Plane Travel Etiquette

Yes, believe it or not etiquette is involved in plane travel!

Recently I read that along with common courtesy when flying, plane travel does have some simple rules of etiquette one should follow.
Here's a little run down on what I've discovered and really just involves a little common courtesy and consideration for others.
I've tried to list these plane travel courtesies beginning with what I feel is most important. Of course everyone is different in this respect but again, these are just some travel tips that could make plane travel more enjoyable for everyone.

For me the most important point to cover in plane travel etiquette is Courtesy.
Being polite and courteous with others can go a long way! It's especially important to show respect and appreciation for your flight crew. These people work hard and put up with a great deal of disrespect during plane travel and showing some common courtesy will be greatly appreciated and get you a lot more attention and pampering than those people that are not. We all want to travel safely and having someone onboard that is rude, obnoxious and demanding can certainly cause a great deal of tension for all. So be polite!

Second on my list involves personal hygiene. Plane travel involves being trapped in small confined spaces, sitting just inches apart from others for hours on end.
Please make your best effort to smell clean and as odour free as possible. I can't think of anything worse than sitting next to someone with horrific body odour! This has happened to me more times than I can remember and it's revolting! Make your best effort to shower and clean before plane travel and everyone will be better off for it. As well, if your feet stink, keep your shoes on please! The air onboard recirculates, so there's no escape from bad odours.

Next on my list of plane travel etiquette is be respectful of your neighbours. If you're sitting beside strangers, be polite and say hello, but if they don't want to carry on a conversation with you... don't!
It's pretty easy to tell if someone wants to be left alone. For example, they don't continue a conversation with you or they start reading a book. They have music headphones in their ears or may be using their laptop computer. All pretty clear signs of "I want to be left alone thank you!" Leave your neighbour alone unless they give a sign saying otherwise! Be respectful of your neighbours.
As well, be mindful of your personal space! The little space you have is yours and the same goes for the person seated next to you. Don't invade their personal space! Keep your elbows, legs and other protruding body parts away from the person next to you! It's important to be quiet onboard and not be loud and obnoxious. This falls under the category of being polite and courteous, my number one plane travel etiquette suggestion.

For those of you with small children, try to keep them under control. There's nothing more irritating then a screaming child whose parents let them carry on without being mindful of others.
I'm sure we've all wanted to do this with a screaming child that refused to listen to their parents or because the parents simply ignored the child's misbehaviour. Be prepared and pack snacks, games, books and so forth, to keep your children busy and entertained during plane travel. We found over the years with our children that children's Gravol or similar anti-nausea non-prescription product does wonders. It relaxes your children, helps them sleep and keeps them from getting too excited.

Finally, for my list of plane travel etiquette suggestions, we get down to seating.
First, be mindful of grabbing the seat in front of you! Yes, chances are someone is occupying that seat and may be sleeping, eating or holding a drink in their hand. This, along with kicking the seat is a definite no no! Also, share the armrests and with your seat partners, in other words, don't be an armrest hog!
Just a few tips to pass on to help make air travel more enjoyable for everyone!
Happy travels!

Robert Tellier - Sharing special tips, travel information,destinations and much more making family travel stress-free and enjoyable.
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