Airline tickets are cheap. But pack a lunch if you want one, pack lightly, and good luck if you're tall. Or plump. Or claustrophobic.

The businessman whose dispute with a fellow airline passenger over a reclined seat sparked a national debate about air-travel etiquette says he's embarrassed by the way the confrontation unfolded.

When one passenger was denied that bit of personal space Sunday, it led to a heated argument and the unscheduled landing of their plane, just halfway to its destination.