TravelMAY 7, 2025

Woman Thinks She's Right To Complain About Plane Passenger, Gets Dragged Instead

Traveling by plane can be equal parts exciting and exhausting. If you’re en route to the destination you’ve been dreaming about for the past 6 months, you might be thrilled to board. But feeling cramped in a tiny plane seat for 12 hours can leave you cranky, dehydrated and jetlagged for days to come.

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To make everyone’s journey more pleasant, it’s best to follow proper airplane etiquette. The only problem is, people can’t seem to agree on what exactly that means. One woman recently posted a TikTok calling out the passenger in front of her for reclining his seat, but the internet quickly came to his defense. Below, you’ll find all of the details, as well as some of the comments viewers left.

Passengers don't always agree on what is appropriate plane etiquette

Image credits: Kenny Eliason (not the actual photo)

This woman called out the person in front of her for reclining his seat during a flight

Image source: @knkenney

You can see the full video here

Most travelers agree that there’s nothing wrong with reclining your seat during a long-haul flight

Image credits: Kelli McClintock (not the actual photo)

There are strict rules when it comes to how to behave at the airport. You must be respectful of the security protocols, keep your carry-on luggage with you at all times and arrive at your gate early enough to board without delaying your flight. Once passengers are on the plane, however, it often feels like they’ve entered the Wild West.

Some people begin watching films and TV shows without earbuds, and others start removing their shoes and socks as soon as they find their seat. Passengers might throw a fit about not having the window seat they wanted, and others might whip out potent tuna fish sandwiches.

And, of course, some travelers will recline their seats as soon as the plane is in the air. Clearly, the internet is divided on whether or not this is appropriate. So let’s see what the experts have to say. Etiquette expert Jo Hayes told Travel + Leisure that it’s perfectly fine to utilize this feature. After all, “The aircraft wouldn't have the option to recline if it wasn't acceptable.”

But Lisa Mirza Grotts, author of A Traveler’s Passport to Etiquette, notes that “deciding when to recline your seat on a plane involves self-awareness, social awareness, and situational awareness.” For example, you probably don’t want to lean back during mealtimes, as it might lead to the lunch of the person behind you ending up on their lap.

Despite the fact that many people view reclining their seat as an in-flight right, some are still offended by the passenger in front of them encroaching into their space. In fact, some situations even escalate to the point of arguments or physical fights breaking out during a flight.

So to keep things civil while flying, Jordan Waller at The Points Guy recommends keeping your seat up during certain situations. Along with meal times, Waller notes that it’s best not to recline if the person behind you is working on a laptop or if the flight is only 3 hours or less. He also recommends waiting to recline until “lights out” time on long-haul flights.

But it's still wise to be considerate of those around you

Image credits: satellite779 (not the actual photo)

And if you really want to be considerate, you can always give the person behind you a heads up before reclining your seat. There is a risk, however, that they will protest. So proceed with caution.

Now, if you happen to be the person who becomes instantly infuriated when a passenger in front of you decides to recline their seat, you’re not alone. In fact, a survey from YouGov found that 26% of Americans find reclining seats on a plane to be unacceptable. However, that doesn’t mean that erupting into an argument or physical altercation is appropriate either.

If you really want to make sure that your flight experience isn’t ruined by the passenger in front of you, there’s always an option to pay extra for a bulkhead seat. These are the seats directly behind the wall that separates one cabin from another, meaning that there won’t be any passengers seated directly in front of them.

These seats provide travelers with extra legroom, easier aisle access and often, they’re the closest seats to the lavatories. However, there are some cons of having a bulkhead seat.

Passengers in these seats don’t have access to under-seat storage, seatback tray tables or seatback entertainment systems. It can also be annoying to sit in a busy area where passengers are constantly coming and going from the bathroom.

There’s no perfect plane seat. So when traveling, it’s usually best to focus on the positives and try to get to your destination without any drama. We would love to hear your thoughts on this video in the comments below, pandas. Then, you can find another Bored Panda article featuring plane seat drama right here!