A New Yorker has sparked debate after sharing his unpleasant flight experience with a fellow passenger who not only removed his shoes and put his sock-covered feet on a seat, but also appeared to be ill during the journey.

The 49-year-old man, who asked to remain anonymous, was flying from New Orleans (MSY) to Atlanta (ATL) when he encountered what he described as a “highly disrespectful traveler.”

In a post on Reddit’s r/delta forum, he shared a photo of the man’s foot resting on the seat and wrote: “Travel is no longer fun.”

“I did not engage with him as to avoid a confrontation,” he told My. “It’s not about the invasion of the seat next to him, but actually about a dirty foot [and] sock on a seat, plus him being maskless and sneezing constantly, without regard for others’ health.”

The frequent flyer said he only posts online when something “extraordinary” happens during his business trips, calling this incident a prime example of the erosion of basic respect and common sense in air travel.

Airline etiquette

A 2024 survey by YouGov asked Americans about 30 potentially contentious behaviors by airline passengers, revealing what was ranked as most to least acceptable by travelers.

Most respondents said that letting children play in the airplane aisle is the most unacceptable behavior, while eating strong smelling food and watching a movie or show without headphones were also rated mostly unacceptable.

When it came to removing shoes, 55 percent said it was unacceptable, while only 30 percent said it was acceptable.

Internet Reacts

The post quickly drew attention on Reddit where people were divided on the passenger’s behavior.

“And the sock is filthy, too. These slobs are out of control,” said one Redditor. While another focused on the health risk: “I don’t care about the feet, I’m disgusted that they fly with an upper respiratory infection. That’s s****y behavior. I’d pay three times the fare if it guaranteed no other passenger was sick,” they wrote.

While others downplayed the incident. One commenter said: “Other than judging his nasty socks, I kinda don’t see the big deal. He has his feet on an empty seat… where your ass goes.”

The Reddit user noted that reactions to his post were “as expected—a heated debate with whites and blacks and no grays in between.”

“Many people believe that air travel is no longer a premium experience—we face entitled, disrespectful people with a lack of common sense,” the poster said. “To some, especially newer generations, this is common. For those of us older, we still want to believe some basic respect, boundaries, and common sense should be there.”