What to Do When Someone Encroaches on Your Airplane Seat

There are several types of seat encroachment, some of which are more severe than others. You may find your personal space invaded by way of:

• Armrest Aggression- when their arm overtakes the entire armrest and sometimes may even dangle onto your lap.
• Legroom Invasion- the person's knee keeps bumping into your leg or they keep trying to claim the space in front of your seat.
• Reclining Creep- the person in front of you reclines back for the entire flight, even when you’re trying to eat.
• Head Drop- when the person drops their head onto your shoulder, getting cozy.
• Seatback Grabbers- the person behind you uses your seat as leverage to help them get up.
• Oversized bags spilling over- when the person’s items are so large that they take up your space.

A good rule of thumb to gauge if your space is being encroached upon is whether your tray table can’t come down, if your elbow is pinned to your side, or if your legs are pressed together and you’re leaning to one side; your space is being compromised.

The number one rule when you encounter this situation is to remain polite. You can do this both physically and verbally, maintaining decorum and avoiding rudeness yourself. The vast majority of people encroaching on your space will not even realize that they are doing so.

If you are comfortable enough verbalizing your discomfort, there is a way to do it without insulting the encroacher. Keep the language neutral and non-accusatory, like:

“Excuse me, would you mind moving your leg a bit? I’m a bit cramped.”

“I’m a bit cramped here, could we share the armrest?”

“Would it be possible to put your bag under your own seat?”

“Excuse me, I am unable to put my tray down, and I’d like to eat. Could you put your seat up?”

Remember to keep your tone light, but firm, and mention shared space expectations.

If you aren’t comfortable speaking up, you can make physical adjustments and hope they get the hint. You can reclaim your space gradually by shifting your arm or leg back into place, a centimeter at a time. If it’s their belongings or something on the floor encroaching on your space, try repositioning your items to shift theirs into their designated area. You don’t want to shove your leg against theirs to have them move aggressively; usually, a slight shift is enough for them to move. If they have fallen asleep with their head on your shoulder, a simple jostling of your arm usually is enough to awaken them, and they will move. If not, you may have to get up and hope the lack of your body acting as a pillow would be enough to wake them up and reposition them.

If the person seems hostile, the encroachment is persistent or extreme, or if you feel unsafe, talk discreetly to a flight attendant. Explain the situation to them, and they should be able to help you, either by moving your seat (if possible), or speaking to the encroacher themselves.

If it is more than a simple encroachment, and a clear assault/harrassment, tell a flight attendant. There are cases when some passengers take advantage of close spaces and violate others by touching them inappropriately.

Your ticket is for a specific seat and the space around it, so when someone occupies that space, you are entitled to express your concern. Choose your seat wisely—obviously, middle seats are the worst when it comes to encroachment, and back rows can be problematic as well.

You can use items like travel pillow or backpack to physically set boundaries around your space. Mentally prepare yourself for the fact that you will likely experience some encroachment during the flight—especially if you are in the middle seat. Arm yourself with some techniques to remain calm and approach the situation with decorum.