- John J. Nance/ABC News: "A Refresher on Etiquette at 35,000 Feet"
- James Wysong/MSNBC: "Airplane Etiquette 101"
They're both worthwhile reading for first-time flyers unsure of the "rules" (though I'm astonished that Wysong rates what others wear on planes as an annoyance worth mentioning in an article otherwise defining truly annoying plane behavior, like the dreaded seat-kicking). A few highlights from those articles, and some wisdom garnered from my own experience:
- Elbows and Armrests: just whose armrest is it, anyway? Well, if you're in the middle, more power to you if you want to seize sovereignty of armrest territory: the window and aisle already have one each of their very own; thus, the middle seat gets both the interior armrests. Feel free to enlighten an armrest-ganking seatmate regarding this rule. Better yet, don't get stuck in the middle -- choose a window or aisle seat when you buy your ticket.
- Bins, Bags and Overhead Hogging: I always think it odd when the overhead bin above my empty seat row is already full when I arrive, but Wysong solves that mystery by pointing out that some travelers keep an eye on their bag by storing it one row ahead of their bodies. (I kinda don't get that; I would notice if someone jacked my bag directly over my own head.) The problem therein, though, comes when that happens and the bins one row ahead of my seat are also full, and common courtesy would certainly indicate that I can't exactly force the line of boarding passengers behind me to back up while I find a bin up the aisle -- so, I subsequently have to range far down the plane seeking space (then squeeze my way back up to my seat). If that happens to you, then you'll need to practice zen and the art of calmly waiting for everyone to get off when the plane lands, rather than shouldering your way down the packed aisle to retrieve your bag.
- The Standing-in-the-Aisle Rummager: Try not to be the one creating the above situation -- put your bag in the bin over your own head, and then sit down. It can be frustrating for everyone except (apparently) the person doing it to watch someone stand in the aisle and rummage endlessly in a bag inside a bin whilst everyone else waits, bags on shoulders. I saw a guy lose it at a Standing-in-the-Aisle Rummager once: the Rummager (who may have had anger management issues, and may have enjoyed holding up 67 people) didn't react well to tersely delivered advice that he get outta the way, and a flight attendant had to break it up. A good situation in which to avoid having any part.
- Lesson: before you board, stash what you want for the flight -- book, energy bar -- inside the small carry on you'll keep at your feet under the seat in front of you. Stow your bigger bag in the overhead bin, sit down, and rummage to your heart's content.
- Seat Reclining: the advice seems to be to do whatever you politely can or suffer in silence if you're on the receiving end; if this is your first time in the air, know that reclining your seat more than two inches is going to make the person behind you fairly sad for several hours. If they're polite passengers, they won't be reclining their own seats and thus, thanks to incredible shrinking airline seats, your head will practically be under their noses. It's also an invitation to get your seat banged from behind as the squished passenger tries to get into his/her under-seat carry on despite the seatback in his/her face.
Oh, and Rapid Reclining? You can break the open lid of the laptop on the seatback tray behind you by whomping your seat backwards. If it's my laptop, I may get irked. If you must recline, do it slowly enough (after turning around and mentioning that you're about to do it) that the passenger behind you can move spillable, breakable stuff out of harm's way.
- About the Window Shade: Wysong advocates that the window seat occupant should either leave the window shade open or closed (one or the other) so that those nearby can adjust accordingly just once. My own thoughts on the whole window shade thing: if you wind up with a window seat and don't want to look out the window, want the shade closed, and don't need the wall-leaning that the window seat affords for sleep, then ask your seatmate if he/she does want the window, and trade. (And speaking of sleeping on planes, seriously consider a travel neck pillow for long flights: lame as they might look, you'll learn to love 'em -- on an international flight, the extra few hours of sleep mine gains me onboard can be put to excellent advantage on the ground.)
- Cell Phones: -- Nance says, "When the plane is taxiing in and you've fired up your cell phone, keep your voice low. We can hear you. All of us." It's a modern day mystery -- why some people on planes holler into cell phones like they're at a hog-calling contest. If you overhear the conversations (which you will, along with everyone else) you'll find that the urgent calls that can't wait to be shouted are all along the lines of, "We just landed."
- Lesson: talk softly if you have to use your cell phone on the plane, or wait until you're in the terminal unless you urgently need to call the hospital regarding the kidney you've got in your carry-on cooler.
Bottom Line: just be nice, and the flight's usually a breeze for all involved. Especially compared to airport security. You wanna talk about annoying...nah, we won't go there this time.
More: Plane Etiquette Part Two
Further reading: Air Travel for Beginners | Travel Neck Pillows | What Can You Carry On a Plane?
