Airlines + Airports Should You Chat Up Your Seatmate on a Flight? By Talia Avakian Talia Avakian Website Talia Avakian is a lifestyle reporter with nearly a decade of experience writing digital and print content for noted national and international travel publications. She began her career in travel reporting at BBC Travel, where she covered news and features of global destinations, later working as a travel reporter at Business Insider and as a digital news reporter for Travel + Leisure. During her time at Travel + Leisure, she has covered airlines, hotels, new product launches for travelers, natural phenomena travelers can witness, new experience launches, and more. Her work has also appeared in The Independent, Time, Food & Wine, Fortune, Essence, and Departures, among others. Talia is currently a freelance lifestyle reporter in Los Angeles, where she covers content ranging from outdoor getaways, hotels, and transportation to food and experiential offerings at destinations across the globe. She has gone behind the scenes with airlines to learn about flight attendant training, scaled remote mountainsides at far-flung hotels, gone inside the inner workers of Air Force jets, shared the history of Frank Sinatra's favorite New York restaurant hideaway, documented what life is like inside the world's largest residential airpark, and more. She loves discovering unknown perks travelers can access and adventures they can take part in no matter where they go, sharing inside looks at offerings from around the world to help every traveler get the best out of each journey. * 9+ years of experience working as a travel reporter * Stories published and syndicated across over 50 national and international publications * Appeared as a travel expert on Cheddar to discuss emerging travel trends * Received a master's degree in multimedia reporting from the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on February 15, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Getty Images Taking a flight typcially means sitting next to strangers, and it can be tough to know what the etiquette is for travelers when it comes to chatting with (or ignoring) your neighbor. British Airways asked 1,500 travelers from the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, and Italy about whether you should or should not chat with your seatmate on a flight. Overall, 83 percent of travelers agreed that saying hello and giving a smile to your neighbor is acceptable and appropriate when taking a flight. Among respondents in the U.S., what should be discussed was a big concern, and 42 percent said it’s unacceptable to share personal stories. Anyone confronted with an oversharer on their flight could politely thank the person then excuse themselves by putting on headphones, respondents said. Another way to get out of an awkward conservation mid-flight, according to travelers from the U.K., is to step out to use the lavatory. A majority of travelers from Europe were open to engaging with their seatmates: 80 percent of Italian respondents said small talk is appropriate during a flight, and half of the French respondents said that flights are a great place to make new friends. Related: What Really Happens When You Don't Turn Off Your Cell Phone on a Plane When it came to German travelers, 85 percent said they would just acknowledge their seatmate with a “hello” and leave it at that. As for what to do if your seatmate's conversation is making you uncomfortable, 53 percent said it’s appropriate to switch seats (but you should check with cabin crew before doing that). Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit