Air travel can be a test of patience, from the behaviour of fellow passengers to the cramped seating. With roughly half of the households in the UK flying once a year, how people behave on planes is an ongoing issue. Tensions flared over a reclined seat for a Hong Kong couple, leading to their ban by Cathay Pacific. So how can you avoid annoying your fellow passengers?
According to a 2023 survey by Skyscanner, 40% of people in the UK consider someone reclining their seat on a long-haul flight to be annoying. A YouGov survey this year suggested that only a quarter of Americans saw it as unacceptable. However, Charmaine Davies, a former flight attendant, says reclining seats “really are a problem”, one that cabin crew sometimes have to intervene to stop escalating tensions. Professor Jim Salzman of UCLA believes the airlines cramming seats into planes is the root of the problem.
William Hanson, a coach in etiquette and author, advises not reclining your seat during a meal. He also suggests checking if the person behind you is using the table. Recline slowly so that someone can stop you if need be. If unsure, talk to your fellow passenger and don’t expect them to be telepathic.
Double armrest hogging is another issue linked to the amount of space passengers have on planes. Mary, a flight attendant for a major US airline, often finds herself stuck in a middle seat between “two guys with both their arms on armrests” which she’s being transferred for work and doesn’t have a choice of seat. A Skyscanner survey in 2023 showed that almost a third of UK airline passengers found this to be annoying.
Another area of contention is what to do if a passenger falls asleep in the window seat, blocking your path to the toilet. A YouGov survey found that more than half of Americans viewed having to climb over someone to go to the toilet as unacceptable. Hanson suggests using an aisle seat. If in the middle or window seat, passengers should gently notify the aisle seating passenger about their plans.
Other pet peeves on flights include people jumping queues, using phones or other devices without headphones, draping long hair over the backs of seats, and taking shoes or socks off on a plane. The key to a good flight is for everyone to be considerate. Hanson points out that “If you don’t want to temper your behaviour to get along with other people then there’s something wrong with you, to be blunt.
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