These States Have the Most Polite Airline Passengers
Updated: Jun. 27, 2024
Who's most likely to give you the armrest on a flight? Who won't recline their seat without asking first? We're breaking down the states with the most polite—and rudest—airline passengers.
I’ve flown countless times, but one fateful trip will forever stand—or should I say “strand”?—in my memory: I had just settled into my seat for a cross-country trip when a young woman with long blond hair sat down in front of me. After takeoff, she reclined her chair … and threw her hair over the back of the seat. It dangled over my screen, nearly to my tray table and the sandwich I’d just set there to eat. Despite all my efforts to gently tuck it back into her seat (and one attempt to talk to her about it), her hair stayed in my face for the entire trip. How rude!
If you’ve ever traveled by plane, chances are, you have a similar story. Rude airplane passengers are way too common, and the trend in travel may be getting worse—78% of Americans feel airline etiquette has declined sharply, according to a survey conducted by Solitaire Bliss. Though perhaps we should be pointing the finger at ourselves first: The majority of survey respondents copped to committing at least one rude behavior on a plane.
To get to the bottom of the issue, I pored over the survey from Solitaire Bliss, then talked to an etiquette expert who offered tips for staying polite when flying the friendly skies. Keep reading to find out which flight faux pas Americans are most guilty of—and which states have the most and least polite passengers.
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How did the survey determine travel etiquette?
The 2024 survey asked Americans to share what “naughty” behaviors they’ve done in an airport or on an airplane, as well as what they’ve seen other people do. More than 2,000 people, representing every state in the nation, responded and spilled their guts. (That said, the researchers couldn’t use the data from Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont or Wyoming because they didn’t get enough responses from people who live in those states.)
Here’s how the survey went down: Participants read through a list of bad travel behaviors and marked whether they had committed the etiquette offense themselves and/or if they’d seen someone else do it. Solitaire Bliss then tallied the numbers to create a Naughty Travel Habits score, which ranged from zero to 100. Each state received a rank according to its score.
While no state scored zero (perfectly polite), there was one state that scored nearly 100 on the naughty scale. Even the nicest state had plenty of room for improvement. Read on to find out which states’ citizens are the most polite while traveling and which need to go back to etiquette school.
Which state has the most polite airline passengers?
The nicest state when it comes to air travel is Arkansas, with a Naughty Travel Habits score of 54.58. People from this state were the least likely to say they used a bag to save a seat in a terminal, recline their seat without asking or “forget” to put their phone on airplane mode. They were also less likely to pass gas during the flight and leave their garbage in the seat.
And perhaps there is some truth to the stereotype of “Midwest nice” and “Southern manners,” as the 10 states with the nicest airline passengers include only two states outside those regions:
- Arkansas
- Alabama
- Florida
- Ohio
- Kansas
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
- Pennsylvania
- North Carolina
- Maine
Which state has the rudest airline passengers?
Admit it: This is what you really want to know! The No. 1 naughtiest state when it comes to air-travel etiquette is Iowa, with a Naughty Travel Habits score of 94.29. (So maybe the “Midwest manners” stereotype isn’t true.)
Not only are Iowans the most likely to save seats and recline instead of keeping their seats upright, but they’re also the ones most likely to stick their feet in the aisle, drink too much, talk too loudly on their phones, ask to switch seats and go barefoot.
The top states with the rudest airline passengers include:
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Virginia
- Texas
- Georgia
- California
- Washington
- Nebraska
- Utah
- Colorado
What other facts about airline etiquette did the survey discover?
Beyond the “naughty” and “nice” lists, the survey uncovered some other interesting travel tidbits:
- Nearly 33% of travelers copped to passing gas on a plane.
- Almost 13% of travelers have witnessed a physical confrontation in an airport or on a plane. (Yikes!)
- Respondents were most likely to associate budget airline Spirit Airlines with bad travel behaviors.
- Gen Zers are the generation most likely to commit “naughty” travel behaviors.
What are the top etiquette rules to remember when traveling?
Most etiquette rules can be boiled down to one thing, according to Jan Goss, the founder of Show Up Well Consulting and the author of Protocol Power. “Treat everyone with respect, kindness and empathy,” she says. “Double that for airline travel when you’re all cramped into such a tight space.”
Beyond that, the list of worst behaviors from the survey provides a great etiquette to-do list when you consider the opposite actions:
- Sit in your assigned seat.
- Ask before reclining your seat.
- Pick up your trash.
- Go to the bathroom to pass gas or take care of any hygiene needs.
- Put your phone on airplane mode, and use headphones if listening to something.
- Follow the directions of flight attendants and the seatbelt sign.
- Don’t have more than a drink or two.
- Keep your shoes on.
- Keep your cool, and don’t fight with other passengers or airline staff.
Goss would like to add one more: Teach your children good airplane etiquette. Practice by “playing airplane” before going on your trip.
The bottom line? The next time you’re on an airplane, “worry less about whether or not people are doing the ‘right’ thing and more about doing the kind thing,” Goss says, adding that other people behaving badly isn’t an excuse for rudeness. “An act of kindness is never wasted, but it’s even more powerful when those around you may be behaving badly.”
No doubt about it, travel can be stressful! Having good etiquette can make it easier for everyone.
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Sources:
- Solitaire Bliss: “America’s Naughtiest Travel Habits”
- Jan Goss, etiquette expert, CEO and founder of Show Up Well Consulting and author of Protocol Power and Bedroom Etiquette; phone interview, June 2024
Originally Published: June 27, 2024
