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In the travel world, few topics incite more contention and indignation than seatback etiquette—as we learned a while back when we published Six Shocking Stories of Travelers Gone Wild, which stirred up a wild debate among our readers.

In the piece, an editor from Family Vacation Critic (our sister site) and I both shared stories about other passengers reacting churlishly when we inched our seats backward. "When flying out of Portugal," I wrote, "I reclined my seat and fell asleep. I woke up when

"Fuck you I'm French." (Photo used for illustrative purposes only, I have no idea who this guy is. )

“Fuck you, I’m French.” Really,  this was the response to an air marshal aboard a Delta flight from Nice to New York by a passenger when confronted by flight attendants for repeatedly smoking in the restroom. I guess all the no smoking lamps and little signs aboard the plane were not as strong as his nicotine urge. I can almost understand this. Nice to NY is about 8 hours in the air. If you factor

From NMT Images

Arianna Huffington Refuses To Turn Off Cell Phone In Flight

If anyone can buck the rules, Arianna Huffington can. And does.

The out-spoken founder of the Huffington Post reportedly refused to turn off her mobile device during a weekend Dulles to LaGuardia flight, and, according to an irate passenger, she chatted and texted the entire time.

The Washington Post reported that the angry passenger confronted Huffington and both were pulled aside and questioned when the plane landed, but n

From NMT Images

How Not To Travel Like An "Ugly American"

It's part of travel's enduring mythology: The American tourist, unable to manage even a few sentences in any language other than English, and oblivious to the culture and traditions of other countries.



The unflattering image of the "Ugly American" is a bit unfair, perhaps, but the "USA Number 1!" attitude persists among many American travelers.

So Dean Foster, self-styled master of global etiquette and cross-cultural trainer to the world,