Airlines’ Armrest Rules: Who Should Use the Elbow Rest?

① Controversy Over Airplane Armrests

Traveling abroad is always exciting. However, if you have to fly for a long time, it’s natural to feel tired. You want to be in a more comfortable position on the plane, but sitting in economy class for a long time can be uncomfortable.

In particular, the middle seat in economy class is often referred to as the worst seat. It is a seat that cannot avoid the impact depending on the passengers on both sides. It feels even more uncomfortable when an already uncomfortable seat becomes even more uncomfortable.

Furthermore, if you are sitting in the middle seat, it is actually noticeable if you want to use the armrest on the plane. It can be difficult to decide which armrest to use. Sometimes, conflicts arise over the armrest when boarding a plane. There is also an ongoing debate in online communities about who should use the armrest.

Most people believe that the person sitting in the middle seat should use the armrest. Passengers sitting on the aisle seat can stretch their arms and legs relatively freely. Passengers sitting by the window can lean against the window.

However, passengers sitting in the middle seat have less personal space than passengers on either side. That’s why some people believe that they should use both armrests.

Another opinion is that the passenger sitting on the aisle should use the aisle armrest, the passenger by the window should use the armrest in front of the window, and the passenger in the middle seat should use both armrests. If there are two or four seats together, you should take turns using the armrest with the person next to you. If everyone shows consideration in the narrow cabin, it might make the difficult flight a little more enjoyable.

② Forced Deplaning Due to Armrest Disputes

There was a case where a passenger who fought over the armrest was forcibly deplaned. Two male passengers on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas got into a fight over the armrest. The verbal argument escalated into a physical fight.

Although flight attendants tried to stop the fight, it was in vain. The captain turned the plane back to San Francisco Airport, its departure point, just 15 minutes after takeoff. After returning to the airport, the police entered the cabin and arrested the two passengers, causing inconvenience to the other passengers.

Once the incident became known to other passengers on the same flight, online users continued to debate about the armrests. One online user said, “The rules are simple. The person sitting on the aisle can secure legroom, the person by the window can have the window. The person in the middle can use both armrests.”

Another netizen said, “This is why I dislike economy seats. Cheap seats with hardly any space for legs and arms, occupied by rude people.” Experts have expressed the opinion that it is legally difficult to determine ownership of the armrest. They emphasized that mutual consideration and courtesy are the only ways to prevent conflicts.

③ Seat Purchasing Services

As such, the battle for airplane armrests in a cramped cabin seems to bring stress. Airlines have introduced services such as ‘seat purchasing service’ and ’empty seat service’.

Jeju Air was the first domestic airline to introduce the seat purchasing service. In 2014, Jeju Air started offering the service on domestic flights. The fee for empty seat service only applies to regular seats, and it cannot be purchased for business light seats. Empty seat service may not be available depending on the reservation situation. When purchasing an empty seat, you can only purchase the seat next to you, and if you purchase an empty seat, you can only purchase two consecutive seats.

According to Jeju Air’s manager Yoon Ye-il, “Parents with children under 2 years old who are not assigned a seat and newlyweds often use the seat purchasing service.” In addition to Jeju Air, Eastar Jet, T’way Air, and other airlines also offer services to sell empty seats.

There is also a website called Option Town where you can reserve empty seats on airlines. It offers services such as purchasing the seat next to you and upgrading to a business seat for passengers who have purchased an economy seat. By adding an additional amount after booking the flight, you can have a more comfortable flight. It would be good to check in advance before booking your flight.

By. Kim Min-jae (minjaaie33@mememedia.co.kr)