What Would You Do? 39 Airplane Scenarios

Countless articles have been written here at The Gate pertaining to different behaviors and scenarios which occur aboard an airplane by fellow passengers — some of which have resulted in controversial or violent outcomes — and frequent travelers are usually all too familiar with them from which they have formed their own opinions…

What Would You Do? 39 Airplane Scenarios

TAP Air Portugal — Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

…but what happens if people who do not travel frequently are asked about the same scenarios? How would those people respond?

Unlike the article which first posed those questions here at The Gate on Thursday, January 28, 2021, this article contains those responses — as well as links to past articles which are at the bottom of this article.

Seat Recline

1. A passenger reclines his or her seat aboard an airplane. The person seated immediately behind the fellow passenger is not happy about having the seat in front reclined and encroaching upon his or her space. Perhaps that passenger was working on a laptop computer and suddenly has no room to work. If you were that passenger, what would you do?

The person behind can get over it. The seats are allowed to recline. It is to be expected that the person in front will recline. If airlines did not want the seat to be reclined, they would remove the option.

2. The seat directly in front is reclined; but the person who was seated in it left it for an extended period of time.

I’m unclear where one goes for an extended period of time on a plane. But it is irrelevant. It is their seat to do as they please.

3. The seat is supposed to recline; but the passenger seated directly behind it temporarily installed a device which prevents the seat from reclining.

Contact the flight attendant and have the ridiculous device removed. The audacity!

Seat Issues — Other Than Recline

American Airlines Santiago to Miami — Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

4. Two travel companions purposely book the window seat and the aisle seat in the hopes that the middle seat will remain open until departure — but a passenger arrives and is assigned the middle seat between them.

That is unfortunate, although it was a rather risky and somewhat tacky thing to do. I suppose they could offer one of their seats to the middle seat occupant and see if he wants to swap. Otherwise, it seems the original travel companions will be enjoying the company of a stranger for their journey.

5. A person approaches a passenger and asks him or her to switch seats so that he or she may sit next to his or her travel companion.

I am unclear why someone would chose to purchase tickets not with their travel companion, if they intended to sit with their travel companion. I cannot imagine someone having the audacity to make this request. But should this occur, I would consider moving if the new seat is in a better location.

6. A person arrives at his or her seat aboard the airplane and finds someone else is already sitting in it.

Check his ticket. If it is correct, ask them move. Why would this be a question? Aren’t seats assigned for a reason?

7. As a continuation of scenario number 6, the response from the seated passenger is “Do you mind if I just stay in this seat and you take my seat?”

“Um, yes, I would mind.” Why would anyone ever ask that?

Armrests and Window Shades

secret armrest button aisle — Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

8. Three seats are in a row aboard an airplane, and only two armrests are available: one armrest is between the window seat and the middle seat; and the other armrest is between the middle seat and the aisle seat. Who gets to use which armrest?

Each person should have access to one half of each armrest that border his seat. The window seat gets the outside half of the inner armrest, the middle seat gets the inner half of each armrest, the aisle seat gets the outer half of the outer armrest.

9. A passenger decides to lift the armrest without the consent of the adjacent fellow passenger.

Ask them to move? Place my arm on my half? Consult the flight attendant, if necessary.

10. The window shade is completely open. A passenger either wants to watch a movie without glare on the screen; or perhaps the sun is shining in his or her face. That passenger asks the person who is seated in the window seat to close the window shade — either in a polite or impolite manner.

I would be offended if someone asked me to do so. If I wanted it closed, I would have closed it previously. If the person cares, he should purchase the seat that controls the shade.

Babies and Children

Unruly child aboard airplane boy — Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

11. A baby is screaming, wailing, and crying incessantly while aboard the airplane.

Pray for the parents who are likely mortified by the disturbance they are causing as well as the distress their child is suffering. Maybe offer to help rock the child?

12. Suppose the screaming baby is in the premium class cabin during a long transoceanic flight, and fellow passengers who paid thousands of dollars expected to have a reasonable modicum of peace and quiet.

The fellow passengers paid thousand of dollars to safely fly from one location to another. I would assume the parents of the infant have also paid thousands of dollars to fly from one location to another. I would think the parents also want to have a reasonable modicum of peace and quiet. So, do not complain to them. Try earphones. Or… maybe offer to help rock the child?

13. A child misbehaves; and the parent or parents of that child do little to nothing about disciplining the child, who may be running wild around the airplane, shouting constantly, creating a mess with food or other items — or a combination thereof.

A tired, loud, or crying child is to be overlooked. Try earphones. A truly wild child should be addressed by the flight attendant. There is no excuse for running about (seat belts) or creating a mess (take the food or other items)

14. A child is continuously kicking the seat behind a fellow passenger aboard an airplane — or, perhaps, a child or an adult is using the touch screen monitor on the back of the seat by tapping on it too forcefully.

Don’t be petty – tapping alone can be ignored. As for actual kicking, ask nicely if they know they are kicking. They will likely stop.

Luggage, Baggage, and Other Belongings

WestJet Airlines — Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

15. The overhead storage bin has a few scant items which can easily be consolidated — such as a sweater and a small bag — but they are scattered to the point at which they are taking up so much space that no extra items can be stored in it.

Push them together? I almost always keep my possessions with me so this in unlikely to be an issue for me. But if it mattered, I would consolidate them.

16. A passenger stores his or her belongings in an overhead storage bin which is nowhere near his or her seat and fills it — leaving no room for the passengers who are assigned to the seats underneath it.

If I needed my overhead bin, I would ask the flight attendant to have his belongings moved. I almost always keep my possessions with me so this is unlikely to be an issue for me.

17. A passenger stretches his or her legs under the seat in front — or perhaps attempts to store his or her baggage — only to find that the belongings of the passenger who is seated in front is already occupying that space.

I am under the assumption that an airline requests I store my belongings in front of me, and I have no choice but to store my legs in front of me (although mine are often crossed in my lap). I would ask them to move their items from my storage area. If they failed to do so, I would request the help of the flight attendant.

18. Windfall! The middle seat is empty; and the boarding door has closed for departure. Who gets to use the space under the front of the empty middle seat for luggage?

Share it.

19. A short and small person needs help getting heavy luggage out of the overhead storage bin and expects someone to assist.

Yes. Of course. Why would someone not offer to help? Should someone not, it falls on the flight attendant to cheerfully assist. Should the flight attendant be unable or unwilling to help, he/she should be fired for an inability to complete basic job functions.

Comfort

air conditioning overhead vents flight attendant call button — Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.

20. When is taking off outer footwear — such as shoes or boots — appropriate aboard an airplane; and what should happen if the footwear was removed from the feet of a passenger at an inappropriate time?

Removing shoes with socks on the feet is fine, and healthier for your feet as they are apt to swell on a flight. Under no circumstances should bare feet be allowed! A flight attendant would need to address the naked feet. Oh, how horribly unsanitary!

21. The passenger who is seated directly in front either wraps his hands and arms behind the seat, or her hair is draped over the back of the seat — whether or not the view of the monitor of the in-flight entertainment system is blocked, if one is available.

The passenger purchases the front of his seat, not the back. Arms, legs, and hair should not drape over.

22. A cold passenger has the overhead air vent off; but the air blowing from the vent of an adjacent passenger only worsens the chill.

Bring a blanket. Or a jacket. I am chronically cold. I come prepared as it is not the adjacent passenger’s responsibility to keep me warm.

23. A passenger wants to sleep during an overnight flight, but the bright overhead light of the adjacent passenger remains illuminated.

Close your eyes, Bring a mask.

24. The passenger seated in the aisle seat is asleep — especially during an overnight flight — and the passenger in the window seat needs to use the lavatory.

Climb over them, doing your best not to disturb them. Whisper “excuse me” in case they should wake as you are passing.

25. The person who is seated in the adjacent seat aboard the airplane sports an offensive odor — perhaps body odor, alcohol from drinking excessively, or stale cigarette smoke.

Disgusting. And offensive. And none of my business. I would do my best to overlook it. Maybe a mint?

26. A passenger is so obese that his or her girth spills over into the adjacent seat, taking up to half the room of the seat of a fellow passenger.

A passenger purchases his own seat with no right to neighboring spaces. If someone is unable to contain himself in his own seat, he needs to purchase how ever many seats necessary to keep himself within the boundaries.

Boarding and Leaving the Airplane

Airbus A350-900 Delta Air Lines — Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

27. During the boarding process, someone hits a passenger seated in an aisle seat with a piece of his or her luggage as he or she is passing by to get to his or her seat.

I would look up and expect an apology. But probably just overlook it either way. The aisles are narrow, people and luggage rarely fit easily. I would try to lean away from the aisle during loading and deplaning… but assume people are doing the best they can.

28. After the airplane is safely parked at the gate after a flight, the captain indicates that passengers may safely leave their seats, gather their belongings, and exit the aircraft — but one passenger sprints from the rear of the airplane to as close to the exit door in an attempt to leave as soon as possible.

That is seemingly rude. But, I would assume he has a particular need to leave quickly and let him be. What does it hurt to show a little grace?

29. It is time for a specific row of passengers to leave the airplane, but the person who is sitting in the aisle seat refuses to get up, which blocks the people seated in the window seat and middle seat from egress to the aisle — and they want to leave.

If it is time to deplane and the aisle passenger refuses, climb over the aisle seat.

30. After leaving the airplane and exiting the jet bridge, one passenger is moving very slowly; so another passenger decides to walk past him or her. The passenger who is moving slowly expresses his or her disapproval, saying that passing another passenger is rude.

Why would it possibly be rude to pass a slower walker? Say “excuse me” as common decency but, for goodness sake, pass him and carry on.

Miscellaneous

American Airlines International Business Class between Bogota and Miami — Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

31. A passenger has a severe allergy to a certain type of food which is served aboard the airplane and either asks fellow passengers in the immediate area to please refrain from eating that item; places a request to employees of the airline to either create a safe zone in which fellow passengers may not consume that food; or perhaps the food is not served at all to any passenger for the entire duration of the flight.

Ridiculous. What an extreme sense of entitlement to expect others to tend to a fellow passenger’s preferences! There are a multitude of allergies – if this needs to be legitimized, allow absolutely no food or beverage consumption on a flight. If the passenger is so in need of a “safe zone”, he should stay in the safety of his own home and refrain from demanding others tend to his issues.

32. A pet is brought aboard the airplane; and the passenger to whom the pet belongs paid the fee for the pet to travel aboard the airplane. The pet is annoying — perhaps constantly moving around, barking, urinating, or encroaches upon the space of a fellow passenger.

Who needs pudding when you can earn a mint from coins?

Despite paying for the pet, I hardly think it is allowed to urinate or move from its purchased seat area, whether it encroaches upon the space of a fellow passenger or not. If it does those things, it should be handled as with any highly unruly passenger – whatever those penalties may be. As for barking, an occasional bark is to be expected but anything beyond that should be seen as a threat and handled accordingly.

33. Should passengers be allowed to engage in voice telephone calls aboard an airplane during a flight?

Why not? If it is not a safety issue to be on the phone, then how is it any different than someone choosing to speak on a flight? This way, other passengers only have to hear one side of the conversation.

34. One passenger has untouched food left over from a meal which he or she will not eat. The passenger in the adjacent seat also has untouched food left over from a meal which he or she will not eat — but at least one of the passengers is still hungry.

I am squeamish about food. They are welcome to mine but I am not going near theirs. I cannot even think of a way to broach that conversation.

35. People are using the front of the row as a passageway to get from one side of the airplane to the other — especially as the row has a bulkhead in front of it.

It seems unnecessary. If my feet were extended and it was a disruption, I would ask them to move.

36. A passenger decides to sneak from the economy class cabin to poach a seat in the premium class cabin.

Does is affect me? If not… not my business (although it is super tacky).

37. Two passengers are having a long — and loud — conversation with each other with boisterous laughter, which fellow passengers in the surrounding area can clearly hear.

Join in. Or ignore it. Just like in any situation. Cue those earbuds.

38. Music is emanating loudly from the earbuds or headphones of a passenger who is sitting in the adjacent seat.

If it can truly be heard over your own earbuds or headphones, ask them to turn it down a bit. Otherwise, it is your problem not theirs.

39. The person behind you keeps using the back of your seat by pulling on the top of it to get up.

Like grabbing the seat? I would assume they needed to do so and probably overlook it. If I thought they were truly being a jerk, I might turn around and ask if they need help in a pointed way. But, probably, just let it go.

Summary

This article was inspired from an impromptu conversation in which I engaged with a person who has had some experience of flying as a passenger aboard an airplane but is not considered a frequent flier by any stretch of the imagination.

Each of the scenarios was intentionally not specific, as different circumstances may result in different responses or different outcomes. Please feel free to take the position of whoever you like in each scenario — or you can give your point of view in multiple or all aspects of each scenario, if you like.

How would you respond to the aforementioned 39 scenarios which have been separated into several categories; and how do you think they should be resolved, in your opinion?

If any controversial scenarios or behaviors from fellow passengers are missing from this article, please let me know in the Comments section below — or please contact me.

Please post your responses in the Comments section below. Thank you in advance.

Links to Past Articles

I have written extensively over the years pertaining to numerous topics aboard airplanes over the years in the form of articles posted here at The Gate — including but not limited to:

a man lying in a chair — Although this photograph of me in a lie-flat seat on a flight from Paris to New York operated by OpenSkies back in June of 2008 was taken with my camera, I forgot who took the actual picture.

The seat recline debate aboard airplanes

Seat poachers and switching seats aboard airplanes

Vueling Airlines silhouette window — Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

The armrest and window shade debates aboard airplanes

Babies and children aboard airplanes

Overhead storage bins and the space under the seat aboard airplanes

American Airlines domestic first class — Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.

Delta Air Lines Comfort+ seat — Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

Comfort aboard airplanes

Peanuts close up — Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.

Food allergies

Delta Air Lines — Photograph ©2018 by Brian Cohen.

Miscellaneous topics aboard airplanes

KLM Atlanta to Amsterdam dog — Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.

Service dogs and emotional support animals:

One Comment

Doug says:

February 4, 2021 at 11:39 am

Brian – I’ve flown almost 2 million miles with airlines around the world and this is a dang good list. I’m pretty much in agreement with all your answers – ‘cept one. I am absolutely against phone calls during flight.
In the first place, 99.99% of these calls can wait. Just listen to the calls being made before the boarding door is closed. Every person will say at least once, “I’m on an airplane . . .” That is the sole purpose of these calls – to make the caller feel important enough to have to be in touch at all times.
Second, they yell. Every time. It’s partly to show off and partly because they think the noise on board requires it. It’s even noisier at 30,000 feet.
Third, it’s the 21st century. Who talks on the phone anymore. Text, for gosh sakes.
And with the advent of Zoom, there will surly be privacy issues when someone starts showing other people on the call.
No, no, no. Take a break for an hour.
The rest of your answers are pretty good. We’re all in this cramped aluminum tube for a few hours so let’s try to make it as stress-free as possible.

What Would You Do? 39 Airplane Scenarios

What Would You Do? 39 Airplane Scenarios

Seat Recline

Seat Issues — Other Than Recline

Armrests and Window Shades

Babies and Children

Luggage, Baggage, and Other Belongings

Comfort

Boarding and Leaving the Airplane

Miscellaneous

Summary

Links to Past Articles

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