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

As if being crammed in an airplane 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 travelers ignore the inconsiderate gesture, the behavior 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.

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

“We want to be able to maximize our comfort without inconveniencing anyone else. This is quite a challenge in the shrinking seats found nowadays on airplanes,” 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 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.

A considerate approach that experts encourage is for travelers to spark a conversation with their seat neighbors 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.