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A passenger on a plane sparked a debate when he was seen fully reclining his seat on a five-hour flight in a viral video.
Posted to the TikTok and Instagram accounts @thepointerbrothers_, the video amassed more than four million as viewers discussed whether passengers should be able to recline their seats during flights.
Thomas Farley, an etiquette expert also known as Mister Manners, told Newsweek that he can relate to the discomfort of someone reclining their own seat on a plane.
"The flying public is fed up with tiny and shrinking seats and rows," he said. "There isn't going to be a change to this. We, as passengers, have to deal with a less-than-ideal situation."
Before reclining, Farley suggested that passengers check in with the person behind them to ensure it would not cause any discomfort.
"Just because you have the potential to recline doesn't mean you should," he said.
Farley said passengers can consider looking into buying a ticket that would allow more room. If they cannot get one and they find themselves on the receiving end of a reclined seat, they should see if the passenger in front of them would move their own seat.
He added that passengers should avoid taking passive-aggressive measures. Some will comply, but in the event that they refuse to move their seats, Farley said passengers should be prepared for these flights and bring music, snacks and entertainment to ensure they are as comfortable as possible.
The camera panned around a plane before focusing on Michael Budrewicz, one-half of The Pointer Brothers duo, who was holding up a red card in opposition to the seat reclined in front of him.
Red cards are often used by a sports referee to indicate a player broke the rules.
The seat in question was reclined back, nearly touching Budrewicz's legs.
Viewers rushed to the comments section to share their thoughts. Some believed there was nothing wrong with a passenger reclining their seat during a flight.
"Why is the passenger at fault for using a feature the airline created?" a viewer asked.
"I recline my seat every single time and never once have I been upset with the seat in front of me for reclining their seat," another viewer said.
"Are you not [supposed] to recline? Then why have that option? People are tired and want to sleep," one viewer said.
Many others, however, voiced their own frustration for passengers who recline their seats.
"People who recline their seats in economy are the bane of my existence," a comment read.
"Out of respect for the person behind me, I never recline," another TikTok user wrote.
"Why the airlines continue to let those seats recline is beyond me," one comment read. "Flew home from Nashville the other day with the seat in my face."
The comedy team told Newsweek in an email that the passenger left his chair reclined for the entire flight, and Budrewicz did not ask him to move up his seat.
Budrewicz added that he planned to watch a movie he hadn't seen before, but the angle at which the seat was reclined made it "unwatchable."
Experiences like this have prompted the two to throw out red cards, as seen in other videos, including one that shows passengers getting out of their seats once the plane landed.
"We bring a red card with us everywhere we go for situations exactly like this," they said. "Can't let 'em off too easily."
Travel etiquette and experiences are often discussed online.
A woman sparked a debate on Mumsnet after sharing her frustration that she was unable to recline her own plane seat during a long flight.
One post on Reddit showed a passenger who kicked their shoes off and stretched his legs out until they touched the person in front of him.
Another video went viral after a flight attendant shared advice and insight into traveling.
About the writer
Catherine Ferris is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting for the U.S. Trends Team. She ... Read more