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Flight Etiquette: The best tips for traveling high in the sky
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I’ve seen more than my share of squabbles onboard various and sundry aircraft.
There was the time I flew from New York to London when my seatmate continually squared off with the person sitting in front of him. He pushed and pulled the other man’s seatback to show he didn’t like the fact that this person wanted to ride while reclining.
Another time a couple of guys produced a prolonged shouting match over who was rightful owner of the space in the overhead bin above their seats. Neither person won because someone in another seat claimed the entire bin while they were yelling at each other.
And then there were the several incidences of arguments because someone was trying to sleep while someone else was talking in a loud voice to the person sitting in the next seat.
To be sure, none of these problems need occur if everyone simply adheres to the same set of sky etiquette rules. Some of these concepts come second nature to polite frequent passengers while some do not. Whatever the case, following are some ways in which to act when you are flying high for business:
+ If you are asked to board in groups, there's a reason. It is called efficiency. Cutting in line to get on the aircraft before your group is summoned will simply delay take-off. Indeed, this form of aircraft entry is designed so that there are not people blocking you as you try to get to your assigned seat and they try to get their carry-on luggage situated by standing in the aisles.
+ Do your best to stow your bags in the bins above your assigned seats. If you can't, secure a bin within reaching distance. This is helpful not only if you need something from up above during the flight, but also after the plane has landed and you are allowed to reclaim your carry-on and deplane. In both instances, you are apt to cause the least amount of commotion if you are easily able to grab your bag out of a bin.
+ Keep your laptop underneath the seat in front of you, for your protection as well as for the protection of the people sharing your overhead bin. Since items tend to tumble around a bit while stowed up above, expect some fallout some of the time when the bin is opened. That said, the last thing you or your fellow passenger needs is to be knocked on the head by a flying computer. The same goes for bottles of wine or pieces of heavy glass.
+ If you are toting any of the items mentioned above (computers, wine bottles, etc.), do not book a bulkhead seat (a seat that faces a wall) because those particular seats do not have any seat in front of them and therefore they have no under seat storage capabilities. By default, those passengers occupying bulkhead seats must stow everything in the overhead bins.
+ If you are physically able to help someone struggling to get their bag up above in the overhead bins, do so without hesitation. Likewise, if you need help with your load because you are not strong enough to get it up above by yourself, ask nicely if someone can help you, whether that be a flight attendant or a fellow passenger.
+ At the beginning of a flight is a good time to gab but when the lights are lowered after your meal, remember that some people like to take that opportunity to sleep or to watch a movie. If need be, keep your talking to a minimum and whisper if you must keep the conversation going.
+ If you are one of those people yearning to sleep in peace while up in the air, consider purchasing a pair of headphones that reduces noise. Bose offers this product and so does Pro-Tech, with their NoiseBuster (www.NoiseBuster.net). The latter is my choice since, at least for me, the quality is as good as the Bose alternative and yet the NoiseBuster is much less expensive.
+ Check this article (click here) for more ideas from Kelly S Kelly, great travel writer and Tampa Travel Examiner.
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