Lufthansa's influencer-only "Travel Etiquette Collection" tackles the unwritten rules of flying, from who gets the middle armrests to reclining seats.

German airline Lufthansa has turned some of air travel's most familiar etiquette disputes into a seven-piece clothing and accessories collection.

Created with agency Serviceplan, the Travel Etiquette Collection uses slogans about passenger behaviour to start conversations about how people share space on board an aircraft.

The limited-edition range includes hoodies, T-shirts, caps and accessories featuring messages such as “Middle seat gets the armrests”, “Recline responsibly”, “Boarding by group hits different”, “Live, love, exit by row” and “It’s OK to clap when the plane lands”.

Another slogan, “Text your mom after landing”, takes aim at a different type of travel etiquette: letting family know you have arrived safely.

Alongside the collection, Lufthansa has published a guide exploring the etiquette behind some of the slogans, with input from etiquette expert Clemens Hoyos.

When it comes to the question of armrests, Lufthansa sides with the passenger in the middle seat. Its reasoning is that the window passenger has the side of the aircraft to lean against, while the aisle passenger has greater freedom to move. The middle passenger should therefore have access to both shared armrests.

Seat reclining is approached with more negotiation. The “Recline responsibly” slogan encourages travellers to consider the person sitting behind them before moving their seat backwards. Lufthansa suggests communicating with the passenger rather than reclining without warning.

The campaign also addresses the behaviour passengers encounter before an aircraft has even left the ground. “Boarding by group hits different” refers to the practice of waiting for the allocated boarding group to be called instead of gathering at the gate as soon as boarding starts.

At the other end of the journey, “Live, love, exit by row” tackles the familiar scramble for the aisle after landing. Lufthansa's guidance encourages travellers to wait for passengers in the rows ahead to leave rather than immediately standing up and trying to move through the cabin.

The Travel Etiquette Collection is not intended to establish a formal rulebook for flying. Instead, Lufthansa says it is using humour to encourage discussion about consideration, respect and the realities of sharing a confined space with other travellers.

The concept also turns everyday passenger behaviour into a social media campaign, taking moments normally confined to the aircraft cabin and translating them into clothing designed to be photographed and shared.

Unfortunately, the Travel Etiquette Collection is not currently available to buy. The limited-edition pieces are being distributed through Lufthansa's social media channels and selected influencers. The wider campaign is appearing across TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, alongside out-of-home advertising at airports.