on my leg/feet area.

Personally, I try not to recline my seat back on domestic flights but usually have to do it a bit if the person in front of me reclines his seat. Reclining on a 12 hour trans-pacific flight is kind of needed so people can sleep but there typically more seat pitch on international flights.

My biggest annoyance has been a few people in front of me that have placed their trash under their seat which is basically my foot space.

Anyways, as others have mentioned, my goal is a to save enough to we can fly business class during retirement. So many of the problems which revolve around space is avoided. The missus doesn't think biz class is worth it, particularly since she is pretty small, but you can find some reasonably priced tix.

 

[HadEnuff]

If you were in front of me, it would be a bumpy flight.

I have never felt the least bit slighted for having the person in front of me to use the full two inches of travel in his recliner. All of us back in the cheap seats are faced with some period of time squashed into a small space. If somehow that two inches alleviates somewhat the discomfort of the person in front of me, I'm OK with it.

 

[marko]

work with them on a daily basis, most humble people I know. Have been asked to go up with them just to fly around and even offer to let me steer.

My comment was meant as a joke, but good for you!

 

[DrRoy]

And while we are on etiquette: how about not using my seat back as your support bar.

This bugs me greatly.

 

[lakerunner]

My son's college baseball team flew cross country last spring. This was on Southwest with no assigned seats. I felt bad for the rest of the passengers when 35 college age boys got on looking for seats. My son is 6'4" 250 pounds and not the biggest kid on the team.

My son took his first flight at 10 days old, so he understands flying. But some of these kids had never been on a plane before.

 

[CardsFan]

My biggest annoyance has been a few people in front of me that have placed their trash under their seat which is basically my foot space.

When that happens to me, I simply kick it back through. They usually get the hint, but I have had times when I needed to inform them verbally that space under their seat was MINE.

 

[jollystomper]

My biggest annoyance has been a few people in front of me that have placed their trash under their seat which is basically my foot space.

How about those who put their trash on your aisle seat tray, since they want to put their tray up, your tray is still down, and "they'll be by to pick it soon"? I'm normally an easy-going guy, but... this tends to draw out the Jollystomper Stare.

 

[COcheesehead]

All I can say is WOW, reading these posts gives me a good understanding on how people on here put themselves above others.

I agree.

 

[Nick12]

I agree.

-1/ If the other person does not act like a civilized human being and I am impacted then he or she is going to get constructive feedback from me.

 

[gerntz]

Yes, the airline crams me in & then I'm supposed to stay folded at the waist & knees vs. trying to relieve those bends? Totally ignorant. Let everyone else recline.

The sun is beating thru the window & we're going to leave the shade up? Right.

 

[COcheesehead]

-1/ If the other person does not act like a civilized human being and I am impacted then he or she is going to get constructive feedback from me.

My agreement was directed at the folks who look down on us coach class flyers. That is uncalled for. It’s just elitist.

 

[Winemaker]

I have been flying Southwest for the past 4 years and have been able to snag exit row seating, so not much issue here. I am 6'5" and if I don't snag those seats, my knees are against the seat in front of me that actually prevent the seat in front to recline. Any flight longer than 3 hours, DW and I go in the seats up front, on another airline.

 

[gerntz]

Darn right! Screw those people behind you. If they want a scrap of room, they should recline onto the people behind them.

Exactly.

 

[marko]

My agreement was directed at the folks who look down on us coach class flyers. That is uncalled for. It’s just elitist.

Not sure whom you're referencing as only myself and another poster have mentioned flying first class.

But I hope I didn't imply that I "look down" on anyone flying coach. My only experience in 4 million flown miles was one flight in coach and I determined it wasn't for me; that's all.

[edited]

 

[MichaelB]

In order to make it more affordable, I think air travel has evolved into "bus travel with wings". The lack of personal space and comfort combined with arrogant attitudes from the airlines almost guarantee a disagreeable encounter.

Hopefully the same won't happen with this thread.

 

[mountainsoft]

I haven't flown for a few years but I'm shocked to hear how many people get upset over seemingly minor inconveniences. Sounds like the flight equivalent of road rage.

Airplane seats are very cramped, so I understand people trying to do whatever they can to get comfortable. It doesn't bother me if the person in front of me reclines their seat. It's not like it goes that far back anyway.

I'm a fairly average six foot tall guy. Thankfully I've always traveled with my smaller wife so I have room to place my arms on the armrests. I don't think it's physically possible for me to sit in those narrow seats without my arms on the rests.

If the person behind me pulls on the back of my seat trying to weasel out of those tiny seats, so what. It's a momentary inconvenience.

We're all miserable back there so try to be considerate. Thankfully, I have never encountered anyone with the attitudes I'm reading here on any flight. To the contrary most people are very polite and understanding. Well, there's always "that" guy or gal a few rows up who seems to complain about everything.

About the only thing that bugs me are the people who bring all of their belongings as carry-on's. By the time I get to my seat the overhead bins are full and there's no room for my small carry-on bag. It's awkward for everyone when I have to go three aisles up to reach over someone to get something out of my carry-on bag.

When I first started flying I always chose a window seat because I was thrilled to see the view from above. These days I choose aisle seats when possible as I tend to use the bathroom more than most.

I wish airlines would do away with first class and just make all seats more roomy and comfortable, even if it meant losing a row or two of seats. I would be willing to pay a little bit more for that comfort, but there's no way I'm going to spend three times the price on first class, even if I could afford it.

 

[bigcmagor]

I hate it when the person in front of me reclines their seat back all of the way. I feel like I am literally trapped, especially if I am in the middle seat. People need to be a little more considerate of their fellow passengers, IMHO.

I had a bald and badly sunburned gentleman recline into my lap on a five hour flight a few years ago. Not long after giving me the red dome for viewing pleasure, he started working on picking off the sunburned skin and dropping it in the isle for housekeeping to dispatch. Actually thought I might barf when some of his excavations brought blood.

On the same flight, I watched a gentleman excavate a nostril in the row ahead of me. After what he deemed a suitable time, he did an inspection of the dredging and summarily flicked it to land who knows where. He then picked the other side and again, waited until he thought no one was on to him to do the formal assessment. This one must have been of better quality because he ate it.

This left me pondering the characteristics of a booger that separate a flicker from a consumable for the remainder of the flight.

 

[Nemo2]

@mountainsoft: This could have been my post, right down to the physical descriptions; thanks for saving me the trouble.

 

[calmloki]

Was on a nonstop from Palm Springs to Portland for a little medical adventure a few weeks ago. Wedged my 6'4" frame into my center seat and noted that my bony knees were against the seatback in front. Thought about it, and as the guy in front reached for his recline button I locked my elbows and blocked his recline move. He tried a couple times before I let him know that, friend, my knees are against your seat back and I appreciate them not being damaged. He couldn't relax as much as he wanted for 2.5 hours, but I didn't have crunched patellas. I don't recline into others.

 

[Amethyst]

Funny, it always seems to me as if the seat over-flowers, seat-back kickers and pushers, etc. are putting themselves first. At 135 pounds, I'm small enough to have a little bit of extra room in a coach seat; am I selfish for not wanting the much larger people around me to appropriate that space, because they "need" to?

That's really the crux of the matter: when we are crammed in with assorted strangers, how much do we stick up for ourselves and our comfort, versus how much is accounted for by standard etiquette?

I agree.

 

[Amethyst]

From an etiquette point of view, I believe you would have done better to speak to him right away, rather than expect him to accede to the force of your push-back. He did have the right to recline. You needed him not to exercise that right. If he still reclined despite your telling him what it did to your knees, then he would be the rude one.

If you spoke, he might even have revealed his own medical reason he needed to recline, e.g. "The person in front of me is fully reclined and I am squashed to the point of back spasm."

It's just not an easy situation.

Was on a nonstop from Palm Springs to Portland for a little medical adventure a few weeks ago. Wedged my 6'4" frame into my center seat and noted that my bony knees were against the seatback in front. Thought about it, and as the guy in front reached for his recline button I locked my elbows and blocked his recline move. He tried a couple times before I let him know that, friend, my knees are against your seat back and I appreciate them not being damaged. He couldn't relax as much as he wanted for 2.5 hours, but I didn't have crunched patellas. I don't recline into others.

 

[Teacher Terry]

On a recent flight a skinny young woman had the window seat. The poor guy in the middle was a big guy and not fat. So I noticed he is sitting hunched forward trying not to invade anyone’s space. I tell him he can’t fly 4 hours like that and too take a armrest. The other woman insisted too when he first declined. After awhile everyone relaxed and I realized all of us had our legs against the other person. 3 people cooperated to make a bad experience better.

 

[rodi]

Two experiences have shaped my personal airline rules.

Flying cross country on a business trip, the corporate travel agent hadn't seat selected and both my co-worker and I ended up in middle seats. My row mates were both middle age former football players (I presume, based on their size). Not only did they both take the middle arm rests, their shoulders came into my seat. I could not lean back. I spent 5.5 hours leaning forward with my arms crossed in my lap. These guys weren't necessarily overweight, just *big* guys with broad shoulders.

I have since always ceded the armrests to the center seat and paid for seat selection to ensure I'm not in a middle seat.

The other incident was on a flight from London to Philly. The passenger in front of me fully reclined. This was back when you could recline further. He then turned around and yelled at me because my knees were pressed into his back. I asked if I should amputate my legs to ease his discomfort. I was not slouched, my butt was all the way to the seat back... He got very upset with me that there was not a solution and that I want shorter. Rude to the point of making the two passengers next to me defend me. He did not even put his seat forward during meal service... Until the flight attendant insisted him because my tray table couldn't be lowered so I was going to have to skip meal service.

I have tried to be courteous and aware if I recline since this experience. Pitch has gotten smaller. The people behind you have the right to not be *more* cramped.

But to give red badger credit... I just bought tickets for it dinner trip to Italy. DH and I are in the front of the plane. I am looking forward to actually being able to sleep. Kids are in back where I have flown most of my life... But they know not to recline and still have flexible bodies.

 

[PatrickA5]

Reading this makes me dread my vacation next month. Flying Southwest on the way there. Ugh. When flying Southwest, I always pay extra for the "early bird" seating which has always resulted in a window seat. No way will I ever willingly take a middle seat.

Fortunately first class on the way back (on rewards points). Even first class isn't what it used to be (at least on domestic flights).

 

[Sunset]

Flying is Horrible these days.

If I want to sleep, or think I will want to sleep, I bring an eyemask and earplugs, the eyemask means anyone opening the shade has no effect on me.

Within North America, I'll consider driving before flying.

I am happy to take a cruise ship across the ocean instead of flying, much more comfortable. That is now how I plan our Europe vacations, try to figure a time where I can cruise at least 1 direction.