Unless you are ensconced in first class, sleeping on a plane is as intimate as dozing off in a waiting room on jury duty - everyone on the aircraft knows the decibel level of your snoring and the sad state of your socks.
To gauge how passengers perceive and handle nightmare flight scenarios, British Airways surveyed 1500 travellers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. The responses are eye-opening, but do not necessarily represent the gold standard of politesse. For the best practices at high altitudes, we reached out to Lizzie Post, a president at the Emily Post Institute in Burlington, Vermont, and co-host of the podcast Awesome Etiquette. Here are the insights from your fellow travellers - and the final word from the manners expert.
• When it comes to armrests, 67 per cent of respondents said that passengers should commandeer only one side and leave the other for their neighbour. More than 40 per cent of British and American passengers occupying the middle seat said they were most likely to monopolise both armrests. Travellers from Italy, France and Germany were more courteous: Nearly half said the valuable real estate should go to the first person who asks.
Lizzie says: "Don't try to stake a claim on the armrest. Share it." She recommends sharing the physical space (for instance, you take the front section and your seatmate claims the back portion) or take turns using it.
• Shoes off is okay (59 per cent); sockless is not okay (87 per cent). Not surprisingly, three-quarters of Italians, who come from the Land of Gucci Loafers and Salvatore Ferragamo Pumps, turn their noses up at passengers who remove their footwear.