There is almost no debate: clipping toe and fingernails, using one’s phone with the speaker on and continuing to chat to one’s neighbors even after they’ve indicated that they’d rather be left alone are the most offensive plane behaviors chosen by travelers from all over the U.S. and in different walks of life.
In its survey of 2,000 adults who have taken a plane for a personal trip sometime in the last year, flight booking platform Skyscanner asked the travelers to vote on which unspoken rule of plane etiquette was “most offensive if broken.” Inappropriate personal grooming (clipping or painting one’s nails or trimming bits of hair) and use of the speakerphone both tied for first place.
Related: An American Airlines Captain’s Rant on Plane Etiquette Is Going Viral
“The social experiment of listening to videos on speaker mode and talking on a cellphone in speaker mode is over,” an American Airlines (AAL) – Get Free Report captain once said in an overhead announcement that was later reposted on TikTok. “Over and done in this country. Nobody wants to hear your video. I know you think it’s super sweet. It probably is but it’s your business, right?”
The verdict is also in for seat switchers and recliners
The top five were also rounded out by unwanted conversation and the more disputed practice of taking off one’s shoes or socks during the flight. Competing booking platform Kayak has earlier this year released an “Unspoken Rules of Air Travel” survey showing that 56% of polled travelers believe that shoes must stay on for the duration of the flight while 44% feel taking them off can be acceptable in certain circumstances (socks, however, are a clear “must stay on” item.)
More Travel:
- A new travel term is taking over the internet (and reaching airlines and hotels)
- The 10 best airline stocks to buy now
- Airlines see a new kind of traveler at the front of the plane
As Skyscanner’s list of offensive plane activities moves further down the top seven, the conclusions become more debatable. While enough travelers voted against reclining the seat, using both armrests and asking to switch one’s seat with a fellow traveler to place these actions in the top seven, a large number of travelers also do not see these as the taboos many make them out to be.
This is why not all instances of travel etiquette are cut-and-dry
“Travel etiquette is one of those things that is universally acknowledged yet frequently debated,” Matt Clarke, who heads marketing at Kayak, said in a statement in July 2023. “Even within our own team at KAYAK, we couldn’t all agree whether it was or was not O.K. to recline your seat on a flight.”
Switching seats, in particular, has recently been in the spotlight as several travelers went viral and received extensive praise after posting TikTok videos in which they explained how they refused to give in to another traveler’s request to give up their pre-paid seat.
But at the same time, each of these videos fuels extensive debate about whether there is anything wrong with asking nicely (and accepting no for an answer) as well as whether the anger should instead be redirected toward airlines that have turned seat preselection into a separate income stream while shifting the expectation to “be nice” and give up a seat to passengers with small kids or other difficult situations on the travelers.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links.
