Airplane Etiquette Rules for a Happy Flight

[Vinnygret]

Well, you're wrong. The poor middle seater gets both armrests. Civilized people understand and respect this.

 

[ckelly78z]

I prefer a window seat, and will avoid an isle seat if I can. I don't like smelling everyone that walks down the isle, and usually getting brushed as they walk by.

 

[Big_Hitter]

If they have their seat reclined, I hip-check on purpose and with a little bit extra. The spaces are too tight anymore to put seats back. I really wish the airlines would make all seats fixed upright.

I think most coach seats are very limited nowadays

 

[Montecfo]

The support ponies, pigs and llamas are worse.

Seriously, this thread has either generated or revealed significant hostility toward flying. I may need a support animal for my next few flights. I am not as worried about being "brushed" by someone in the aisle, or having to smell them, or having to share an armrest, or having someone dare to recline their seat the full 3/4 inch it will recline, as getting my shoulder separated or kneecap dislocated by a "runaway" cart being pushed carelessly by a militant flight attendant, being forcibly removed from a seat I paid for, being "livestreamed" from the lavatory to the cockpit (puns unintentional), or getting stuck on the tarmac for 6 hours while the plane awaits its departure slot, having my flight delayed due to missing crew, or being lied to about expected departure time, among other irritants.

 

[Maidensong]

How to get both arm rests if you're in the middle seat

Now when we fly, we try to go first class, but when we were younger and the DH worked for an airline, we often flew non-rev, which meant we were likely split up and scattered around the plane. If I found myself crowded in the middle, I would heave a couple of heavy sighs and wordlessly take the air sickness bag out of the pocket in front of me.

Instantly both armrests were mine and I had all the room I needed.

 

[Chuckanut]

I am embarrassed by some of the responses.

I consider it a warning to not buy a used car from them.

The real villains in this discussion are the airlines who have gone overboard in their attempts to cram people into seats (and restrooms also!!).
I also blame the government for allowing so many mergers that have reduced competition in the industry to a shadow of what it was before.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Now when we fly, we try to go first class, but when we were younger and the DH worked for an airline, we often flew non-rev, which meant we were likely split up and scattered around the plane. If I found myself crowded in the middle, I would heave a couple of heavy sighs and wordlessly take the air sickness bag out of the pocket in front of me.

Instantly both armrests were mine and I had all the room I needed.

wow great idea - I'm flying to Denver tomorrow on SW; in addition to making myself as large as possible so no one sits takes the middle seat, I'll pull out the barf bag as everyone is boarding

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

seems like a lot of selfish people are flying these days. this is a major reason why we don't fly.

It's not just flying...it's everywhere. I think the main driver is squeezing more and more people into smaller and smaller spaces. I liken it to big neighborhoods vs. country living. When you have 5,000 houses on 1/10th acre lots, there are plenty of issues with neighbors but out in "the country" when there are 3 people per 10 acres, there are very few disputes. Traffic is another example...higher density, more problems.

Airplane travel just sucks if you have sit in the back. Coming back from our last trip, my DW got a nice egg on top of her skull when some idiot dropped their bigass bag on her head when they were trying to crush it into the overhead bin.

 

[Gumby]

This whole etiquette thing can be boiled down to one rule: Don't be a d!ck.

That's also the central tenet of the rules here.

Regarding air travel - when a large number of people are crammed into a small space for hours at a time, you should go out of your way to be nice and get along with them.

This is a lesson I learned on a submarine, where 120 people were crammed, for several months, into a 33 ft diameter, 380 foot long cylinder (a little over twice the diameter and length of a Boeing 757), along with a nuclear reactor, steam propulsion and power generation plant, 16 giant nuclear tipped ballistic missiles, a bunch of torpedoes, sonar, radio, etc., and all the auxiliary electronic and mechanical systems to support those things. There simply is no such thing as privacy or personal space when you are in that situation. Everyone needs to have an easy disposition and a polite demeanor in order to make it work.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

This is a lesson I learned on a submarine, where 120 people were crammed, for several months, into a 33 ft diameter, 380 foot long cylinder (a little over twice the diameter and length of a Boeing 757), along with a nuclear reactor, steam propulsion and power generation plant, 16 giant nuclear tipped ballistic missiles, a bunch of torpedoes, sonar, radio, etc., and all the auxiliary electronic and mechanical systems to support those things. There simply is no such thing as privacy or personal space when you are in that situation. Everyone needs to have an easy disposition and a polite demeanor in order to make it work.

The guys/gals that do submarine duty...I give kudos to enduring that madness. The longest flight I had as an Air Force flier was just shy of 22 hours. It involved 2 aerial refuelings and more than a couple of decent naps in a fairly roomy airplane (the C-5) with a nice crew rest area and bunk room. But, when I finally got off that plane, it was like heaven. I can't fathom being on a sub for months at a time!

 

[ncbill]

Today, the average male weighs 200 pounds. When I first started flying, the average male weighed about 170 pounds, and the planes were more spacious. Sounds great until you remember that smoking was allowed on airplanes, and the average guy smoked.
It's always something.

I am unfortunately 50+ lb. overweight (under 6', over 200 lb.) & have never needed a seat belt extender...can't imagine how heavy one would have to be to actually need one.

 

[Rianne]

I'd like to know the math behind wider seats, more legroom in economy. Even if they raised the price of the ticket. My idea is: travelers should be able to choose airlines based on seat size/ticket price. Service not considered. Just comfort. I'll take comfort over service on domestic flights. I can bring my own sandwich and drink.

 

[ncbill]

I've had acquaintances boast about their online certification of "support dogs" that were mere pets. I love my dog, but I'd never expect others to share space with him on a flight. More than once, I've listened to a whining dog in the first class cabin, when I had paid for a full price ticket. And, what about folks with dog allergies, don't they count? I'd vote for no pets unless legitimate service dogs.

I've said this before, but it still surprises me that people would risk their pets in this way.

If their "but I can't live without my precious with me everywhere" untrained dog simply nips someone the victim can force it to be put down here, and I suspect that's the same for the rest of the U.S.

 

[SumDay]

We're leaving tomorrow for NYC, and I just bought an airplane foot hammock. It was cheap, reviews seemed good, and I'm going to try it out.

I'll report back if it pi$$es anyone off.

 

[Gumby]

I'd like to know the math behind wider seats, more legroom in economy. Even if they raised the price of the ticket. My idea is: travelers should be able to choose airlines based on seat size/ticket price. Service not considered. Just comfort. I'll take comfort over service on domestic flights. I can bring my own sandwich and drink.

You already can, to an extent, choose based on comfort/price. For our last trip out to Yellowstone and for our upcoming trip to Florida, I paid an upgrade charge to get the premium economy seats, which have more legroom (although the seat width is the same). You can view the layout on most flights for most airlines by looking at seatguru.com There are also charts to compare the airlines.

 

[Big_Hitter]

You already can, to an extent, choose based on comfort/price. For our last trip out to Yellowstone and for our upcoming trip to Florida, I paid an upgrade charge to get the premium economy seats, which have more legroom (although the seat width is the same). You can view the layout on most flights for most airlines by looking at seatguru.com There are also charts to compare the airlines.

"premium economy" is just a fancy expression for "normal sized seats"

but yes, they are much more comfy

 

[MichaelB]

That's also the central tenet of the rules here.

Regarding air travel - when a large number of people are crammed into a small space for hours at a time, you should go out of your way to be nice and get along with them.

This is a lesson I learned on a submarine, where 120 people were crammed, for several months, into a 33 ft diameter, 380 foot long cylinder (a little over twice the diameter and length of a Boeing 757), along with a nuclear reactor, steam propulsion and power generation plant, 16 giant nuclear tipped ballistic missiles, a bunch of torpedoes, sonar, radio, etc., and all the auxiliary electronic and mechanical systems to support those things. There simply is no such thing as privacy or personal space when you are in that situation. Everyone needs to have an easy disposition and a polite demeanor in order to make it work.

+1@Gumby

I don’t know how many flights I’ve taken, but like some of the other heavy travelers here, it’s over a thousand. Traveling is a high stress activity that causes loads of anxiety, and I focus all my attention and effort at reducing the stress and getting through the trip intact. I never argue, am polite and respectful regardless of the circumstances, and make sure to get along with other passengers. Airports are not easy places to work, and along with airplanes, are terrible venues for aggression or conflict.

 

[Gumby]

Airlines have given the public (as a whole) what it wants - the cheapest flights from A to B. This is an interesting recent article in the NY Times about the first Pan Am jet flight on a Boeing 707 from NYC to Paris.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/26/us/pan-am-travel.html

The 1958 flight to Paris cost economy-class passengers $489.60, or about $4,350 today.

There may be a backlash by people like Rianne and me who are willing to pay more for comfort, but most people just want cheap.

 

[marko]

Airlines have given the public (as a whole) what it wants - the cheapest flights from A to B. This is an interesting recent article in the NY Times about the first Pan Am jet flight on a Boeing 707 from NYC to Paris.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/26/us/pan-am-travel.html

"The 1958 flight to Paris cost economy-class passengers $489.60, or about $4,350 today."

There may be a backlash by people like Rianne and me who are willing to pay more for comfort, but most people just want cheap.

First Class from NYC to Paris today is about $4500 so the price really hasn't changed. Well worth it IMO! (we just came back from Paris 2 weeks ago)

But being able to get the same flight today in coach for ~$489 also illustrates how much the airlines have dropped the price. (guessing that $489 in today's money was about $50 in 1958)

I think it also shows that FC today is what flying 'used to be' across all the aisles in economy. Now you need to pay FC at a 'normal price' --and the expected comfort and courtesy-- but economy is much cheaper than years ago.

And you get what you pay for.

 

[Aerides]

While not particularly a dog person myself, I actually like when there is a pup in my row. They are rarely the "fake" service dog types, more often just someone trying to get from A to B with a pet, in a way that's least upsetting for both of them.

When I'm out on a walk and I see a dog, I stop and pet and tell him he's a good boy. Same goes if he's in my row on a plane. Odds of getting nipped no bigger, and a non-issue 99.9% of the time.

Poor thing is probably more stressed than most of the passengers, but usually brings a smile to most everyone's faces that I've ever paid attention to.

I want to get to where I'm going with minimal discomfort, but not at the expense of making the experience worse for you, when you're just trying to do the same. It's not a competition.

 

[Bestwifeever]

You already can, to an extent, choose based on comfort/price. For our last trip out to Yellowstone and for our upcoming trip to Florida, I paid an upgrade charge to get the premium economy seats, which have more legroom (although the seat width is the same). You can view the layout on most flights for most airlines by looking at seatguru.com There are also charts to compare the airlines.

I love those seats--great compromise imo between coach and business. We're in them for London at the end of November; we've been able to sleep well in them with the footrests extended.

 

[Chuckanut]

I would gladly trade the fancy entertainment center for one more inch of seat width and 3-4 inches more legroom.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I love those seats--great compromise imo between coach and business. We're in them for London at the end of November; we've been able to sleep well in them with the footrests extended.

I agree. I took a quick trip to Atlanta not too long ago (about 2 hours) and the upgrade cost to the premium seat wasn't unreasonable at all (about $30 if I recall)...and I was comfortable which is a tough feat at 6'2" and 250 lbs. On the other side of the coin, did an upgrade on AA to the exit aisle on a similar time flight. It cost $62 for the upgrade and although there was a little more leg room, the width was significantly less and the seat was miserable and uncomfortable with minimal recline. Oh, how I miss AirTran and it's great, cheap, comfortable business class.

 

[rk911]

...Airplane travel just sucks if you have sit in the back. Coming back from our last trip, my DW got a nice egg on top of her skull when some idiot dropped their bigass bag on her head when they were trying to crush it into the overhead bin.

if it were up to me i’d eliminate all overhead carry-on luggage bins except for coats, hats and such. otherwise if it doesn’t fit under your seat it gets checked. increase the fines and penalties to the airlines for lost or misdirected luggage. a lot of stress seems to be caused by overhead storage.

and while i’m at it the only animals allowed in the cabin are either certified dogs assisting the blind or other actual physically disabled persons or animals small enough to fit in a crate that small enough to fit under the seat. no more comfort peacocks, pot bellied pigs, mini horses, etc.

 

[Dalmore]

and while i’m at it the only animals allowed in the cabin are either certified dogs assisting the blind or other actual physically disabled persons or animals small enough to fit in a crate that small enough to fit under the seat. no more comfort peacocks, pot bellied pigs, mini horses, etc.

I agree. And while we are banning things, I think children under the age of 12 should not be allowed either. Nothing worse than a screaming, smelly rug-rat in the seat next to you, or a restless bouncy kid behind you kicking your seat.

Seriously, though, as long as the pet is well behaved, I have no problems with someone bring it on. I've seen quite a few and never seen a problem with the animal. People, yes; animal, no. There was one couple in FC that had three puppies with them. They were very cute. The crew fond over them and even took their pictures in the cockpit.