Does the person in the middle seat on a plane have the right to use both armrests?

The latest big online debate: who gets to use the armrests on a plane?

There is an argument raging on Twitter over a tricky issue of aeroplane etiquette.

The debate revolves around whether or not the person in the middle of a row of three seats has the right to use both armrests – leaving those in the window and aisle seats with just one.

A poll from the Rich Eisen Show – a sports programme in the United States – seemed to suggest that a small majority of people do not believe the middle seat occupier has the right to use both armrests.

But responses to the tweet showed many people strongly believed that they should.

Some travellers felt it was a “rule of travel” and the “added benefit” of having to sit between two other people.

But not everyone was won over by the argument that the discomfort of being in the middle seat earns any extra privileges.

And to those suggesting they only get one armrest, one Twitter user raised a very pertinent question – which one?

What are your views? Do you think the person sitting in the middle has the automatic right to both armrests? Does it depend on who you are sitting next to? Have you ever had armrest rage on a flight?