We’re etiquette experts — reclining your seat on a plane makes you a jerk

It’s the one thing majority of us do when we board a plane. But a panel of experts say if you do, you’re a total jerk.

As if being crammed in a plane couldn’t get any more unbearable, imagine someone in the row ahead of you fully reclining their seat and intruding into your already tight space.

Although many frustrated travellers ignore the inconsiderate gesture, the behaviour must be addressed.

Etiquette coaches Tami Claytor, Diane Gottsman and Jodi R.R. Smith have settled a debate about whether or not it’s appropriate to recline your seat on a plane.

“Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it,” Claytor told HuffPost. “Reclining your seat and interfering with someone else’s comfort violates the basic principle of etiquette.”

The decency expert claims people should be mindful of those around them even if they paid for reclinable seats.

This is what it takes to be a jerk on a plane. Picture: John Grainger

Smith, the president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, added that passengers should practice polite awareness while travelling.

“We want to be able to maximise our comfort without inconveniencing anyone else. This is quite a challenge in the shrinking seats found nowadays on aeroplanes,” Smith shared with HuffPost.

Experts advise passengers on short flights to avoid reclined seats unless they can guarantee that it won’t inconvenience the person behind them. However, the reclining rules differ depending on the flight duration.

If you hit that button to recline, guess what? You’re a jerk.

“If it’s a long flight, it’s unreasonable to expect each passenger not to do what they can to get comfortable,” Gottsman informed HuffPost. “If it’s a red eye, sleep is important and reclining is acceptable, especially since everyone else is reclining at the same time.”

Some frequent flyers who are tall, have back problems or need space to hold their young children get a pass to recline their seats, too.

But if none of those apply to you and you’re just looking for a chance to lounge out, check to see if you don’t have anyone seated behind you or if a small child is occupying the seat. In those cases, you can lean back.

Do not move your seat.

A considerate approach that experts encourage is for travellers to spark a conversation with their seat neighbours before extending the chair out. Simply asking how far back you can recline your chair without making them uncomfortable is polite and thoughtful.

“Try negotiating a reasonable compromise, such as slightly reclining your seat or only reclining for a specified period of time,” Claytor suggested.

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission