Switching seats on a plane is a hot button topic for a lot of travelers.

Whether you are switching with a stranger or just trying to swap seats with a friend, there are certain factors that you need to be aware of in order for your plan to go smoothly and to avoid confrontations.

In this guide, I’ll talk about how to properly ask someone to switch seats with you and also how to politely tell someone no. I’ll also give you some tips on how to swap seats with a friend or family member to make things easy.

Call ahead of time

If you’re flying a premium cabin on a well respected airline, you might be able to call ahead of time to figure out your seating situation.

For example, when we booked the first class suites on Singapore Airlines I noticed that one passenger was occupying one of the suites that could be shared.

This meant that Brad and I would be in suites that were not adjoined and because that traveler was a solo traveler it wasn’t a very efficient use of the cabin features.

So I called Singapore Airlines to see if they could contact the passenger and see if they would be interested in changing seats.

I fully did NOT expect my request to work but somehow Singapore Airlines worked their magic and arranged for the seat swap a couple of months before departure.

I would not expect this to work every time but it is worth a shot when flying in certain premium cabins.

Ask the agent at check-in

If you’re not crazy about your seat or you want to inquire about other options you can do so whenever you arrive at the check-in desk.

Medical exceptions aside, a check-in agent is usually not going to move anybody’s seat for you but it could happen.

But even if they don’t relocate others, they might be able to find you a newly opened seat or perhaps a seat that was not available to choose online.

This could help you avoid having to ask another passenger to swap seats with you.

Depending on the type of ticket you purchased and the airline’s same day change policy, you might also just be able to inquire about other flights. Perhaps you can depart an hour or two later but with better seats?

Ask the agent at the gate

Sometimes you run into a less than happy check-in agent that only seems interested in doing the bare minimum (checking you in and checking your bags).

If you get the sense that they are not helping you as much as they could or they are just being not very fun to deal with then consider heading to the gate and inquiring with an agent there.

They may be able to help you with changing seats although they probably will not get involved with calling up on the passengers to give up their seats.

Be sure to arrive early before boarding though because they will be too busy to help you once boarding begins.

Ask a flight attendant

Getting a flight attendant involved with your seat swapping pursuit is one of the best routes to go.

If you are shy they can facilitate the requests and other passengers might be more likely to honor the request of a flight attendant (although it is debatable).

Unless there are weight or balance safety issues, I don’t believe a flight attendant can force another passenger to switch seats with you, although there are some horror stories out there of tyrant flight attendants.

Be sure to ask a flight attendant that is located near your seat for assistance rather than bombarding a flight attendant at the entrance of the plane.

Explain your reason (briefly) and be transparent

Your odds of getting someone to switch seats with you will probably increase if you can provide them with a very short and reasonable (and preferably honest) explanation for your request.

For example, you want to keep your family together or perhaps you are taking care of someone, those are generally good reasons for wanting a seat switch.

Just try to avoid getting too long-winded with your explanation and avoid sounding overly pushy or sob-storyish (spare other passengers your personal drama).

In addition to providing a good reason for swapping, make sure you also are 100% upfront about where exactly your seat is and what type of seat it is.

You also need to disclose relevant details like if there is a crying baby next to the seat, stinky passenger, etc.

Don’t ever poach a seat proactively

The number one tactic to never do (because it is a jerk type of move) is to sit in a seat that is not yours with the expectation that the original seat holder will switch with you when they show up to their seat.

This not only causes confusion for people but it’s actually pretty rude.

Also, you will likely rub someone the wrong way or simply piss them off to the point that they will not want to switch seats with you (even if they would’ve been open to it before).

The much better strategy would be to stand near their seat and make a request when they arrive to that seat before they store all of their belongings.

If you can clearly and calmly articulate the perks of the seat you can provide them with (e.g., “the seat is just two rows back and is the exact same type of window seat”), that will be an exponentially better route to go than simply taking their seat.

Don’t trade for a worse seat

Sometimes it’s very clear what constitutes a worse seat like asking to swap a first class seat for an economy seat.

But you need to be very conscious about both the subjective and objective value of a seat when requesting a seat switch.

First, be aware that many passengers place a high value on a particular type of seat such as a window or aisle seat.

For me personally, I’m a window seat person and not having the window as an outlet is a pretty huge deal to me.

For others, having direct access to the aisle could be worth a lot to them, especially if they have some sort of digestion concerns or plane anxiety by the windows.

Other people might place value in sitting in a bulkhead, emergency exit row, towards the front of the plane, back of the plane, etc. Don’t assume that just because you don’t care for a seat that others will feel the same way.

Also, a lot of times people pay extra money for different seats within the economy cabin.

They could be paying for a little bit of extra legroom or to sit towards the front of the plane. And this is important: the amount that they paid could be different from the amount someone in the adjacent seat paid.

Asking another passenger to essentially cover the cost of your seat upgrade while losing out on their paid benefit is a major ask. Some might even say it’s inconsiderate to put a stranger in a position to deal with that scenario.

If you’re asking someone to switch with a seat that appears to be of equal value such as a seat directly behind them then consider maybe adding on a little incentive.

Maybe offer to buy them a drink or give them a bag of chips or something along those lines. Heck, even $5 can go a long way.

The best way to motivate someone to switch seats is to offer them a seat that is better than what they have.

If you can offer them a change from a middle seat to a window or aisle or perhaps extra legroom you have a lot more leverage.

Don’t get upset if people say no

If you ask to switch seats with someone, even if you have a very legitimate reason, don’t get upset or rude if they refuse.

Once again, you don’t know what type of value they are putting on their seat or what type of situation they may be in.

For many nervous travelers, they’ve just gone through the hectic experience of arriving at the airport, going through security, boarding, and are now anxiously awaiting take-off.

By adding an unexpected seat request swap, you could be throwing them for a real loop and they could be more prone to an outburst type of response if they feel you are getting rude with them over their decision to not grant you their seat.

So if they refuse your request then just be polite and move on to another passenger if you can.

Related: Ultimate Guide to Airline Boarding Policies

Don’t say “yes” for others without asking

If someone is requesting to swap seats with you and other people in your party make sure you don’t just say “yes” on impulse without first checking with the other passengers.

This is something to consider if you’re flying with other people, even if it is someone you know very well like your spouse or another family member.

Don’t ever agree to swapping seats with others unless you have consulted with the other passengers in your party.

How to say “no” politely when asked to switch a seat

If someone asks you to switch a seat and you want to say no but are afraid of coming off as rude or inconsiderate, first of all, just know that it’s completely reasonable for you to decline the request.

You could just say, “Sorry, not interested in switching.”

But if you would like to also provide a bulletproof excuse (that no sane person or flight attendant should push back on) here are some that you can use:

• If they are offering you a window seat tell them that you get anxious sitting by the windows or that you need direct aisle access to visit the bathroom.
• If they are offering you an aisle seat tell them that you have plane anxiety and need to sit by a window to be calm or if you are a larger frame let them know that you get hit constantly due to your wide frame.
• If the seat is towards the back of the plane let them know that you have a connecting flight and you need to get off the plane quickly or tell them that the back of the plane receives more turbulence and that makes you anxious.
• If the seat is near a wing tell them that you get anxious sitting near the engines.

You could tell them that you paid X amount of dollars for your seat but be prepared that some people might counter your offer by paying you that amount.

So unless you’re open to receiving payment in exchange for swapping seats try to keep their counter options limited with your excuse.

My usual go to excuse for staying at my window seat is that I get aerial photography shots for my travel blog which is my full-time profession. It’s 100% true but you can use this excuse to help you lock down a window seat if needed too.

How to avoid seat swapping issues

If you want to minimize people asking you to change seats or others poaching your seat there are a couple of things you can do.

First, you can get a seat in the emergency exit row. This will make you a “no sit zone” for kids and families with kids. Therefore, you can avoid getting asked to move so that a family can sit together.

You can also board quicker. The quicker you get into your seat and store your belongings, the less likely someone is to poach your seat.

Print out your boarding pass on paper. If a gate agent decides to screw with your boarding position at the time of boarding you will have your original seating position which you can use to help claim your original seat. This may or may not work.

And finally, if you are in your seat jamming out to your headphones and not making eye contact with passengers coming through you will probably be less likely to be bothered.

Swapping seats with a friend

If you are trading seats with a friend or someone that you have a relationship with, it’s going to be a lot easier.

For example, if you are feeling like an angel and have seats in first/business class but you want to give up those seats for friends or family sitting in economy, most airlines should allow you to trade your seats without a problem.

You could notify a crew member about what you’re doing but you could also just have them sit in your seats and you sit in their seats.

This means that when it is time to board the first class passengers could simply head to the boarding group where the economy passengers are boarding.

This way, you can have the airline scan your boarding pass that belongs to you and then you can swap boarding passes with the other passengers while walking on the jet bridge.

This will avoid having to get redirected to a different seat during a busy boarding process.

Also, if a crew member sees someone from a lower cabin enter the business class or first class cabin during boarding they are likely to question them and if for whatever reason the airline is not on board with the seat swap, your plans could not work out.

Switching seats between economy and premium cabins during the flight is often problematic so it is best to handle this during boarding.

If you’re flying an international flight, especially on a premium airline, it’s not uncommon to get individual attention as a first class passenger.

For example, you might get welcomed with a “Hello, Mr. Johnson.”

So in that situation if you are switching with someone else it’s probably a good idea to let the flight attendant know that the two of you are switching positions.

Final word

Switching seats can get a little nerve-racking sometimes. But you can increase your odds of a successful seat swap if you start trying to work out a solution as soon as you can. Also, if you remain polite and aware of the exchange of value you are offering you’ll find that you’ll be successful more times than not.

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here. 

If you’ve done a fair amount of flying then you’ve probably wanted to remove your shoes at some point to increase your comfort level.

But is it a breach of airplane etiquette to remove your shoes on a plane?

Or is this something that passengers commonly do without causing a problem?

Let’s take a look at the issue below and dive in to whether or not it’s okay to take off your shoes when flying.

Is it okay to remove your shoes when on a plane?

It’s generally acceptable to remove your shoes on a plane as long as you’re not putting off an offensive odor or putting bare feet (especially unsightly bare feet) on display.

Still, when removing your shoes on a plane you also want to think about other considerations like being prepared in the event of an emergency landing or dealing with feet that could be swelling on the plane.

For more detailed tips on this issue, keep reading below!

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Why it’s not taboo to remove your shoes on a plane

Some people act like it is taboo to remove your shoes while traveling on a plane.

This is a weak position to me for a few reasons.

For one, when you fly premium business class and first class, you are sometimes given slippers or even socks to change into.

No airline would issue these if they did not think it was okay for you to remove your shoes at some point during the flight.

But more importantly, keeping shoes on during a long-haul flight can be quite uncomfortable for lots of people.

The idea that they should be forced to endure discomfort or pain for hours upon hours because of some taboo on removing shoes just doesn’t make sense.

With all of this said, I do think that there are some key considerations you want to first think about when choosing to take your shoes off on a flight.

So below I’ve broken down some situations where are you should not take your shoes off or should at least consider taking some measures before doing so.

When you should NOT take your shoes off

If you have smelly feet

The number one reason why you should not take your shoes off on a plane is if you have a smelly feet, socks, or shoes.

This is common sense but the problem is a lot of people don’t think that their feet smell. They may even be incapable of detecting how bad their own odor is.

Some recommend that whatever odor you can sense from your own feet, multiply that by 10 and that is what other passengers can smell! Yikes.

The odor issue is the worst when someone has been sweating in their shoes for some time.

This could be because they were doing a lot of running around during the day before the flight or because they were breaking a sweat getting through the airport.

Other times, it’s the long term sweat that has been absorbed into the shoes causing the odor. This can be common in shoes used for working out, working boots, etc.

So if you suspect that your feet or shoes will have an odor, consider not removing your shoes.

Or, if you still want to take your shoes off take some measures to prevent the bad odor.

One of the best steps you can take is to wear quality wool socks. Wool fibers can absorb large quantities of water vapor allowing you to better keep odors in check, retaining 66% less body odor than polyester and 28% less than cotton.

Plus, these socks can be very comfortable and warm when traveling.

You can also explore other ways to reduce foot and shoe odor like washing your shoes/insoles and using deodorant with a baking soda base. 

If you’re flying in a business class or first class cabin with a private suite or semi-private pod, you will have much more leeway because other passengers will not be so close to you.

But trust me, you still don’t want to push it because odors can travel farther than you think they can.

When you don’t have socks on

Lots of travelers are not comfortable with seeing or being close to bare feet on a plane.

There may be evolutionarily reasons for this but beyond that an aversion to feet is understandable considering lots of people just have a gross feet and toes.

I realize lots of people can’t help the appearance of their feet so I have sympathy, but I’ve seen some seriously misshapen toes that don’t necessarily need to be showcased during a flight.

So if you have chosen to not wear socks with your shoes, it’s probably best to just keep your shoes on.

This is one reason why flip-flops or sandals are sometimes frowned upon on a plane.

But at least people wearing those have aired out their feet so the odor issue may not be as big of a problem.

If you’re wearing snug shoes

It’s pretty common for your feet to swell when flying on a plane. For some people, the swelling can be pretty dramatic.

This means that if you have snug fitting shoes and you take them off at the beginning of your flight, you may not be able to put them back on at the end of your flight!

You can help reduce the swelling by wearing things like compression socks which can reduce the swelling and threat of things like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and clotting.

When flying on a short flight

If you’re on a short flight, say 2.5 hours or under, it’s probably not hard for you to get through that flight without taking off your shoes.

If you don’t have any offensive foot odor then I don’t think there is any problem with taking off your shoes on short flights but it may not be worth the hassle.

Passengers will probably be quicker to roll their eyes and less understanding of even faint odors on shorter flights.

When close to departure or landing

If you are getting ready to take off consider keeping your shoes on until you get to altitude. Or if you are about to descend, make sure that your shoes are on around 10 to 15 minutes before you touch down.

This is because in the event of an emergency landing, you don’t want to be running around a plane with no shoes on.

Putting your feet on armrests or on the bulkhead

One thing that is taboo is putting your feet on the armrest in front of you or on the bulkhead.

If you have shoes on, putting your feet up on the bulkhead is not that offensive to me although it does make you look like a certain type of person.

But if you have no shoes on or are barefoot and you put your feet up on the bulkhead that’s a pretty egregious breach of airplane etiquette.

Nobody, or maybe I should say the majority of people, wants to see your wiggling toes on display — especially if you are flying first class!

As for putting your feet on the armrest in front of you, that should never be acceptable.

I’ve seen some unbelievable videos of people feeling like it’s okay for them to do this to window seat passengers in front of them and once again that’s a major violation of airplane etiquette.

And finally, please for the love of all humanity do not clip your toenails on a plane!

Walking around the cabin bare foot or with only socks on

Another thing that can be pretty gross is when a passenger walks to the lavatory and back with only socks on or even worse, with bare feet.

The passenger isn’t necessarily hurting anyone when doing this, although if they are having to climb over you to get in and out of the aisle that could be gross.

But even if they have an aisle seat, shoeless cabin wandering is something they probably don’t want to do.

For one, you may get some strange looks from disgusted passengers.

But you also are putting your skin into contact with the floor of an airplane lavatory.

In addition to stepping on urine, you could be coming into contact with bacteria, viruses, and of course fungus. Those lavatory floors and cabin aisles don’t get cleaned as often as you might think.

Sometimes flight attendants might even request for you to put shoes on when heading to the lavatory so you can avoid that embarrassing situation by having your feet covered.

This is where slippers can come in handy so that you at least have something between your feet/socks and the floor of the airplane.

Or you can do what I do and just have your shoes easily accessible so that you can slip them on when you get up.

Final word

Taking your shoes off on a plane is not inherently problematic or a breach of airplane etiquette. The problems arise whenever you have an offensive odor or are putting unsightly feet on display.

You also want to think about some personal considerations like if your feet will swell and if you will be ready in the event of an emergency landing.

But by using just a little bit of common sense you should be able to deal with the shoe problem when flying relatively easy.

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here. 

Just like reclining your seats or using a first class lavatory as an economy passenger, whether or not you should use the call button for flight attendant service is a pretty hot button issue (no pun intended).

But is it really not appropriate to use this call button for basic service requests such as asking for a drink re-fill?

In this article, we will take a look at both the arguments for and against using the call button and explain why it may or may not be a good idea on your next flight.

Should you use the call button for flight attendants?

Using the call button for flight attendants is somewhat controversial when used for non-urgent purposes.

However, if you are struggling to locate a flight attendant or have limited access to the aisle, you can probably use the call button to make basic service requests for things like drinks without any major issue.

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How to use the flight attendant call button

Some passengers get the call button mixed up with the button used to turn on the reading lights directly above their heads because the two buttons can be so close to each other.

Typically, the call button will have some type of stick figure icon on it and will be a different color from the overhead lights button so you can look for that difference if you are in doubt. (The overhead lights are often indicated by a lightbulb.)

Hitting the call button will cause a light to turn on directly above your seat and may cause a noise or another light to light up in the galley in order to get the flight attendant’s attention.

Once you hit the call button, that light most likely will remain on and so you will also need to remember to turn it off. Typically, it’s a good idea to turn it off as soon as you see a flight attendant approaching your seat.

Related: Can You Go to the Lavatory When the Fasten Seatbelt Sign Is On?

Why do passengers not like using the call button for flight attendants?

One of the main reasons why passengers try to refrain from using the call button is that they are afraid a flight attendant will respond in some type of rude fashion.

For example, they may reprimand the passenger for using the button to request a drink and insist that the button only be used for emergencies or urgent scenarios.

Other passengers may just be uncomfortable “summoning” someone for service requests, especially if they are not flying first class or business class.

And lastly, it’s just not a very popular thing to do. Many passengers have probably never used the button before and are unsure about the attention it may draw to them.

Arguments in favor of using the call button

The call button itself indicates it can be used for service requests

On some aircraft, the call button for the flight attendants actually shows a person in a “server position” holding a tray or holding an arm out. Some even have an actual drink on the button!

This indicates to many that the button is there at least in part so that you can make service related requests like asking for another drink or snack.

It’s difficult to get the attention of a flight attendant

Sometimes you only have a couple of flight attendants patrolling your aisle and these flight attendants move very swiftly past your row before you can even move a muscle.

Then there are those flight attendants that are highly skilled at avoiding eye contact with passengers….

And lastly, sometimes chatty flight attendants go MIA in the galley for extended lengths of time and don’t perform walk-throughs.

These are all situations where the call button becomes handy.

Engaging at the galley is more intrusive

An alternative to pressing the call button is to simply walk up to the galley to make your request to a flight attendant.

Some passengers view the galley area, where the crew assembles the trolley and gets a break from passengers, as an area that should be mostly off-limits to passengers.

Also, if you hit the call button it gives the flight attendant time to figure out when to head over to your seat versus when you come to them in the galley they may have to drop what they are doing to help you out.

By encroaching into that galley area you are “intruding” on the flight attendants which can be a problem if they are particularly busy trying to get things in order.

On the flipside, a lot of flight attendants are happy to chat it up with passengers when they visit this area so it’s not clear to me that this should be a no go zone for passengers.

Airlines tell you to ask for anything you need

If you ever watch or pay attention to the safety video from an airline, sometimes you will hear them tell you quite clearly that you can ask them for anything that you need.

Presumably, this would involve using the call button.

Arguments against using the call button

Emergency use only

Some believe that the call button is for “emergency use only.”

For example, you should only use it if somebody next to you is having a heart attack or you see an engine on fire outside of your window.

The idea here is that flight attendants are not on the plane to serve you in the way that a waitress or waiter is and instead they need to focus on safety issues.

While you definitely can use the button for emergencies, I think a lot (probably most) would agree that these buttons are not reserved for emergencies only.

Flight attendants don’t spend all of their time focused on troubleshooting safety issues and they have the training and skillset to assist with basic service requests. There’s no reason why they should only be responding to emergencies.

Furthermore, if this button was meant for emergencies only, that should be clearly communicated in the preflight videos.

Urgent use only

A more reasonable position is that the call button should only be used for urgent matters.

Obviously, the big question here is what do you define as urgent?

Here are some examples of what could be considered urgent:

• You’re suffering from a bad cough due to a dry throat and need a bottle of water
• You are hypoglycemic and in need of some sugar or bread
• You spill a drink on you or someone else

While the urgent use argument is more understandable, I still think that it still places the threshold a little too high on when it is appropriate to use the call button.

Sometimes people just need a drink to chill out!

When it is appropriate to use the call button

Emergencies

If you notice something that needs immediate attention then you should feel free to use the call button.

However, be aware that sometimes the call button is ignored and so it could be better to get up and go speak directly with a flight attendant to get some things sorted out.

Food and drink requests*

Personally, if I want to make a drink request, I will try to do that by getting up and heading to the galley.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with making a drink request via the call button, but (*) I would probably only use that button (sparingly) to make such a request if I wasn’t able to get the attention of a flight attendant.

Also, if you have mobility issues and were perhaps a pre-boarding passenger, you should feel free to utilize the call button without feeling the need to get up.

You are stuck in a window or middle seat

If you find yourself seated in a window seat or a middle seat and you know that getting out of your seat will require you to inconvenience the passenger next to you because they are eating, working on a laptop, sleeping, etc., that’s probably one of the most justifiable times to use the call button.

At that point, it’s just a matter of choosing to not inconvenience your fellow passenger(s) and a flight attendant should be able to understand your reasoning, especially if they know they have been hard to find.

Seat broken

If you are dealing with a broken seat, either your own seat or perhaps a seat in front of you or next to you, I think the call button can be a good choice.

For example, one time we had a seat in front of us that was broken and it was reclining ridiculously far back.

It would’ve been difficult to get out of our seat and I thought that it was more appropriate that the flight attendant would see how badly that seat was affecting us with us still sitting in the seat.

If your seatback TV is not properly functioning, that could merit the use of the call button.

When it is NOT appropriate to use the call button

Minor requests

Don’t use the call button for minor (non-time-sensitive) requests like requesting a flight attendant to throw away the wrapper to your pretzel package or to place your jacket in the overhead storage bin. These are non-pressing things you can do yourself.

Gross requests

If you have a dirty diaper or some other type of gross tissue that needs to be promptly disposed of, I believe you should do that yourself. It’s just a common courtesy to not involve others, including flight attendants, in the disposal of these things.

Interrupting service

If you see that the flight attendants are pushing the cart through the aisle and they have already passed you up, consider just waiting until they finish their initial beverage service to buzz them.

This will allow them to get through the cabin more efficiently. (If they have skipped you that might be a different story….)

Repeated requests

It’s one thing to make a request for a drink or snack mid-flight. But it’s another thing to make a request for a Bloody Mary every 30 minutes throughout the entire duration of your flight.

Try to be considerate of the time available to the flight attendants and consolidate your requests or keep them at a reasonable minimum. Just use common sense.

International first class and business class

I believe things are a lot different when you fly on an international first class flight with certain airlines.

If you have ever flown in an international first class cabin on an airline known for service such as Singapore, Emirates, Cathy Pacific, etc., you’ve probably noticed a huge difference with respect to the cabin crew.

The crew seems much more interested and well-trained in catering to your specific needs and requests.

What’s more, they do it with a positive and professional attitude so that you don’t ever feel like you are inconveniencing them.

On flights like these, you are practically encouraged to use the call button.

Indeed, I have used the call button many times on first class and business class flights with these airlines and have never been greeted with anything other than a very pleasant, “what can we do for you?”

Final word

In general, I try to avoid using the call button and prefer to make my service requests by walking up to the galley.

However, if you cannot locate a flight attendant or don’t have aisle access, I don’t think there’s any problem with using the call button for basic service requests — just don’t overdo it.

And finally, if you are flying first class or business class there’s often more of an expectation that you may use the call button so you should not feel weird about using it.

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here. 

The great debate on whether or not passengers should be able to recline seats has been going on for a long time. It’s caused more in-flight confrontations than any of us can probably count and has even given us inventions banned by some airlines.

But should you, as a reasonable and thoughtful passenger, ever feel okay with reclining your seat? Or is this a rude intrusion only practiced by inexperienced and uncourteous passengers?

In this article, I will take a look at both sides of the debate and try to make sense of how people feel about this touchy subject.

Let’s start off by looking at some of the common arguments made by people on both sides of this debate.

The argument in favor of reclining

The recline button exists for a reason

The biggest argument in favor of reclining your airplane seat is that the recline button is there for a reason (to be used). As a paying customer, you are entitled to take advantage of features you paid for.

Passengers can select seats with extra legroom if needed

People also argue that if someone is unhappy with the amount of legroom that they have, they have options like upgrading to economy plus or grabbing an emergency exit seat where they can have a few more inches of legroom.

Passengers could also purchase a first class ticket which will provide them with more than enough legroom in the event someone chooses to recline.

People need it to relieve pain or serious discomfort

Some people experience bad back pain when flying and being able to recline, even minor amounts, can allow them to adjust their position and alleviate some of that pain. On longer flights this is absolutely necessary, even for those without any kind of chronic pain conditions.

Reclining is virtually forced upon some passengers

Once a passenger sitting in front of someone decides to recline, that aft passenger is almost forced to recline in order to gain back the precious inches that they just lost. It’s hard to get upset at someone for reclining when they just had someone’s seatback drop into their personal space.

Unfortunately, this can have a domino effect that goes all the way to the passenger in the emergency exit row or back of the plane who may or may not be able to recline.

The argument against reclining

A lot of passengers are against reclining an economy seat and would bring up the following points.

Little comfort gained but lots of comfort lost

One of the main arguments is that by reclining your seat you only gain a very marginal amount of extra comfort but you cause a high degree of discomfort by shrinking the person’s leg room behind you.

This is especially true for tall people or for passengers trying to get work done with a laptop or even trying to enjoy a meal on the tray table. Reclining can show a real lack of consideration for these people, especially if it is done abruptly.

Makes it difficult to get in and out of seats

You can also make things a major challenge when middle seat or window seat passengers have to get up and head to the lavatory.

It’s not uncommon for passengers to take out their “vengeance” on a reclining passenger by giving the seat a shake of fury or even a Street Fighter knee-kick as they try to climb past them.

The unstated social contract

Although the recline button is there, there’s sort of an unstated social contract between seasoned passengers that you just don’t utilize the recline button — at least not on shorter flights.

Not necessary on short flights

If we’re talking about a flight of just a couple of hours, many believe that there is simply no need to recline because the flight is so short. These shorter flights also often have business travelers getting work done with laptops on tray tables so reclining is sort of a nuisance.

Some people might even argue that you should never recline even on longer flights although I find that to be a ridiculous position. At a certain point, you have to give people a break.

My thoughts on the great reclining debate

Passengers have a right to recline

Every passenger has a right to recline their seat, even if I don’t think it is necessary and I find it annoying. Remembering this is a good way to keep your knee-jerk reaction in check. Part of traveling is learning how to deal with discomfort anyway.

Don’t take it personal if somebody reclines

One of the reasons why reclining becomes an issue for some people is that they take it personally and that can amplify reactions.

It’s as if they imagine the person sitting in front of them deliberately plotting against their own comfort.

In most cases, the passenger in front of them just simply is not thinking about other passengers.

So try to not allow your blood to boil if a passenger reclines and violates your space. At worst, it’s probably just a lack of consideration directed at all passengers and not yourself individually.

With these things said, I do think passengers should keep the following two things in mind when reclining.

Don’t recline by default

Some passengers feel like they have to recline their seats or that it is the standard when the fasten seatbelt light goes off but that is not the case.

I would suggest only reclining your seat if you feel like you really need to in order to avoid discomfort. For many people, this probably won’t happen until at least a couple of hours into your flight.

Don’t recline on a tall passenger

If you noticed that you were seated in front of a particularly tall passenger, let’s say somebody 6’3″ or taller, I would recommend you to not recline.

That’s because you’re going to be ramming your seat into someone’s knee in most cases and it often results in this “push fest” between you and the other passenger. That’s certainly a recipe for an unwanted confrontation.

How to politely recline your seat

If you do choose to recline, then it needs to be done in the most respectful way possible.

I’ve shared some tips for doing this and they can be summarized as the following:

• Reconsider reclining when people are boarding — don’t get in the way of passengers trying to get seated by instantly reclining your seat when you sit down
• Take it nice and slow — Never slam your seat back all the way and instead gently recline it back
• Keep it up when meal service comes out — give your fellow passengers a little bit of elbow room whenever it is time for meals to come out
• Verify the person behind you is done — make sure the passenger behind you is finished with their meal before you take your seat back down
• Make up your mind — avoid reclining your seat and bringing it back up over and over again during the flight because this can be really annoying
• Ask for permission — While I don’t think you have to get permission from another passenger, it can be a way to diffuse tensions especially if you have a valid reason to ask for it such as to relieve your back pain.
• Choose a seat with extra legroom — choosing a seat with a few extra inches of legroom can prevent the issue in the first place or at least make it much less of a problem
• Only recline “one notch” — try to compromise and not fully recline your seat
• Be aware of broken recliners — avoid reclining a seat that is broken because you may be extending much further back than the seat is designed for

Final word

Ultimately, I think every passenger has a right to recline their seat. It’s not always the best thing to do based on the circumstances and so I think it should generally be avoided if possible.

If you do decide to recliner seat then consider some of the factors above and try to not cause any more discomfort to your fellow passengers than is necessary.

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.