I have been drafting a post about appalling airline behavior for a while now. You covered the issue perfectly. I am shocked, too, that southwest is changing this policy so drastically. 👏👏
I was recently on a long haul flight and booked and paid for my aisle seat. A large group of people boarded after me and a young woman in the group had the middle seat next to me, someone else in the group asked me if I would switch seats with her boyfriend so they could sit together. They made it look like it was an aisle seat that I was swapping for, but only after I started to gather my things did it become clear it was a middle seat. I said no to the trade and the whole family started berating me and holding up boarding for everyone else on the plane. I stood my ground and when they finally got out of the aisle, several women who walked past me loudly commended me for not giving in.
Someone in one of the seats next to the boyfriend agreed to switch and take the middle seat next to me and half way through the flight the boyfriend came by and tossed a $20 bill at him as a thanks for switching.
The whole thing was very strange, if they needed to sit together, they should have booked seats together. Their group was also large, so they could have shifted among themselves to accommodate 2 teenagers sitting together. They loudly complained about me for the duration of the flight, but I will not be shamed for other people's poor planning.
I’ve asked people on planes listening to videos just out loud if they have headphones. Airplane behavior has gotten so much worse in the past 10 years & I am not gonna put up with that around me. Part of why I fly business internationally!
This is so important to me. There should be a copy of this in seat backs. Still regret not saying no to an old lady who took my window seat on a glorious sunset flight 🥲
I was on a flight from Brazil to NYC and the man kitty corner to me was, no joke, FACE TIMING. I did say something to the flight attendant who told him to stop but also told him that I was the one who pointed it out, which he threw a fit over. I have no problem standing up for myself but plenty of passengers behaving badly are not rational and sometimes it’s just not worth getting into it.
Absolutely love this, you're so spot on! We've definitely reached crisis levels of poor transit etiquette. Not just planes but trains, too. If I see one more person smoking/vaping on a train, I'm going to lose it.
I don't think these bad behaviors are going to go away until we begin confronting people again. At least confrontation on a plane feels objectively safer than confronting someone on the NYC subway...
Thank you! I had someone on IG say that there are plenty of people confronting those with bad behavior, they just don't make videos about it. Clearly not if we're still seeing *so much* bad behavior. People aren't afraid of the social pressure to be shamed in public spaces enough!
Thank you for writing this up! I recently had a crazy experience where a woman yelled at me for reclining my seat. Exclaiming that I was inconsiderate because I didn’t turn around and ask to recline my seat. She then got the flight attendant involved trying to get me to not recline my seat. The flight attendant obviously couldn’t ask me to put it upright because, the function of a seat reclining is part of your seat. Meanwhile this woman was traveling for 4 children, and her husband all badly behaved and screaming. We tune children out because I actually take sympathy on parents…it can’t be easy to travel with young ones. But I found it wild that she felt so entitled to tell me that I was being inconsiderate by keeping my seat reclined. Thoughts?
I'm very much in the "it's ok to recline your seat" camp so I feel you hard on this. I try to be respectful (not reclining during mealtimes, not slamming it backwards, usually not reclining on flights under 4 hrs), but you'll always have those people who are going to get angry no matter what... Given that she couldn't control her kids, it seems like she tried to control you instead! But you're definitely not in the wrong here. I'm with you—if we shouldn't recline at all, the seats wouldn't have the function.
I completely agree but as a people pleaser, I really struggle! Like if I’m next to a man whose leg is on my side? What’s the polite way to ask? Also - when they play music or games out loud not on headphones, but I haven’t figured out how to ask them to NOT do it…! Especially if it’s kids…?
I think for the speakerphone convo, whether it's kids or not, asking the person (or their parents) if they could put in headphones is totally fine and normal. No further conversation should be needed but if it is then I'd be happy to educate them about why it's rude to do that in a shared space, especially in such close quarters.
As for manspreaders, I think just a simple, "excuse me, do you mind moving your leg back to your own side?" suffices. Worst case, the FA call button is always there if you need backup!
Yes very wise! To all of it! Good points! If it’s a short flight I just leave it (trying to protect my peace!), but you’re right about longer! I had a flight last week where a boy kept slamming his knees into the back of my seat - I was getting so mad but I tried to remind myself that he was tall and the flight was only 90 minutes 😂
The bare feet 😖 Not exactly the same but my partner and I were just on an Amtrak heading to Rhode Island and the person behind us took off his shoes, releasing the foulest smell…
I have been drafting a post about appalling airline behavior for a while now. You covered the issue perfectly. I am shocked, too, that southwest is changing this policy so drastically. 👏👏
I would love to read your take! Just last night I saw a video of a man CLIPPING HIS TOENAILS on a flight 🤮🤮🤮
I was recently on a long haul flight and booked and paid for my aisle seat. A large group of people boarded after me and a young woman in the group had the middle seat next to me, someone else in the group asked me if I would switch seats with her boyfriend so they could sit together. They made it look like it was an aisle seat that I was swapping for, but only after I started to gather my things did it become clear it was a middle seat. I said no to the trade and the whole family started berating me and holding up boarding for everyone else on the plane. I stood my ground and when they finally got out of the aisle, several women who walked past me loudly commended me for not giving in.
Someone in one of the seats next to the boyfriend agreed to switch and take the middle seat next to me and half way through the flight the boyfriend came by and tossed a $20 bill at him as a thanks for switching.
The whole thing was very strange, if they needed to sit together, they should have booked seats together. Their group was also large, so they could have shifted among themselves to accommodate 2 teenagers sitting together. They loudly complained about me for the duration of the flight, but I will not be shamed for other people's poor planning.
Nor should you be!! Good for you for standing your ground (as if it's crazy to want to sit in the seat you picked???)
Also can't believe that guy paid him $20 lol
I’ve asked people on planes listening to videos just out loud if they have headphones. Airplane behavior has gotten so much worse in the past 10 years & I am not gonna put up with that around me. Part of why I fly business internationally!
That's a BIG one that's gotten so bad! It's like everyone has main character syndrome all of a sudden.
Omg yes that’s exactly it!
This is so important to me. There should be a copy of this in seat backs. Still regret not saying no to an old lady who took my window seat on a glorious sunset flight 🥲
Old lady guilt is REAL but I still would have fought her for you
🙏
I was on a flight from Brazil to NYC and the man kitty corner to me was, no joke, FACE TIMING. I did say something to the flight attendant who told him to stop but also told him that I was the one who pointed it out, which he threw a fit over. I have no problem standing up for myself but plenty of passengers behaving badly are not rational and sometimes it’s just not worth getting into it.
OMG not the FA being a narc! Hate that for you, but love that you did something about it at all
The amount of times people assumed I'd just shimmy right out of my prized aisle seat for them is insane!! No thank you!!!
The audacity!!! I'll never forgive myself for closing that window shade...
Absolutely love this, you're so spot on! We've definitely reached crisis levels of poor transit etiquette. Not just planes but trains, too. If I see one more person smoking/vaping on a train, I'm going to lose it.
I don't think these bad behaviors are going to go away until we begin confronting people again. At least confrontation on a plane feels objectively safer than confronting someone on the NYC subway...
Thank you! I had someone on IG say that there are plenty of people confronting those with bad behavior, they just don't make videos about it. Clearly not if we're still seeing *so much* bad behavior. People aren't afraid of the social pressure to be shamed in public spaces enough!
Thank you for writing this up! I recently had a crazy experience where a woman yelled at me for reclining my seat. Exclaiming that I was inconsiderate because I didn’t turn around and ask to recline my seat. She then got the flight attendant involved trying to get me to not recline my seat. The flight attendant obviously couldn’t ask me to put it upright because, the function of a seat reclining is part of your seat. Meanwhile this woman was traveling for 4 children, and her husband all badly behaved and screaming. We tune children out because I actually take sympathy on parents…it can’t be easy to travel with young ones. But I found it wild that she felt so entitled to tell me that I was being inconsiderate by keeping my seat reclined. Thoughts?
I'm very much in the "it's ok to recline your seat" camp so I feel you hard on this. I try to be respectful (not reclining during mealtimes, not slamming it backwards, usually not reclining on flights under 4 hrs), but you'll always have those people who are going to get angry no matter what... Given that she couldn't control her kids, it seems like she tried to control you instead! But you're definitely not in the wrong here. I'm with you—if we shouldn't recline at all, the seats wouldn't have the function.
I completely agree but as a people pleaser, I really struggle! Like if I’m next to a man whose leg is on my side? What’s the polite way to ask? Also - when they play music or games out loud not on headphones, but I haven’t figured out how to ask them to NOT do it…! Especially if it’s kids…?
I think for the speakerphone convo, whether it's kids or not, asking the person (or their parents) if they could put in headphones is totally fine and normal. No further conversation should be needed but if it is then I'd be happy to educate them about why it's rude to do that in a shared space, especially in such close quarters.
As for manspreaders, I think just a simple, "excuse me, do you mind moving your leg back to your own side?" suffices. Worst case, the FA call button is always there if you need backup!
Yes very wise! To all of it! Good points! If it’s a short flight I just leave it (trying to protect my peace!), but you’re right about longer! I had a flight last week where a boy kept slamming his knees into the back of my seat - I was getting so mad but I tried to remind myself that he was tall and the flight was only 90 minutes 😂
The peace part is really important!
Also, I used to say I would pay so much money for a kid free flight - but now I think it’s the adults!!
LOL real
Agree whole heartedly!
I think there should be a class at this point lol
The bare feet 😖 Not exactly the same but my partner and I were just on an Amtrak heading to Rhode Island and the person behind us took off his shoes, releasing the foulest smell…
Oh it's the same in my book! People have no decorum