To recline or not: American Airlines flyer's videotaped ordeal puts flight etiquette in focus

American Airlines have not taken any action, according to Wendi Williams

The internet is suddenly agog over flying etiquette and it has got to do with reclining one's seat or not. The hashtag recline is now trending, thanks to Wendi Williams, who threw a curveball talking about the torment she faced while on an American Airlines flight. She posted a video of a man punching her seat when she reclined her seat. She claims that the man punched her seat nine times, before resorting to light punches when she started videotaping his actions.

Several people have come to her support, saying what the woman was doing was right. It has also been alleged that there was no proper action from the airlines or the stewardess who cold-shouldered the woman.

American Airlines
Representational Image Twitter grab

Comfort space in flights

The woman was travelling from New Orleans to Charlotte, North Carolina, on an American Eagle flight. She gave vent to her frustration on Twitter and netizens have been talking about similar experiences since then. She also mentions that she had to go to the doctor after the event because she had "1 cervical disk left that isn't fused – the first 1 which allows me some mobility. It's scary bc it's this the kind of injury that could do it in" on her Twitter handle.

The man hasn't been identified yet.

The video has left the internet divided. To recline or not has become a topic of discussion. Some people commented about paying extra and getting another seat while addressing the man in question. The video shows the man sitting in the last seat and will be in discomfort if the front seat is reclined. Williams said that she had pulled the seat up when he requested her to do so while eating food, but after that, she had reclined because of her discomfort.

The middle seat armrests and reclining of the seats: what are we missing?

There have been bizarre occurrences with regard to travel etiquette. The US Department of Transportation has several do's and don'ts for fliers. But they do not touch upon the topics of reclining seats or personal space.

According to etiquette experts, the middle seat armrest goes to the person in the middle seat. In the cramped surroundings of an aircraft, what can be done to respect the person sitting around you?

Questions of etiquette are not limited to flights. Recently, a video showed a kid who would not stop swearing while on a train and people getting enough of it.

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