Surprise act most Aussies won’t do on a flight

It is one of the most exasperating acts by travellers on flights – and apparently it’s something you won’t catch most Aussies doing.

It is one of the most exasperating acts one can do on a flight – and it appears most Aussies won’t do it.

Have you ever been midway through a movie, tucking into your plane meal when the person in front of you suddenly and abruptly reclines their seat?

Well, it’s an act 41.1 per cent of Aussies have a problem with and surprisingly, it’s something most refuse to do.

According to recent research conducted by Compare the Market, 54.2 per cent of Aussie travellers said they won’t recline their own seat.

The Great Recline Debate is one that has vexed regular travellers since that little silver button first appeared, but according to the data, while some adults across Australia and North America like to sit back and relax on flights, others tend to be more focused on the comfort of their neighbours.

Perhaps people just don’t want to cop those dirty looks.

The button that is often the cause of most flight arguments. Picture: iStock

In Australia, just over half the people surveyed claimed to avoid reclining their seats to respect other passengers.

It was a little lower in Canada at 47.6 per cent and again in the States at 46.5 per cent, but still a majority for each nation.

However, there’s still a chunk of Aussies (29.2 per cent) who would still recline their seats – dirty looks or not.

While it is what they are designed to do, a fivethirtyeight poll showed that four in 10 people think it’s “rude”.

Earlier this year, one woman sparked a heated debate when she revealed a passenger wasn’t impressed when she reclined her seat as it meant she couldn’t use her laptop.

She took to TikTok to share her story while on a six-hour flight.

“So I recline my seat and the girl behind me IMMEDIATELY tells me that she can’t use her laptop if I recline (didn’t ask me to unrecline – more of a statement with the expectation,” the woman said.

“So I put the seat back to normal although I want it reclined for this six-hour flight. Let it go?”

The clip was viewed by more than 620,000 with users divided about who was in the right.

“If the chair can recline, then you can. It’s ridiculous to think you have to stay uncomfortable based on what the joker behind you wants,” one person commented, siding with the TikTok user.

According to a recent survey, 54.2 per cent of Aussie travellers won’t recline their plane seat. Picture: iStock

Another person wrote: “Once had a tall bloke demand I didn’t recline on an overnight flight to St Lucia. No chance. Pay for extra leg room or don’t go.”

A flight attendant also chipped in calling it “petty” and adding: “They have the right to recline. You can recline too. You want everyone to accommodate you?”

However lots of people slammed the woman, saying it wasn’t fair on the person behind her.

“Reclining chairs shouldn’t be allowed in economy! It is just a pain for the person behind you (especially people who are tall and have long legs),” one person said.

In April this year, the editors at travel site Matador came down hard in favour of #TeamNoRecline arguing: “Planes aren’t meant to be comfortable.”

And on the topic of discomfort, Compare the Market’s survey also found of all three counties, Aussies are the most likely to stay seated and hold onto their urge to go to the loo out of fear of asking others to move.

It showed 13.36 per cent would rather suffer in silence while North Americans are a lot bolder with just 7.31 per cent of Canadians and 10.13 per cent of Americans avoiding speaking to others.

“For the 6-12 per cent of adults that feel uncomfortable asking others to stand so they can access the bathroom, it could be a great option to select an aisle seat, for example,” Compare the Market’s insurance expert Stephen Zeller said.

Meanwhile, the survey also touched on the dreaded middle seat – and the great armrest debate.

It revealed 67.7 per cent of flyers say passengers in the middle seat should get one armrest.

However, according to a news.com.au poll, out of 2093 voters, 65 per cent agreed middle seat passengers should be entitled to both armrests.