Of the 807 respondents of the GO Airport Express poll about travelers' seat-reclining habits, just 18 percent said they "always recline," while 15 percent said they do so frequently. Twenty-three percent and 14 percent said they rarely or never recline their seats, respectively noting that is "rude" to do so.
CHICAGO – While those who behave poorly on planes make headlines, in reality, most passengers are considerate of their fellow travelers, according to a recent survey.
GO Airport Express, a GO member and Chicago-based ground transportation company serving O’Hare International and Midway airports and The GO Group, LLC, an international ground transportation service provider polled recent travelers about their seat-reclining habits; following are the results.
Of the 807 respondents, just 18 percent said they “always recline,” while 15 percent said they do so frequently. Twenty-six percent said they sometimes recline and sometimes don’t, noting that it often depends on if someone is sitting behind them and/or if the person is larger and would be made uncomfortable. Twenty-three percent and 14 percent said they rarely or never recline their seats, respectively noting that is “rude” to do so.
How far are they reclining? Twenty one percent said they always recline all the way; 42 percent said they recline part way and 15 percent said sometimes they recline all the way, sometimes partially.
Almost half of the respondents said they always check to see if anyone is sitting in back of them before they recline and seven percent said they ask permission from the person behind them. Sixteen percent said they both check and ask; while 29 percent said they did neither.
“Contrary to news stories that portray air travelers as rude, our survey shows that, in most cases, passengers are concerned about the comfort level of others as much as or even more than their own,” says John McCarthy, president of GO Airport Express.
One of the oldest companies in Chicago, GO Airport Express traces its founding to 1853 and the Parmelee Transportation Company, which provided a carriage service between Chicago’s railroad stations and the downtown hotels. The GO Group, LLC is a one-stop source for door-to-door airport shuttle services. Its members transport some 13 million passengers to and from some 66 airports in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe annually.
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