Business suit check, heels check, the notebook check, frequent flyers platinum card check, you are dressed to the hilt, but have you brushed up on your air travel etiquette lately? Airports and aircrafts are not anymore only about swanky spaces. Travelling by air at one point was the most thrilling and glamorous way of travelling, but constantly shrinking spaces and growing number of frequent flyers has made it difficult for air transport to keep the glam quotient going. Things have changed, but it’s important to stick to your guns and travel gracefully. You need not act all polished or refined to board a flight, in fact it’s quite simple. We have come up with this concise guide wherein you will find an answer to all travel courtesy related queries, right from approaching a boarding counter to leaving an airport. Rest assured you will have a pleasant flight experience.

1. Stand on your right on escalators

Although escalators are not meant for walking and climbing, lest they cause an accident, the rule goes that the ones standing on an escalator should do so on their right, leaving room for others to pass by.

2. Use airport toilets before boarding

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing, when you are met with glaring stares when you opened the lavatory door on the flight, since you chose not to attend to nature’s call at the airport and instead kept the plane from taking off. Do take into account that planes cannot take off unless all the passengers are strapped to their seats.

3. Have your docs ready when boarding

Instead of rummaging through the bag in the face of the boarding personnel, try and keep the documents sorted and ready well in advance. This would be appreciated by everyone around and would also expedite the process.

4. Why queue up for boarding?

Yes, what’s the hurry? Board in your own zone, wait for a while, there’s still a lot of time before the final call. Usually, flights have an efficient and easy boarding process; all you have to do is follow the instructions.

5. Carry your bag in front and low while walking down the aisle to board and disembark

This is how you can avoid accidentally bumping into somebody and landing up in an embarrassing situation. We are sure you would follow this to avoid the faux pas.

6. Use only the space above your seat for cabin luggage

Quite obvious a rule, when not followed by one, might end up in an erratic situation for many. Do try and use only the space above your seat to stow your cabin luggage. Avoid overcrowding overhead luggage space. Also try and use the space under the front seat. Excess baggage can also be handed over to the cabin crew, which can be collected from them later.

7. Be patient on night flights

Everyone totally understands your pain. It isn’t that easy to travel by flights that start late in the evening and would fly passengers through the night. But even that would not justify the haste to recline your seat and wind down as soon as you board. Better wait for the plane to take off and you will get the signs of compliance.

8. Who gets the armrest?

Image Source: Flickr @David_Lytle

The armrest wars have been big since, well, armrests were invented. Pushing and nudging co-passengers for that little comfort would be a bad idea. The passenger sitting in the middle seat might have both the armrests to himself but do take into consideration that this poor chap is going through a lot already - he/she doesn’t have the view of the window seat or the breathing space of the aisle. Wouldn’t it be fair to let him/her enjoy this extra comfort? Either ways, it would be best to adjust and to work it out amongst you.

9. Don’t get too drunk on flight

Image Source: Flickr @6andy6

Free drinks might lure you into a having a good time, but don’t go overboard. Not many would appreciate a frenzied co-passenger. Plus you also risk being abandoned or may have to face litigations if you act rowdy.

10. Mind your seat

This one is important, and you yourselves would admit that unless you have never been crushed against a seat reclining at a bad timing. For the sake of sanity, do keep in mind the back seat passenger’s comfort before you decide to recline your seat. This can lead to some serious accidents. Necessarily, keep the seat upright while the plane takes off and lands, also while the food is being served and till everyone’s finished eating. Also beware of seat grabbers who love to grab the seat in front while they get up, you might upset the passenger in front and end up in a nasty situation.

11. Don’t dominate the aisle

Image Source: dailymail.co.uk

We need to respect the sentiment that the aisle is that common space that everyone owns and enjoys equally. Leave your seat and take that walk down the aisle only when necessary. Do not queue up in front of the lavatory, watch from the distance to see if someone is already waiting for the lavatory to vacate, hold the urge for a little while and stick to your seat. Even queuing up in the aisle won’t do you any good, rather it will only restrict the movement of the crew.

12. Cleaner flight, happier you

Leaving used chewing gums, wrappers and leftover sandwiches in the magazine holder, is such a bad idea. Endless efforts of the crew to keep the place clean and peppy would only go waste, if we are so uncooperative. Hand over the leftovers to the staff when asked.

13. What’s the hurry, while you disembark the plane?

Even if planes had more exits, the rush to get off one would still be the same. As if, the plane would take off again with the ones left behind, in a few minutes. The whole drill only makes the situation panicky for the faint hearted ones. Even one passenger darting to collect their luggage, as soon as the flight lands, results in a chain reaction thus making the simple exercise, ever so stifling for everyone.

14. Do not crowd around baggage carousel

Crowding and jumping at the sight of the first luggage will not help anyone; neither is it going to expedite the process. Watch from distance and only forge ahead when you have spotted your luggage. Don’t panic, things won’t zoom past; you will have ample time to collect your stuff.

So much goes into a pleasant flying experience that it might become too overwhelming at times, but there exists a golden rule which would never fail you. The golden rule goes - be polite, seek assistance and the people around would be more than happy to help, thus making the airspace a better way to travel. Wish you Godspeed!

Deepti Ahuja Balani

People professionally know me as a copy editor, correspondent and a writer, but writing is something I do even when I am not professionally engaged. I like to visit new places, explore, experience different cultures and share my perspective through words. Writing for food, travel and books is something that comes naturally, and is close to my heart.

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