Feet on the Bulkhead in First Class?

by Gary Leff

I don’t like the bulkhead in domestic first class, and especially the bulkhead window, it tends to be pretty claustrophobic and will often prefer the bulkhead in coach, an economy plus style coach aisle, or an emergency exit row.

So I don’t know that I think it’s fair to beat up on the person who gets into the first class cabin last and is stuck in the bulkhead. They don’t get to keep their personal items at their feet for takeoff or landing, either.

And I suppose it’s a small miracle that I should be thankful for that the guy in front of me on Sunday’s transcon was at least wearing shoes when he had his feet up high against the bulkhead. I’ve been sitting up front when people in bare feet are doing that. Heck, I’ve even had the displeasure of watching people clip their toenails in first class. During. Dinner. Service.

Still, it bothers me, and I’m wondering if it’s just a pet peeve of mine and if others consider it reasonable. Plenty of people out there must think there’s nothing wrong with it, given the frequency with which people do it.

Tell me — and thereby validate if I’m normal or a bit meshuga — is it ok for a person sitting in the bulkhead row to stick their feet up high against the bulkhead? Is the bulkhead an appropriate (chest level) foot rest?

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. ive been guilty of it before. i’m 6’04” so its extra hard for me not to extend my legs. Sometimes United’s 757 1A and 1C has a feet cutout, but 1F side does not — very terrible. in that case, i think its okay with shoes/socks.

  4. No. It’s not okay. I’m 6’3″ so I don’t fit either. It’s the same as going to a friend’s small apartment or office in their house and putting your feet up on the wall of the room. Would you justify that to your friend because the floor space was scarce in a room in their house? I don’t think so. We all have an obligation as human beings to try to be considerate of others around us. That is what separates us from the animals.

  5. For the most part, people do stuff like this to get attention. To them, there’s no such thing as bad attention.

  6. With socks on, I guess it’s a little better than with bare feet or shoes on.

    A little bit of a tangent, but i’ve seen a whole group of people in the Changi nap area lie backwards on the lounge chairs with their feet elevated up on the part where someone sitting normally would rest their head.

  7. I’ve had two people do this recently. Both were in 1C on United flights, both with just socks. 757-200 DEN-LGA, A320 ORD-JFK. DEN-LGA was an evening flight and I can mostly understand as the gentleman was tall. However, 3B was unoccupied and he probably would have been more comfortable moving.

    I just had 1B on a 757-200 and even with the small cutout I was unhappy. I’m 5’11” and I was getting restless legs. I actually enjoy bulkhead economy plus seats on United’s A319/A320 (as long as the cutout is there). There’s room for my bag and there’s no one in front. I’ll trade an inch of seat width (vs. regular E+) for all of that glorious leg room.

  8. I don’t see the issue with using the bulkhead wall to help support one’s covered feet.

    It’s public transportation, not someone else’s home.

    Personally, I don’t like to draw attention to myself (unless I’m drunk), so I do it in a way so as not to be noticeable to anyone other than my seatmate. Placing my feet on the top of the magazine holder seems to work well for me.

  10. Definitely done it before. Not particularly sorry about it, although I try not to put them WAY up there so as not to draw unnecessary attention.

  12. Unless you are giving birth, don’t do it. It is extremely unpleasant to look at, shoes or not. So unclassy and disrespectful.

  13. “A rather peculiar American thing…”

    Indeed it is! Americans in general tend to put their feet wherever they want to, disregarding other people completely.

  15. Ha! This is hardly a “strictly American” issue. Ignorance at its finest. More to the point, I do put my feet up sans shoes but with socks and covered by a blanket on long flights. I also try to keep them lower than seat level or propped on a bag. I see no issue.

    Now the nail clipping. I could get violent with someone who does that next to me.

  16. I think the biggest issue is how high you place your feet on the bulkhead. As someone stated, if no one else but your seatmate can tell, not a huge deal. I know esp 1A on US I will prop up my left foot on the edge

  17. I don’t have a problem with it as long as the feet are covered. In fact on a recent flight MEX-JFK that departed at 130am my seat mate and I in row 1 both put our feet up on the bulkhead. It was the only way to get anything akin to a decent nap. And I hate attracting attention while traveling so I definitely only do this for the purpose of comfort.

    By definition sitting in the bulkhead in row 1 your feet are not in anyone’s face. No one who opposes feet on the bulkhead has said why other than personal preference. Are people opposed for hygienic reasons? Other? FWIW I’d completely against clipping toenails and bare feet for hygienic reasons.

  19. No and no. It’s not a footrest. It’s a wall. Do you put your feet on any other walls in public?

  21. I, personally, don’t care if others do it as long as they have socks on and their feet don’t stink. I prop mine on my bag or purse because I find that more comfortable. What I really hate is for people to climb over the passengers seated in the bulkhead to get to the opposite side of the aircraft! I recently had several passengers stumbling over my and my family’s legs as we were sleeping on an overnight 777 trans Atlantic! Walk around for goodness sakes!!!

  22. Unclassy? Define unclassy please.

    Disrespectful? To who? Anything and everything is disrespectful to someone. I find it disrespectful that people wear hats inside an airplane.

  23. I’m with you Gary. No and no. Let’s mind our manners people, your mama didn’t raise you in a barn!

  24. I’m short and it’s often more comfortable to put my feet up on the wall than have them dangling barely reaching the ground. I also tend to sit with my legs crossed or up on the seat somehow for this reason. I see no problem with it and don’t understand why people are so upset by it – perhaps if someone was being really conspicuous about it or banging their feet on the wall, or doing it without socks or shoes and their feet smelled. Otherwise it really shouldn’t bother anyone else. Don’t look.

  26. Guilty as charged.(MD80’s usually) However I have no feelings of guilt about it. I’m a runner and sometimes I need to make sure my feet stay elevated after a workout that morning. If I felt it made the person next to me uncomfortable or if I was asked not I wouldn’t otherwise I do. However I’m careful not to leave marks or tear the magazine holder.

  28. Meh, feet on the bulkhead, no biggie. Now start shelling peas on the flight in the aisle, you will set me off (Korean Air five years ago…)

  30. No, it’s the same as putting feet upon furniture or on someone’s home wall. I’ve noticed that some carriers have signs asking pax not to put their feet on the bulkhead walls and a few foreign carriers vigorously enforce this request.

  31. I actually think it’s an issue with Deep Vein Thrombosis to not be able to move your legs around. I know getting up is recommended but I think on long flights putting them up with socks on is acceptable.

    Many discussions on this topic but I never see the DVT issue raised.

  33. I don’t like it, but it’s not as much as the guy next to me who was scratching his balls for an entire two hour flight emitting a foul stench.

  35. I don’t know…..particularly in First, it seems a bit pedestrian. Even if the airlines have removed “posh” from the experience, those of us who travel, particularly up front, can be a bit more Continental.

  38. I agree with those who think it’s ok as long as one wheres socks and shoes.

    I recall once being on a transcon flight with the late queen of etiquette Letitia Baldridge where she put her bare feet up on the back of the seat in front of her. I was seated just across the isle and she immediately lost any and all respect for her etiquette judgment.

  39. No and no but if you must, with socks and not above chest level. This discussion brings back memories of NW flights in first where people tried to rest their bare feet on the arm console between the two seats in front of them.

  40. It’s just so gauche. While others might do it, too, it’s particularly prevalent here in America. VERY un-classy, and certainly not First Class in any way.

  41. the general public has lost all sense of decency. your feet belong on the floor or a foot rest, not a wall. and as for personal hygiene and grooming, that should be done in the privacy or your home.
    an as for the comments about this stuff being an american thing, believe me, it isn’t. i lived in europe for 27 years and today it is just as bad there as here.
    gary, you are not alone, just part of a dwindling minority that has been brought up properly.

  42. No it’s not acceptable. Any more than it would be if I went to their home and put my feet on their wall (in which case they’d probably prefer I did NOT have my shoes on).

    Whether it be airlines or most anything else, some people have no respect for property that they don’t own.

  43. Some of them are absolutely ridiculous. Having your feet up on the bulkhead is OK. You should not be barefoot, and shoes should be nice and clean. 😉

  44. Not o.k. Placing one’s feet against the bulkhead below knee level may be forgiven for those yet to enter college, in my opinion. A parents should correct them promptly, if present.

    Placing one’s feet (in shoes, socks or bare) against the bulkhead above the knee is just begging for someone to call you an ass. You know better. You’re disrespectful to the airline and those around you. And you know it.

    And why does this same person always seem to have headphones at full volume so everyone in three rows can listen to their crap music?

    And while we’re at it–keep your damn feet off the top of the chair in front of you at the movie theater! (I’m talking to you–16 year old at the flick last week)

    –RANT OVER–

  45. I have no problem with it, as long as people take their shoes off. Putting your shoes on the wall is not acceptable, but I have no issue with feet in socks. I think bare feet takes it too far.

    I’m not quite sure what the problem is with socks on the wall. I find it a comfortable way of sitting and actually often pre-request the front row for precisely this reason.

  48. No & No.

    [Miguel said,

    “A rather peculiar American thing…”

    Indeed it is! Americans in general tend to put their feet wherever they want to, disregarding other people completely.]

    That is not our only disrespectful trait!

  49. It isn’t feet on the bulkhead that particularly bothers me, its people going to the toilets with only socks or bare feet that absolutely grosses me out. That ain’t just water on the floor in there….

    Americans definitely have no problem putting their feet where others would not. I once put my foot up on a chair to tie my shoe in the Abuja, Nigeria airport and a security man came over yelling at me. Of course, seeing people urinate, et al. by the side of the road is not uncommon there…

  50. Nothing wrong with it as long as socks are kept on. What’s wrong is airlines selling “first class” seats with less legroom than coach.

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