U.S. passengers report declining airplane etiquette in new survey

A survey commissioned by The Points Guy and conducted by YouGov involving over 2,500 U.S. adults indicates that 42% of respondents believe airplane etiquette has declined over the last five years. Most participants attribute this decline to the behavior of fellow passengers rather than airline staff.

Noise is identified as the most significant nuisance, with 27% of respondents citing loud conversations or the use of audio and video without headphones as the most annoying in-flight behavior. Other notable points of contention include the practice of reclining seats without checking the passenger behind, and the lack of orderly deplaning, with 65% of respondents stating that exiting row by row is the proper method.

Additional findings show that 51% of travelers believe reclining a seat in economy is only acceptable if the passenger checks with the person behind them first. The survey also highlighted disagreements regarding armrest usage and the social acceptability of traveling without shoes.