Airplane Etiquette Rules for a Happy Flight

[Bir48die]

+1
Four million miler here. We just flew back from Europe last Thursday. Took a walk out back and it sure was pretty tight, however Premium Economy looked pretty nice and fairly close to what a Business section might look like nowadays.

(As an aside and off topic, we took Virgin's day time flight out of Boston to London instead of the typical red-eye that all the carriers have. Made all the difference in jet lag for us)

Two + million miler here. The funniest transition for my wife to watch was me losing my benefits. The year after I retired all my airline statuses were gone and my move from the front to the back of the plane. No more extra legroom.

Only two things that really bug me:

1) Whatever seat you're in, that is your assigned space. If anyone lifted an armrest I lowered it before I sat in my seat. I am an aisle guy and I will defer my inside armrest to those in the middle.

2) Those who get in and out of the rows. Please do not grab on the back of the people's chair in front of you and fling them out of their seat when getting in an out.

I've curtailed my flying to only vacations and visiting our kids. Don't miss it one bit.

 

[Nemo2]

Flown First/Business classes when my late wife was affiliated with Air France in Riyadh - nice, but not with our money. (Have better things to do with it...e.g. extending our trip duration.)

Having flown the 13 hour Pan Am 'Slingshot' a couple/few times from Dhahran to JFK, (Jumbo, crammed in, one class, smoking rampant.....kinda like a troop transport I imagine), mainly full of big oil workers, (I'm only 6' 174 lbs)...flights in steerage to Europe are a breeze.

(DW's 5' 1" ~ 102 lbs, so she has plenty of space.)

 

[marko]

You can always buy that middle seat plus your own for less than FC and have all the room you want.
I know a guy who buys all three seats and lays down to sleep all the way.

 

[Chuckanut]

Etiquette Rules should include these:

• Seat pitch should be a minimum of 34 inches
• Seat width should be a minimum of 20 inches
• dual arm rests where two seats are next to each other
• No non human animals other than well trained service animals in the passenger compartment.

These rules, of course, would apply to the airline. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

[Chuckanut]

Regarding your seat being a death sentence that is between you and the airline. Not my problem.

Mr. Old Shooter. You don't understand. I would explain it to you but I am late for an engagement and there is no more free parking available. I found a space that is a bit tight, so some stranger may not be able to get his car out of his driveway for a few yours, but heck, I am more important than he is. I could have left earlier and found free parking, but that is inconvenient for me. It's easier for me to make my parking problem his problem.

 

[harllee]

If I were a large person and could not fit in an airplane seat I would either not fly or buy 2 seats so that I could spread out between those 2 seats.

 

[Taxman59]

I was the last person to board (connecting flight was delayed), and the flight attendant walked me to my seat. Unfortunately, my seat was the middle one, and the 2 gentlemen occupied all 3 seats. Their hips and shoulders touched in the middle . I was supposed to fit in between them. The attendant looked at them, looked at me (6' 4" 280# with broad shoulders) She made the decision to upgrade me to first class on the spot!

 

[Big_Hitter]

I was the last person to board (connecting flight was delayed), and the flight attendant walked me to my seat. Unfortunately, my seat was the middle one, and the 2 gentlemen occupied all 3 seats. Their hips and shoulders touched in the middle . I was supposed to fit in between them. The attendant looked at them, looked at me (6' 4" 280# with broad shoulders) She made the decision to upgrade me to first class on the spot!

that's awesome

she didn't chew those guys out for stealing did she?

 

[Montecfo]

what about peacocks? there are emotional support peacocks on flights

Dont forget llamas, pigs and ponies!

 

[anethum]

The person in the middle gets the arm rests if they want them. That's simple courtesy. I get annoyed, however, when someone next to me on a plane or subway doesn't sit back and then splays their leg into my leg.

I was on a 3 1/2 hour flight in an aisle seat on a 100% full plane. The guy next to me in the middle was morbidly obese. A flight attendant handed him an extender seat belt without being asked. Both arm rests had to go up or the guy couldn't fit. After the seat belt sign went off, I got up and stood in the galley reading a book until the seat belt sign came back on 2 hours later. Neither any of the flight attendants nor the obese passenger said a word to me about that.

I was on another 100% full flight also with an aisle seat. 2 well-behaved children (about 8 & 10 years old) boarded and sat down in the middle & window seat in my row. Their morbidly obese mother asked me if I would mind giving up my aisle seat in exchange for her middle seat a few rows away. She asked politely and I reluctantly exchanged seats with her so she could sit next to her kids.

I was on a transatlantic flight and 2 unrelated, unaccompanied minors were seated in my row. The American kid (about 12 years old) was out-of-control. At one point, he bit me on the arm and he also bit one of the flight attendants. The French-speaking kid was well-behaved. That was a long flight. I helped the French-speaking kid go through U.S. immigration and accompanied him through customs and out to where his relatives were waiting for him. I recall he was about 13 or 14 years old, but I'm surprised that nobody from the airline was there to help him upon arrival in the U.S. I got away from the American brat ASAP after getting off the plane.

When I boarded another flight, I discovered that the last person to sit in my seat apparently had bladder control problems. Fortunately, when I showed it to a flight attendant, they were able to pull out the seat cushion and replace it with a dry one.

 

[Montecfo]

We agree. I think the idea that you are not stealing is laughable, too.

But to continue the discussion, what would you do if another "big" guy was occupying the middle seat, had raised the arm rest before you got there, and was overflowing into your seat?

I am enjoying y'all's exchange. Old Shooter you are on fire. Love it.

Big Hitter, I wonder what would happen if my neighbor, who is a solid 6-4 and 310, had both the seat next to you and a similar attitude.

I would find that very entertaining!

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I have flown quite a few times in my life and have never had a problem with anything. Just lucky so far I guess. I always get an armrest. I have never sat next to anyone that has been a problem. My only complaint is that I can never fall asleep on a long flight. That's on me and not anyone else.

 

[Montecfo]

Two + million miler here. The funniest transition for my wife to watch was me losing my benefits. The year after I retired all my airline statuses were gone and my move from the front to the back of the plane. No more extra legroom.

Only two things that really bug me:

1) Whatever seat you're in, that is your assigned space. If anyone lifted an armrest I lowered it before I sat in my seat. I am an aisle guy and I will defer my inside armrest to those in the middle.

2) Those who get in and out of the rows. Please do not grab on the back of the people's chair in front of you and fling them out of their seat when getting in an out.

I've curtailed my flying to only vacations and visiting our kids. Don't miss it one bit.

I wondered why the article never mentioned a very obvious point of etiquette that you made: it is really rude to grab someone else's seat as you are exiting the row, and pitch them around. If you do it, you really should apologize.

 

[Big_Hitter]

I am enjoying y'all's exchange. Old Shooter you are on fire. Love it.

Big Hitter, I wonder what would happen if my neighbor, who is a solid 6-4 and 310, had both the seat next to you and a similar attitude.

I would find that very entertaining!

what attitude would that be?

I've sat next to gigantic people before, they lap over to my seat, I live with it, no biggie - didn't even accuse them of stealing

 

[Accidental Retiree]

I was on a miserable flight from San Jose to Philly one time sandwiched between two guys that sound like your size... They didn't raise the arm-rests - but their shoulders were both encroaching into my middle seat... The guys were 50ish, heavy seat, and shoulders of former football players. And both hogged the armrests. I spent the entire flight leaning forward leaning on my elbows. It was awful.

Add to this their manspreading. Geez.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Because of how little room there is some people cannot get up without using the seat in front of them. I know some that never had that issue until the space was reduced.

 

[MikeWillRetire]

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.

 

[timbervest]

One person takes the back half of the armrest (usually the smaller) and one person takes the front (usually the larger). Easy peasy. Or alternatively, fly first class and get your own

 

[Red Badger]

Some of the overheated rhetoric on this thread reminds me of the poor bastard that was drug off a UA flight by the cops. His crime? He refused to give up his paid seat (and disembark the plane) to a flier with FF status.

He was bruised up pretty good for his non-violent refusal. I hope today that he's a multi-millionaire from suing both UA (who demanded that he un-ass his seat, then invoked the local police after his non-compliance with aircrew instructions) and the local law that decided he must go.

But Shooter and Hitter, take it outside. And beat each other to death with that damned armrest!

 

[Bir48die]

I'm not stealing - who in their right mind pays for a middle seat? people need to plan better

being 6' 2" 260 shouldn't be a death sentence on a commercial flight

Two comments on this:

1) Depends on how the 260 is distributed. If its side to side then sorry, it's uncomfortable for others.

2) If said distribution is side to side, then always buy an aisle and then lift up the armrest on the outside. Have seen it a million times. Many do not know you can lift up the outside armrest if you know the secret. Then said side to side girth can flow into the aisle.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Two comments on this:

1) Depends on how the 260 is distributed. If its side to side then sorry, it's uncomfortable for others.

2) If said distribution is side to side, then always buy an aisle and then lift up the armrest on the outside. Have seen it a million times. Many do not know you can lift up the outside armrest if you know the secret. Then said side to side girth can flow into the aisle.

not side to side, i'm shaped like a V - shoulders usually flow over to the other seat

 

[Big_Hitter]

1) Depends on how the 260 is distributed. If its side to side then sorry, it's uncomfortable for others.

This look side to side?

 

[OldShooter]

not side to side, i'm shaped like a V - shoulders usually flow over to the other seat

If true, you would have no reason to raise the armrest and observe that it becomes impossible for your neighbor to lower it. But hey, we all maintain self-images that are not totally anchored in reality. Maybe the letter "O" suits?

 

[Big_Hitter]

If true, you would have no reason to raise the armrest and observe that it becomes impossible for your neighbor to lower it. But hey, we all maintain self-images that are not totally anchored in reality. Maybe the letter "O" suits?

it happens on some flights - depends on the plane

is that an ad hominem attack? LOL

 

[jollystomper]

I have flown quite a few times in my life and have never had a problem with anything. Just lucky so far I guess. I always get an armrest. I have never sat next to anyone that has been a problem. My only complaint is that I can never fall asleep on a long flight. That's on me and not anyone else.

+1


Fighting over armrests is a hill I choose not to die on. Of course, the exotic dancer who chose to sit in the middle seat next to me with the armrest raised was a whole different experience...