Flying can be a mix of excitement and exhaustion, but it’s a whole lot smoother when everyone follows basic travel etiquette. Just like we have rules for dining or social gatherings, air travel comes with its own set of unspoken dos and don’ts. Yet, some passengers seem determined to make the journey unbearable for everyone around them!  

Today, we took a deep dive into the internet and rounded up some of the most essential airplane etiquette rules that all travelers should know. From passengers kicking seats to armrest wars and barefoot flyers (yes, they exist!), these common mistakes can make or break a flight experience. 

So, are you guilty of any of these air travel faux pas? Keep reading to find out! And while you’re at it, don’t miss our interview with a seasoned flight attendant who has spent over a decade in the skies—she spills the tea on the worst travel behaviors she’s encountered!

#1

Wash. Your. A**e. Seriously. I don’t care if, at your work from home job, you only shower once a week and that that is the day you change your underwear. That’s between you and your long-suffering cat. The night before a long flight eat a healthy meal and take a long bath. That morning take a shower like you’re trying to deny evidence to a forensic lab apply deoderant even if you hate the stuff and put on freshly laundered (comfortable) clothing. You’re about to spend most of a day in a metal tube breathing recycled farts, the least you can do is start the day smelling nice.

Image credits: Beaumains

#2

I was seated between 3 men for 7 hours! On my flight to Delhi from Manchester, I was in the middle seat in the middle row (which has 4 seats). Our row looked like : Man 1 – Man 2 – Me – Man 3

I won’t lie, I wasn’t too happy with this arrangement. After all, it was my fault – failing to check in online 🙁 How did my 7 hours go? Comfortable. Kudos to the man on my left, who crossed his arms for the longest time and apologised even if his foot or knee touched mine. I could see he did everything to make me comfortable.

The man right to me, gave me his arm rest occasionally but was really nice too, poor him for getting up so many times for my small bladder.

According to me, this is a must have “passenger-on-a-flight” etiquette. Making everybody around you feel comfortable.

Image credits: Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi

#3

There are a few of them that I wish more passengers would respect.

I have encountered several passengers whom I’d like to talk to in regard to etiquette and I would like to tell them the following:

Please occupy the seat you were assigned and don’t ask the person assigned on that seat to give it up for you. Passengers are willing to pay extra for a preferred seat while others went to the airport to check in early so they can ask for their preferred seat. Please respect their efforts and don’t make them feel awkward by having to say “no” to you.

2. Queue at the boarding gate according to your seat number. The ground staff announces “Flight ____ is now accepting passengers for rows 16–31.” If your seat number doesn’t fall in this group, don’t waste your time falling in line and then waste the ground staff’s time by asking you to wait for your turn. I can’t really blame ground staff when they became irritated at passengers who try to board their flights even though it’s not yet their turn.

3. Stow your carry on luggage in the overhead bin above your seat and not in the compartments above the front rows. I’ve seen a lot of passengers seated on rows 16–31 stow their carry on bags in overhead bins above seats on rows 1–4. Just because you got to board first doesn’t mean you get dibs on which compartment you can place your stuff. You don’t even realize you’re only delaying passengers from deplaning since the passengers in the front rows would have to go all the way back to retrieve their carry on bags because you took up space intended for them.

4. Please don’t stand until the seatbelt sign is switched off or until the purser/lead cabin crew announces it’s safe to stand up and get your bags. I’ve seen a lot of passengers do this. What part of “Please remain seated until the captain switches off the seatbelt sign” don’t you understand?

5. Don’t recline your seat the way you would your couch at home. Have some consideration for the person behind you by not taking up the entire limited space he or she already has.

6. Please be mindful of your movements and make sure you don’t kick the seat in front of you if you’re trying to move or stretch your legs. Like you, the passenger in front of you is also trying to get some rest. Similarly, don’t tap the monitor screen too hard in front you. It’s not going to load the movie or music any faster.

7. Please tone down your voice. The person you’re talking to is only right beside you.

8. Please observe proper hygiene. You’ll be sharing a limited space with fellow passengers so don’t make the flight an unpleasant one for others because they have no choice but to put up with your stink for the duration of the flight.

9. The toilets are shared, so please don’t take your time the way you would in your bathroom back home.

10. Remember, the passenger who sits in the middle has “rights” to the arm rests. Etiquette experts have agreed on this. Don’t give the passenger sitting in the middle the stink eye for not sharing the arm rests with you. Similarly, for passengers in the middle seat, please do not man spread. It’s not nice.

11. Lastly, don’t prop your feet up against the seat in front of you.

Image credits: Anne Carol Mercado

As passengers, we often come across stories about how terribly some people behave on flights. Whether it’s kids running wild, adults being inconsiderate, or someone deciding to treat the cabin like their personal living room, there’s never a shortage of travel horror stories.

But have you ever wondered what it’s like for the crew dealing with this chaos every single day? 

#4

Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

Image credits: Joan Lynch

#5

Stop trying to jam your %$ luggage into the overhead bins when it won’t fit. I’ve had countless morons try to do this, particularly with hard-sided carry-ons. There are plenty of us who travel with flexible or soft-sided bags. Soft-sided bags that may have things too delicate to trust to checked bags, like a bottle of alcohol, a glass souvenir or something else breakable. Secondly, if a person has placed their carry-on in the bin, they own the space above it. Don’t think you can jam and crush their bag to get yours on top. The space is occupied. Get lost. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to snap at some dope: “Show a little respect for the belongings of others!”

Image credits: Christopher McDonald

#6

People travelling with children should prepare prior to the flight. Carry something for them to suck on if their ears hurt, have something to keep them occupied during the flight and tell them, if they are older, they must respect their fellow passengers or they will lose privileges. Generally, children will respond to their parent’s expectations. If your children have autism or other special needs, get your pediatrician’s advice on what would make their trip optimal. Adults should remember the effects of alcohol multiply in flight so limit your drinks. Do not board drunk or stoned. For everyone, if your seat companion does not want to engage in conversation, respect their privacy.

Image credits: Barbara Bellemare

To get an insider’s perspective, we spoke with Krithika D’Souza, an experienced flight attendant who started her journey with Air India and now works for an international airline.

“We encounter unruly passengers all the time,” she shared. “It’s almost a given on every flight—there’s always someone causing trouble, whether it’s minor inconveniences or full-blown incidents.”  

#7

I wish they had practice flights as a requirement for folks to fly on planes that actually go somewhere.

Here are my top 5:

Put only a single bag in the overhead bins. Don’t feel that your coat and brief case are also entitled to go above. – Your personal item is supposed to go under the seat in front of you. Wheels must face out. While we’re at it, I wish airlines would enforce trying your bag in the little fit box and mandate that it has to be weighed and be no less than 20 lbs (but permit up to 25). This will ensure no one gets a rude surprise when helping with luggage.

No porn ever. If you’re flying, watch things that are rated only. Be considerate of folks around you. Guys get a bad enough reputation without perverts getting involved.

Know your alcohol limit and stay well below. Also while we’re at it, don’t take medication for the first time on a plane.

Don’t recline ever. Unless you’re flying internationally and it’s at night in your destination.

Respect my space. When you see me wipe down my seat neurotically, see that I’m establishing my boundary. I travel too much to ever get sick from a plane. When I put the blower on my face, it is mine – don’t change mine. I need positive air pressure over my nose and mouth. No, I won’t turn it down. When it comes to the window shade, I booked the window, you could have, but didn’t. It’s mine. I’m not closing it. I do have sunglasses on but it is my choice.

Image credits: Daniel Spardan

#8

Take the seat on your ticket. Period. People pay more for the privilege of choosing their seat, so if you are stuck with a middle seat, don’t expect to take an aisle or window that someone else has paid for – either by having a higher fare class, or paying a premium. If you want to sit next to your spouse, teenager, or co-worker, cough up for more money. I take great care to get my window seat, front third of the plane, away from the sun, and I am not giving it up for free.

Image credits: Michael W.

#9

Oh boy, now you’ve got me started. I really hope people read this and take it to heart, because those of you who commit the following five mistakes are seriously hated and loathed by all the rest of us.

Here are my top five pet peeves I’ve developed over the thousands of flights I’ve taken.

Order of disembarkation – When the plane arrives at the gate and the seatbelt sign is turned off, DO NOT come bolting up the aisle from three rows behind me and try to get off the plane a few seconds earlier (unless you’re about to miss a connecting flight). People, seriously, we live in a society. You disembark in the order in which you’re sitting, row by row. No one gets special treatment. I vividly remember a woman in Iceland rushing past 10 rows of passengers, only to slowly amble off the plane and mention to someone that she had arrived home. How selfish can you be?

Respect people who might miss a connecting flight – On the previous note, I recall being on a delayed fight with a very narrow window to catch my connecting flight. The delay had a number of passengers worried, so the flight attendant announced that all passengers who are NOT connecting should allow the rest of us to disembark first. Apparently, that wasn’t clear enough. The extremely overweight couple in front of us were talking to others about how they had arrived home. Since they weren’t connecting, I thought we could at least get past them in our panicked sprint to the next gate. Despite the announcements, and despite common sense, the obese couple stood up, slowly retrieved their luggage, waddled down the aisle, and filled the entire width of the jet bridge with the husband to the right and the wife to the left. They were in no hurry. Being nice people, we rarely display rudeness. But halfway up the jet bridge during this painfully slow walk, my wife finally called out, “If you’re not in a hurry, move over so we can catch our next flight.” The clueless couple finally moved over. PLEASE don’t be that couple! (Note: Overweight individuals are not inherently rude, and my description is more to paint the picture of how we could not physically get past them, not a judgmental assessment of their health. I used to be heavier, and I always remained cognizant that I might be blocking someone’s path.)

No sense of urgency – Continuing the sentiment of the previous two statements, show a little sense of urgency when boarding and disembarking! Don’t stand in the aisle taking your sweet time. There are efficient ways to enter and exit a plane.

Seat reclining – Being tall, I hate it when the person in front of me jams their seat back into my knees as soon as we hit cruising altitude. I get it, they just want to relax. But for crying out loud, don’t recline on a one-hour flight! What’s the point? And don’t let your kids recline ever. It doesn’t make children any more comfortable. Worst of all, these people are always the ones who ignore the flight attendants when they remind you to return your seat to an upright position. They’re so clueless that they have to be told in person. Medically, I probably need to recline because I’ve had three back surgeries. But I won’t inflict that on someone behind me, because the airlines have drastically diminished the distance between seats now. If you must recline, do it slowly, don’t go all the way back (depending on who’s sitting behind you), and don’t keep jiggling around in your seat into my knees. Sit still.

Loud conversation – Oh my goodness. There is always that duo who just met for the first time, and both of them are social people who just can’t get enough conversation. They’ll literally talk all the way through a 10-hour flight. It’s your right to make a new friend, just don’t do it so loudly! But most infuriating, don’t conduct loud conversation when the entire plane is trying to sleep! Do you really think it’s acceptable to laugh loudly and broadcast your life story at 2:00 a.m. on a red eye flight, showing no concern for anyone around you? Worst of all, I recently saw two flight attendants post up next to my seat and have loud conversation for 10 minutes while everyone in that section was trying to sleep! Flight attendants should know better.

RULE FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

When it’s nighttime and most of the passengers are attempting to sleep, PLEASE do not have loud conversations with your fellow flight attendants. We’re trying to sleep! Shouldn’t you be doing your job, rather than standing around for 30 minutes talking loudly while we try to sleep? Haven’t you been trained better than that? I don’t have time at my job to stand around and talk for even 5 minutes.

Image credits: Peter Wade

One of the most frustrating moments, according to Kritika, happens before the plane even takes off.

“Right from the moment they board, some passengers start throwing tantrums. While others are still finding their seats, they’ll start pressing the call button, demanding headphones, blankets, or drinks. We have to remind them that takeoff comes first—please, let everyone settle in before asking for extras! Some people just have no patience.”

#10

Some great answers on here already, but I will add my comments.

Personal Hygiene. Please practice personal grooming and wash yourself before getting crammed into a seat next to me. Also, it’s a very bad idea to pick your nose, shave or CLIP YOUR TOENAILS in your seat.

Control your children. Yes, I understand babies get fussy, and nobody, least of all a baby’s parents WANT to fly with them. I have a lot of patience for parents of infants on flights. I get it. As for toddlers and older children? Control them. Don’t let them into my space, or run up and down the aisles, or bang the back of my seat. Bring something to entertain/distract them, and don’t ignore them when they start acting up. Remember, your baby is your baby, not mine. I will not hold your child for any amount of time.

Seat backs recline. I get it, and you have every right to recline your seat. But during meal service (if there is one) please be considerate and put your seat upright so I can eat.

Stop looking at my computer/tablet/phone. I will pull up some nasty porn or pimple popping videos if you keep checking out what I’m doing, Grandma.

DON’T BRING ALL OF YOUR LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE. (also don’t insist that my bag, which I have placed properly in the overhead bin should come out and go beneath my feet so you can save $25 by not checking your 3 bags and take my bin space instead.)

Don’t put your damned feet between the seat gaps of the row in front of you. Also, LEAVE YOUR SHOES ON.

Be mindful of your long hair. Don’t flip it over the back of your seat. I will close it in the tray holder.

Don’t try to get me to move from my Aisle or Window seat into your middle seat so you can be next to your travel companion. Plan your travel better and get seats together. Or, offer me cash to move.

If I have a headset in/on, please don’t try to have a conversation with me. Likewise, if I am asleep, unless I’m leaning on you, don’t mess with me. (the exception is if you have to get past me to use the restroom. I understand that.

Have some damned care when loading and unloading the overhead bin. If your bag hits me or falls on me, I will be very unhappy.

Move like you have a purpose both boarding and disembarking. Once it’s time to sit down or get off is not the time to try and get all your shit together.

The person next to the window controls the shade. End of story. You may ask me to adjust it, but if it’s my window seat, it’s my shade. (flight crew instructions will be followed).

If you’ve got your own meal, awesome. I too occasionally bring food onto a flight. But be mindful or strong odors. Please don’t bring strong smelling foods like fish or kimchee on the plane to eat.

If you have a service animal, like a llama, goldfish, duck, dog, cat, parrot or whatever, keep it where it belongs. No, I don’t want to pet, hold or feed it. Unless it’s a baby Tiger. Then yes, I want to do all of that.

If you get airsick, please give me a heads-up. I’ll donate my airsickness bag to you and monitor you for signs of impending upchuck. I don’t want any of it on me, so I will be happy to help you. Just give me some warning well in advance of the 5 seconds of time it takes your lunch to go from your stomach onto the seat in front of you.

Sit down, strap in, be quiet and still. Nice flying with you!

*Every single event covered above has happened to me on multiple flights, including a man with horrid body odor who sat cross legged in his (and my) seat and proceeded to cut his toenails.

Image credits: Sean Griffin

#11

Having just returned at 1am this morning from a long Hartford to LA flight, I’ll say this: Standing in the aisle to talk to a friend and blocking the route to the bathroom.

Image credits: Thomas Barnidge

#12

my pet peeves in poor etiquette of passengers today:

Carry-on: if you decide to skip the 25$ luggage fee and drag all your belongings on board in a trolley that would not pass as carry-on in any other country than the US, don’t expect another passenger to lift it and place it in the overhead for you. If you are in boarding group 6 or above, accept the FREE offer from the airline to check it because chances are high you won’t find a space. Don’t walk on plane and place your carry-on in the first overhead space you see although your seat is in the back of the plane. Don’t push my bag in the overhead all the way to the back of the overhead after I carefully placed it in there, just because your bag is 4x bigger and mine is soft. Don’t expect me to take my bag out of the overhead and place it under the seat in front of me; I may have paid for the convenience of a smaller carry-on by checking my suitcase. Don’t force yourself against the flow after landing because your bag is 10 rows behind your seat. You brought the oversized carry-on board, don’t inconvenience us others.

Seat backs: yes, the seat back declines about an inch. This inch gives you very little additional comfort for your back but takes away a lot of comfort from my lap and legs. Often the tray doesn’t even come down anymore. The reclining feature is from a time many years ago when there was actually space between the seat rows. I don’t understand why the seats still recline even that inch, it just adds to the discomfort of flying Coach.

Food: its a 4 hour flight and they don’t feed us anymore. I understand and commiserate. Thats what sandwiches, cookies, chips etc are for. Don’t bring anything smelly, greasy smelling on the plane please. No onions, no burger, no bbq, no fries etc. please; eat that while its hot before boarding. On board it would be nice if the entire plane doesn’t have to smell your food. And wrap up your trash and hand it to the cabin crew, please, don’t just drop it on the floor.

Boarding: the group numbers are printed in big letters on the boarding pass. I can usually read them on other people’s boarding pass standin in line with me. The groups board sequentially. Group 6 does not board right after Group 1 but after Group 5. So why are you standing in front of the boarding area and we all with lower numbers have to work our way around you and your over-sized carry-on? You know the boarding staff will call you out if you try to board; so step aside and let those of us board with lower numbers, that we often paid for, in some way or form.

Image credits: Ann Eck

Then there’s the mad rush to the washroom before the flight has even left the ground.

“The second they sit down, some people get up to use the toilet or rummage through the overhead bin. The problem? The aircraft hasn’t even taken off yet! We have to repeatedly ask them to sit down for safety reasons, but some just don’t listen,” Kritika said. 

#13

Never recline the seat in one go making it bang right into the face of the person sitting behind you. The person behind you seldom has any idea of what you’re planning to do and might be startled if you do that. It was from a stand-up piece by Michael McIntyre that I learned the trick to do this discreetly. Apparently, it’s all about the pace. Move the seat backward half an inch at a time. A lot less grumbling is guaranteed. This is tried and tested. It really works.

Don’t stare into your co-passenger’s TV screen to check what he or she is watching. If your curiosity gets the better of you, at least do it discreetly for God’s sake.

Avoid unnecessary knee contact. Manspreading also isn’t cool especially if you’re in the Economy class, y’know.

Your seat is not your throne. Share hand rests. And please keep your feet to yourself!

If you plan to drink alcohol like a camel drinking water, make sure you book yourself an aisle seat. Asking your co-passengers to move every time you want to pee is totally uncool and extremely annoying.

If you’re traveling with your toddler, make sure you either keep them entertained or that they are exhausted enough to sleep through the journey. Kicking the front passenger’s seat for two whole hours is not exactly very comfortable for them. They’ve booked a flight… not a horse ride.

The lesser the chatter, the better the journey. There might be all sorts of people on a flight. And some of them might be extremely tired too. Have care and lower your volume.

The cabin crew is there to attend to the passengers. I wholly agree. But that does not mean you keep pressing the button to call them for every silly thing every five minutes. Most of them are over-worked and underpaid for the stuff they have to go through every day. Be nice.

Seatbelts don’t bite. Neither do seats. Then what’s the hurry in jumping up and standing in the aisle the moment the airplane wheels touch the tarmac? They’re not going to let you out before the plane stops and the rest of the paraphernalia are through. Duh!

The plane does not belong to you. But that does not mean that you leave it looking like a garbage dump- blankets crumpled on the floor, chips on the seat, broken headphones, pillows in the aisle. These are ways you get assessed, y’know. If you want to have people think of you like an ape in jeans, then so be it.

Image credits: Raakhee V. Menon

#14

1) Don’t raise the armrest just so your fat a*s can spill over onto my seat. 2) Practice “shut-the-f**k-up” behavior. Meaning that if your seat neighbor has given you short, curt answers to your obvious attempts to strike up a conversation, that means they don’t want to have a conversation with you. So, STFU!

Image credits: Jay Dee

#15

I agree with all the comments posted, particularly these: 1) Let passengers with tight connections exit first so they can make their flights, and 2) Sit in your assigned seat and don’t beg other people to change with you. If sitting together is that important to you, choose your seats beforehand like the rest of us do. I’d like…

And, of course, there are those who simply don’t care about others.

“Some passengers are so loud and disruptive that they ruin the experience for everyone around them. They talk at full volume, play music without headphones, or have phone conversations as if they’re in their own house. The worst part? There’s nothing much we can do except apologize to the other passengers and hope these people calm down.”  

#16

Everyone who flies on a commercial airliner should realize two things at the start: 1. It is a group experience, not merely yours alone. 2. Try to have the utmost consideration if you are in a situation where you believe you must fly with a cold, the flu or other easily spread illness. Realize, too, that we live in a selfish, “me first” culture and we are not commonly trained or aware of the need to act better in group situations.

What’s wrong with wearing a face mask for the duration if you have a cold or the flu? This would be showing consideration for all those around you. When you have a cold or the flu, try your best to keep it to yourself.

I was on a coast-to-coast flight and a man one seat ahead and across the aisle was coughing constantly. He did nothing to protect anyone else other than cough into his hand once in awhile. I waited. He still did nothing. I got up, went to the lav, picked up a bunch of tissues and brought them to him. He refused to take them. Then, he got a cough drop or something, took it and stopped coughing. Was that so difficult? Could he have not done that an hour earlier? (Ever since then, I’ve tried to remember to at least bring a very simple mask for myself on flights.)

On a more recent flight a woman was sitting one seat away from me in the exit row. She was sneezing and covering her mouth. After six or seven heechoos! she too took something and stopped coughing and sneezing. Excellent. I put on my own face mask for awhile but then took it off, thankful of the consideration shown by the woman.

The best decision of all is not to fly if you have a cold or the flu. This can be an expensive decision (paying the “change fee”) but it is not unknown for an airline or a hotel to refund your payment if you call them ahead of time and explain. Refunding is better all around because it is less likely 120 people would risk getting sick.

With all the carry-on luggage, the aisles have gotten rather competitive at the end of the flight. Some people are downright mean and pushy at this point but the goal, for me, is to not let it get to me. Take a smaller carry-on. Carefully consider what you really need to take with you, especially for shorter trips. If it is a longer trip, are you likely to have easy access to a washer and dyer? If so, plan to use it. Take less, struggle less, enjoy more.

Image credits: Doug Terry

#17

Stow you’re bag, clear the aisle ASAP. If you are in the middle seat then the armrests are yours. Window and aisle seats can spread the other way. Wear your seatbelt when seated, and always follow instructions from cabin crew. If the seatbelt light is on, stay seated and wait. Never kick, or allow your children to kick, the seat in front. Seats recline for a purpose and that is ok, but during meal service seat backs should be upright. Make sure you are wearing clean clothes and have attended to your personal hygiene. Leave the toilet as you would like to find it.

Image credits: Steve Korbey

#18

A number of things: 1: Learn how to move in a crowd. Remember, there are people behind you always. Even in the airport terminal. This means not standing still in high traffic areas like the top of escalators, the entrances to the restrooms, and the aisle of the plane during boarding 2: Don’t grab the head rest of every aisle passenger as you walk up the aisle. You are shaking everyone. People are sitting there. Maybe sleeping. 3: Don’t ask people to swap seats. It’s akin to panhandling. Your problem is not their problem, they owe you nothing, and people pay extra for seat selection. I will always refuse. Unless you are tra…

Image credits: Sarah Winston

The numbers back it up—disruptive passenger behavior is on the rise. According to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association, unruly passenger incidents increased significantly in 2023.

With over 24,500 reported incidents from more than 50 operators worldwide, the data shows that there was one unruly passenger for every 480 flights, compared to one in every 568 flights in 2022. It’s clear that flying has become more stressful—not just for passengers but for the crew as well.  

#19

Number one thing that bugs me is people going barefoot and putting their feet all over everything. It’s just gross. If you want to walk around barefoot on the plane, that’s bad enough, but that’s on you, just don’t put your feet on the armrest and seat backs and literature and whatever else your monkey feet want to touch.

Image credits: Phil Maness

#20

If you’re sick and just HAVE to fly (yeah, I know, of course you do … they always do …) WEAR A MASK 😷! They should have a separate section all the way in the rear of the economy cabin (where the seats don’t often recline fully) and if you show up for the flight or during boarding coughing, or are coughing during the flight, be required to sit there. There’s no human right to infect other people…

Image credits: Sam Hauge

#21

If you have no intention of controlling your children, don’t take them on a plane. Age is irrelevant, do your job as a parent and parent your kids. Don’t even get me started on the people who think an infant and an airplane are a good match.

If you can’t keep from going to the bathroom, don’t sit by the window. You know your body, plan ahead.

Don’t yell to your friend sitting right next to you the entire flight. We all are not interested in your tall tales or any personal situations you need to share.

I always sit in first class and I strongly feel that there should be no infants in first class. I haven’t had that situation pop up yet but it is a rule I feel should be in place. No one under 18 without an adult no one under 13, period.

Ask the person behind you before you feel the need to try and lay your seat back into their lap. Don’t even think about putting your seat back more than a couple of inches when it’s meal time and do it prior to meals being handed out. In similar fashion, keep you feet away from the back of my seat because I am that person who turn around and call you out.

Basically, don’t act like you charted the plane solely for yourself and every other passenger is freeloading from you. If you’re an angry drunk, don’t drink. If you’re fighting with your travel mate put it on hold until you disembark. No one else cares and we think you have no class. We aren’t impressed with how mad you can get.

The flight attendants are there for everyone. Not just you and your sneauphlake special requests. It’s now the 21st century. If this is the first time you’ve been on a plane, the rest of us don’t care.

Lastly, if the person next to you is engrossed in some reading material or otherwise occupying themselves….don’t talk to us. I don’t care why you are flying, where you are flying to or anything else about you. If I wanted to socialize I wouldn’t be reading.

Image credits: Riley Dixon

One of the biggest challenges? Dealing with drunk and disorderly passengers. “Some people think buying a flight ticket means they also bought us along with it. They drink too much, get aggressive, and start behaving inappropriately with the crew. We try to stay patient, but when things get out of hand, we have to call security upon landing,” Kritika shared.

Then there are the ‘souvenir collectors’—passengers who think they can take whatever they want from the flight. “Headphones, blankets, cutlery, even life jackets—some people try to sneak all sorts of things into their bags. We often catch them, but it’s surprising how many believe they can just walk away with these items,” she laughed.

#22

A2A – Thank you – Original question: What “passenger-on-a-flight” etiquette do you wish more people would respect? Thank you again for the question – I have a major pet peeve. Do not use the seat back of the person in front of you as a convenient way to get up, use the arm rests and push yourself up – it works. That seat back would be part of their seat, not your hand-hold. The person in front of you may be sleeping (or not), but at any rate, you have no right to rattle their head just because you want to get up.

Image credits: Barry Weir

#23

When boarding, manage your carryons so they’re not bumping into everyone on the aisle on your way to your seat. On deplaning, let those in rows ahead of you exit before you do. Don’t use the seat in front of you as a grab bar. Sit down and get up as if the seat in front of you wasn’t there. Don’t kick, push, pull or disturb the seat in front of you. Yes, that passenger deserves and paid for the space to recline his seat, as do you – that’s not “yours”, and he’s not intruding on “your space” when he does so.

Image credits: Terry Weaver

#24

I’m pretty tolerant on long flights, because I realize that the current fashion of stuffing people into tiny coach seats like sardines means that they’ll inevitably get on each other’s nerves at times. Not because they’re being callous, but because even shifting position can interfere with their seatmate’s comfort. But, if I had to choose the action that is most needlessly annoying, I’d say it’s when one passenger hogs the overhead bin, or holds up the line of passengers. When you get on the plane and find your seat, is it really necessary to stand in the aisle for an additional two minutes in order to get organized, or to hold a conversation with your traveling companions? I don’t tend to get upset at people who are hurrying to get off the plane when it lands. I just assume that they have a short connection to make, or that they’re a bit claustrophobic.

Image credits: Diana A.

And let’s not forget one of the most dreaded tasks—cleaning the lavatories. “The way some people use airplane toilets is absolutely horrifying. Sometimes, there’s pee everywhere except in the toilet. We’ve even had situations where people leave used tissues on the sink or floor. It’s shocking how inconsiderate some passengers can be,” she added.  

#25

I wish people would be more considerate about putting back their seats. Some people may have a cup of coffee or are working on their computer behind you. People with weak bladders probably need not to request the window seat as they often have to wake up the person next to them to get to the toilet, Please don’t take off your socks and go bare footed. It is a cattle call on these modern day airliners, and a little courtesy really helps reduce the anxiety for most folks.

Image credits: Jasen Beste

#26

I wished that more people with smelly feet would keep their shoes on. I wish that XXXXXL people would not try to fit into an economy class seat. I wish that people would not speak so loudly on planes, especially intercontinental ones as many people may wish to sleep.

Image credits: Joseph Maseland

#27

I would like for men to keep both arms through their backpacks (back pack on their backs) and for women to carry their purses low and in front of them or behind them. Because even though people think they have their bags behind them their bags punch seated passengers in the face and head. The aisle on most aircraft act are only wide enough to walk down without anything on the side of the person.

At the end of the day, flight attendants are just trying to do their jobs and make the experience pleasant for everyone. “We’re not just there to serve drinks—we’re responsible for your safety and comfort. A little consideration from passengers would go a long way in making flights better for everyone,” Kritika said.  

Flying should be a smooth experience for all, but sometimes, a few bad apples make it a nightmare. Have you ever had to deal with an unruly passenger on a flight? Share your experience with us!

#28

I am 6′2″ and my legs are slightly longer in proportion to my body than average.

I remember when airlines had legroom, I used to recline my seat without thinking about it.

Then as airfares dropped, they took away legroom. I still automatically reclined my seat, and then one flight, I felt it smash into the tall guy behind me. Crushing his knees. I apologized, and brought my seat up to almost upright position.

At first I thought it was a fake, that he was doing something to block me, until the girl in front of me, smashed her seat into my knees.

She just kept bringing it upright, and dropping it back, as if my knees would suddenly disappear.

I couldn’t believe how much they had reduced legroom. Then the Canadian government passed a law about minimum legroom. It wasn’t enough to stop them from hitting my knees, if they fully reclined, but they could now recline further, before they hit my knees.

Then they keep trying to push it back further, as if I am purposely hurting my knees, by pushing them into their seat, and that I can somehow magically make my knees shorter.

I notice that tall people never recline their seat.

After that fiasco, I have always checked to see who is behind me, the shorter the person, the more likely I am to recline my seat.

Some people seem to think that if you recline your seat, that your knees will move back. They don’t, the seat cushion doesn’t move, and you are sitting on the seat cushion, not the back.

I wish people would follow common sense, and not recline their seat in economy, without checking with the person behind them.

It’s no less rude than bumping against people in a bus, tailgating while driving, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk or hallway to talk.

Some people say that they bought the right to recline their seat, they didn’t. You can’t assault someone. It’s like saying I bought a car that can go 160 mph, so I am entitled to go 160 kmph. You aren’t. You still have to obey the law.

Image credits: Bob Wilson

#29

Here are a few things that would make air travel marginally less ghastly:

Don’t douse yourself in scent and then give me the stink-eye when it makes me sneeze and snuffle. Last flight I was on was full, and I had to stand in the galley for four hours because the guy in the seat next to mine had apparently bathed in Axe before he boarded.

Don’t leave your seat when the seatbelt sign is on, ever. If you must leave your seat during minor bumpiness that doesn’t warrant the seatbelt sign, don’t use the backs of the aisle seats to steady yourself. There is a handrail under the overhead compartment. (If you are too short to reach the rail and must leave your seat, then sure, I’d rather you grab my seat back than fall in my lap.) Why airlines do not mark or otherwise draw passengers’ attention to the overhead rail mystifies me no end.

If you bring snacks in crinkly wrap, it would be considerate to bring a plastic tub to dump the lot in in one go, preferably before you board. Or you can ask the FA for a container, or just put down a napkin on your table – just don’t crinkle every five seconds. And no, crinkling slowly doesn’t make it less annoying.

When opening a carbonated beverage, please do so slowly, under your table, napkin at the ready. Don’t point it at me.

Despite being a long-legged person who would much prefer that the seat in front of me remain in the upright position, I do not begrudge others’ the right to use the recline function. However, it would be considerate if you asked first, and on a long flight if you asked from time to time if I’d like a bit of relief. And for heaven’s sake, return your seat to the upright position whenever you get up.

Parents, please come prepared! Of course, all the preparation in the world might not prevent your baby from crying or your toddler from acting up. This is not the time to demonstrate to the world that you don’t reward “bad behaviour” by yelling at or threatening it.

Please hold your carry on luggage in front of you as you proceed down the aisle. That goes for backpacks, too. If you can’t carry all of your stuff in front of you, then you have too much of it.

Don’t sit in the exit row if you are unable to assist in the event of an evacuation. One of the best things about having cataract surgery is that I can now sit in the exit row; before, although otherwise able-bodied, I’d have been useless without my specs. Also, even if you are intimately familiar with the aircraft and emergency procedures, shut up and at least pretend to pay attention during the safety presentation.

The fact that I am slender and don’t take up every inch of my seat even in economy doesn’t entitle you to the rest of it.

Image credits: Mary Ramsay

#30

Living where I do most flights are full of corporate types and public servants travelling for work.

There are restrictions on on-bpard luggage sizes for a reason. The anoiunt of people who take on, and are allowed to take on, things twice the restrictions and more – often with another piece near the limit itself – is bloody annoying. And they are the first to complain when suddenly the overhead lockers are full and a third of the plane hasn’t boarded yet, slowing everything down. [Mind you, the airlines shoud be enforcing the rules. One of the problems with self-check-in is that no staff member is there to look for it.]

Reclining seats. I really wish that, at least in economy, such a thing did not exist. I’m not all that tall and our airlines here in Australia are mostly larger seat pitch than some others, even on short-haul flights. Yet I find I’m trying to contort myself into odd positions to avoid having the seat in front not pressure my knees. On long haul flights, its 90% guaranted the person in front will recline as soon as they finish their meal – regardless of how much later those a row behind get served. If you have to recline, at least check to make sure the person behind won’t be limping in pain for the next two days as a result. Arseholes.

If you’re in a window seat, try not to be among the last to board the plane. It just means climbing over everyone. Likewise, aisle seat, you can board later. Boarding by row is pretty close to the stupidest system airlines could use, yet they use it when its not a free-for-all (and, in Australia, nobody follows the row instructions anyway so it almost always becomes a free-for-all). Oh, and long haul, if you’re a frequent toilet visitor, try for an aisle seat. If yoiu get window, try and time toilet breaks for when others in the row are out of their seats. I’m lucky in that I sometimes don’t have to get use the facilities on a 13 hour flight; and if I do its only the once. Window works well for me without clambering over people half a dozen times.

You’re not a bar (no matter how drunk you might be). Inside voices please. Screaming kids I can handle, they don’t really know any better. Drunk pensioners and business people should know better. Nine hour flights with a tour group who clearly hit the airport bar for a few hours before the flight are not fun. Thankfully I’m yet to encounter it on a longer flight.

Respect the staff. Its not a fun job, or that well paid for the most part. Most people seem fine, but a few have deserved to be off-boarded, during flight if necessary (usually for Canberra flights what seems to be senior position jobs; on other flights normally those who the alcohol has affected) The verbal abuse of staff who request the simplest thing according to safety stnadrds or airline policy (or actually told people their hand luggage is going to have to go in the hold) simply is not on.

Image credits: Tim Fountain

#31

When getting off the plane, if your overhead bag is “stuck”, please don’t hold up everybody else trying to get off because you jammed your bag into the overhead bin when it was too large to begin with suggestion: check you bag (and pay for it) just like the rest of us did.

Image credits: Mark Edwards

#32

It begins and ends with baggage. People need to respect everyone’s need for overhead space. What really annoys me is when a crew member is flying and puts 2 or more bags in overhead! WHAT?! They should be setting the example, not taking space their own PAYING customers could and should be using. Other than that, hygiene and language. Be clean and don’t use profanity or offensive language.

#33

Don’t invade other people’s personal space physically, or with sounds, odors or demands.

#34

Sit in your own damn seat. As a gate agent, nothing was more aggravating than trying to close up an aircraft for departure, only to be stymied by people scrambling around because someone felt entitled to another’s seat. I don’t care why you want to move. Sit your a*s down, in your assigned seat, and deal with it once you’re in the air and the seatbelt sign is off. After that, please shut up and pay attention to the safety briefing. There’s an extremely slim chance it could save your life Even now that I’m retired, those are the two things that I just can’t abide.

#35

Carry ons. I wish people would carry them in front of their bodies while walking down the aisle. Bags slung over shoulders or hanging on an arm often slap the people who are already seated in the aisle seats. If someone has to hold one carryon in front, I wish the second carryon would be a small backpack. And the passengers would not turn around in the aisle, backpack attached, while making their way to their seats. Please.

#36

Take their damn luggage with them to the overhead bin OVER THEIR SEAT. Not dump it in the overhead bin in the front of the plane then walk to the back. I had one lady who asked for help putting her bag in the overhead bin over the front row in economy. I asked her if she was sitting in my row. She said she wasn’t but that the bin over her seat was full. I turned around and looked. I said that there was plenty of room back there. Clearly disappointed that I wasn’t going to help a liar, she grabbed her bag and went back to her row.

#37

Wear real shoes. Not flip flops. If there is an accident and you need to crawl out of the wreckage through cables, wires and jagged metal, if you make it you’ll be cut to shreds. Not so much etiquette as common sense, which isn’t common anymore.

Image credits: Val Trent

#38

The big “No No” for me has to be pushing the backrest of the seat back when I am a tall individual. I am already sitting with both my knees in full contact with the backrest in full contact. Then the passenger in front of me without checking just wallops the seat full blast without a care…. I then mention that they are unable to do it due to my knees. Most are respectful but there are those passengers who feel entitled when it comes to their “rights”… I came across such a passenger during my most recent Emirates flight from Belgium to Dubai….. the flight attendant had to become involved to resolve our “differences of opinion”…..

#39

People pulling against your seat as they exit or enter their seat from the aisle. You basically get pulled back about 6 inches then spring back into position spilling the food or drink that was just about to be consumed. Use the hard seat dividers not the seat in front to get into your seat.

#40

Two key items, the first is keeping control of your children. Nothing is more irritating that screaming children running up and down the aisles. Second, before putting your seat back into it’s rear position, please check to see of the person behind you is not eating or has a laptop open and is working giving them a warning.

#41

The girl on my last long haul thank God was two seats away with the middle seat open but she was let on in her crotch high jeans and sat for hours picking at her bare legs at some invisible ( to me) bugs or something on her naked legs and finally worked her way down to between her bare toes. If not for the foot or so between us I would have made a scene or demanded a another flight. So wear some clothes and save the nit picking for your hotel room would be my suggestion.

#42

Pre-boarding. Everyone floating around the gate. Everybody and the mother pre-boarding – everyone from the disabled, parents with an 8 year old child (seriously, it is not just babies anymore), servicemen (including all of them who repair US Air Force trucks in North Dakota, not fighting in Iraq) and those who ‘need additional time’, i.e., the frauds that take their dogs or chickens on board as ‘comfort’ animals. Half the bloody plane has boarded before I get on, which is usually in first or business. Now, is that an etiquette issue? No, but the absurd system in the US essentially encourages everyone to crowd the gate. That sucks and better etiquette would allow the herd of pre-boarders to get their business done quicker.

#43

When boarding a flight, put your hand luggage up then sit down or stand so you are NOT blocking the aisle. Its so frustrating to see persons fiddling with their hand luggage whist there are 50 people behind them trying to get to their seats. *once everyone is seated you can stand and THEN get that MP3 player, magazine, book, sandwich, IPad, water bottle* You will have time don’t worry

#44

Parents should not allow their children kicking on the seat in front of them. When telling them to stop they don’t understand the problemis. Perhaps I should switch seats with them behind the parents and what their children do to get them understand. But then I am adult 🙂

#45

Several things come to mind immediately and I’ll try to list them. Watch your language; please be respectful of everyone around you there’s a time and place for everything and that applies to language as well. The F word – in fact, all four letter words – do not belong in public. Don’t be a jerk! When you see somebody struggling with a bag whether it’s a flight attendant or a fellow passenger, give them a hand don’t be a jerk! don’t shove your stuff on top of somebody else’s belongings in an overhead compartment. But if you do don’t blame somebody else for your stuff hitting the floor when the overhead compartment is opened. If you who blamed me for your stuff falling are reading this, you were a jerk. Don’t…