Airplane Etiquette Violations: 7 Ways to Make Enemies on a Plane

We won’t get into the recline vs. no-recline debate, but we can all agree that people who slam their seat straight back immediately after takeoff, without even sparing a glance behind them to see if they’re about to smash a laptop screen or send a drink flying, are the absolute worst.

If you’re reclining your seat, the polite thing to do is check behind you to ensure your seat isn’t going to cause any damage, and then slowly move it backward. During mealtimes, it’s also polite to put your seat upright so the passenger behind you can use their tray table.

The poor middle-seat passenger definitely has the worst seat in the row, so they should at least get some armrest space from the aisle and window-seat flyers. Don’t passive-aggressively elbow the person next to you the entire flight or take up the entire armrest.

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The on-demand entertainment screens on the seatback don’t always function the way they should, but when you’re pounding on the screen trying to get it to work, don’t forget about the person sitting in front of you who’s feeling their seat shake with every selection you make. Be gentle or, better yet, use the remote.

Is the sense of relief you feel after removing your shoes stronger than the smell of your feet wafting through the cabin? If you're intentionally compromising the air quality—by going barefoot or indulging in strongly scented food—expect some justifiable side-eyes from fellow passengers. The same courtesy applies to fragrances: go easy on perfumes and colognes before boarding your flight.

The tiny overhead bins are a huge minefield of airplane etiquette. Major violations include throwing your suitcase in the first overhead bin you see, even if your seat is at the back of the plane, using it for small items like a sweatshirt, or occupying all the space with oversized carry-ons.

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You have amazing taste in music and movies, so why wouldn’t you want to share your selections with the entire plane? Turns out the people two rows ahead of you may not want to spend the entire flight listening to bleeps and bloops from the game you’re playing on your phone, so please do us all a favor and plug in headphones or entertain yourself on mute.

We get it, you can’t always control a screaming baby. But if you’re pretending to be engrossed in your book while your kid is kicking the back of a seat or running wild down the aisles, be prepared to make some plane enemies.