These are the 6 most annoying air traveler habits according to Americans, from wearing pajamas to reclining your seats

From seat-reclining disputes to disagreements over when it’s OK to switch seats, many Americans say airline etiquette has gotten worse over the past five years, according to a new survey from the travel website The Points Guy (TPG).

Among the respondents’ biggest pet peeves were people listening to audio without headphones, reclining their seats too far back, and taking off their shoes in the cabin.

TPG commissioned the survey through YouGov, a global public-opinion and data company.

It polled more than 2,500 US adults and found that 42% say flying etiquette is worsening, with 52% blaming other passengers rather than the airlines themselves.

The culture shift has sparked debate among passengers and flight attendants in recent years.

Current and former flight attendants have previously told Business Insider that disregarding seat belt signs and attending to your personal hygiene are big no-nos, while a parent flying with their baby in economy class doesn’t bother them.

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has also weighed in.

In November, he cautioned passengers against wearing pajamas and slippers to the airport, and advised them to control their frustration during travel: “I would encourage people to dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better,” he said in a press conference.

Some airlines are also pointing out etiquette expectations.

German airline Lufthansa unveiled a giveaway-only apparel collection on Wednesday that playfully nods to the rule that the ‘Middle seat gets the armrests,’ as displayed on its sweatshirts.

Other slogans include ‘Live, love, exit by row,’ and ‘Recline responsibly.” In a June post to Threads, Southwest Airlines said passengers “won’t get off the plane faster by standing up .001 seconds after the seatbelt sign turns off.” Just 12% of survey respondents, about 300 people, said they don’t get annoyed by passenger behavior.

Here are the etiquette behaviors that are top of mind for most Americans.

Loud conversations and listening to music or videos without headphones were respondents’ biggest annoyances, with 27% choosing them as the most frustrating inflight behaviors. “You are one of hundreds in an enclosed metal tube, and no one else wants to hear what you’re watching or listening to,” flight attendant Micayla Keeley previously told Business Insider.

Forty percent said airlines should ban phone or video calls during flights — something that could become more relevant as high-speed WiFi from Starlink becomes more widely available.

Another 33% said such a ban isn’t necessary.

Fifty-one percent of respondents said it’s acceptable in-flight etiquette to recline your economy seat only if you check behind you first.

21% of passengers said it’s acceptable at any time after takeoff.

Meanwhile, 10% of respondents said seats should never recline.

There have been viral moments of laptops and drinks on a tray table getting smashed because the person in front reclined.

Some believe subtly introducing that they are reclining by slowly doing so is enough communication between both parties. “You paid for your plane seat, so you should get to recline,” frequent flyer Sophie-Claire Hoeller told Business Insider. “And this is a big caveat — you should recline respectfully.” Who gets the middle seat armrests was among the most divisive questions in the survey.

While 31% of respondents said everyone should share the armrests equally, 11% said the passenger in the middle seat should get both armrests.

Twenty-six percent of respondents were unsure what the etiquette should be.

Passengers largely agreed that there is no need to agree with their row mates on whether to close the window shade, with 51% of those surveyed said the window-seat passenger should control it.

Twenty-eight of the respondents, however, said everyone in the row should work it out together.

Forty-four percent of passengers believe asking to swap seats is not rude, while 34% believe it is.

Twenty-two percent of those surveyed, however, were unsure of the proper etiquette.

In a viral 2023 TikTok with over 2.4 million views, one user detailed her experience helping another flyer turn down a seat-swap request.

Many commenters said seat-swap requests are fine when the person offers an equivalent seat, like a window for another window, rather than asking someone to give up a window seat for a middle seat.

Thirty-eight percent said the most appropriate attire when flying is whatever is comfortable, while 34% said that casual athletic or loungewear, such as leggings, sweatpants, and T-shirts, is acceptable.

Together, 72% chose one of those two comfort-focused options.

Just 1% of respondents said pajamas are appropriate, and another 1% said they’re OK with revealing clothing.

Most US airlines already have rules against clothing that is considered too revealing or contains offensive or vulgar language.

Eight percent of those polled said the most annoying behavior on planes is someone going barefoot.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said leaving row-to-row from front to back is the most proper way to exit an airplane.

Ten percent said it’s OK to move ahead when there is an opening, while 9% of respondents believed it’s appropriate to cut ahead if the passenger is trying to make a tight connection. “The most polite way to deboard a plane is to let the people in the front go first,” etiquette coach Mariah Grumet told Business Insider in July, saying the exception is if a passenger has a close connection, and that those individuals should ask airline staff for assistance.