Flying can be trying. Combining tightly packed seats, strangers in your personal space, and sitting in one spot for hours is a recipe for frayed nerves and frustration. That’s why on-board etiquette is so important. Social rules can help you navigate cramped cabins and respect those seated next to you. But because no one explicitly tells you what these rules are, it can be hard to know where to start.
To help you on your journey, here are 15 unspoken etiquette rules when sitting next to someone on a plane.
Use Headphones When Listening to Audio
Obtrusive audio can be really stressful for those around you. In fact, loud sounds can be agonizing for those with sensory conditions like autism and ADD—and when sitting on a plane, you can’t exactly move to a quieter spot.
Be mindful of the noise factor and wear headphones when playing video games, listening to music, etc., keeping the volume low. Remind your kids to do the same.
Read Conversation Cues
Read the room, or in this case, the cabin. While it’s polite to say hi and engage in conversation if the other passenger is up for it, if they turn away, put headphones on, or start reading their book, it’s a sign they don’t want to continue chatting.
Ask to Pass Rather than Barging Ahead
If you need to pass the person seated next to you, politely ask before you do so. Barging ahead is incredibly rude and can even cause injury if the person has no warning you’re coming at them. Give them a chance to step out of the way.
“Please” and “Thank You” Go a Long Way
“Please” and “Thank you” are small words, but politeness can make all the difference. After all, you don’t want to get a fellow passenger’s back up when you’re seated next to them for the next few hours.
Don’t Put Your Feet Up on Their Armrest
It seems obvious that it’s intrusive and rude, yet people still put their feet up on someone else’s armrest. It’s not your lounge; they’re not your coffee table.
Be Nice to Flight Attendants
Being aggressive and rude to flight attendants or ignoring them when they address you is not only disrespectful to them but the person sitting next to you. No one wants to sit beside a bad-mannered, difficult passenger on the plane.
Respect Their Personal Space
Respecting someone’s personal space can be hard when you’re squished like sardines in economy class. But it’s more about movement than taking up space. Don’t reach in front of those seated next to you, use their tray table, or extend your legs into their space without asking. Constantly moving around in your seat and fidgeting is also best avoided.
Don’t Kick the Seats
Planes are not the most comfortable places. When someone kicks your seat, it can take that discomfort to heights. If you feel like you need to move, rather walk up the aisle. Please be mindful that your kids follow this rule of etiquette, too.
Keep Your Socks On
Wearing shoes for the entirety of a long-haul flight is not a wonderful experience for your feet. But smelling stinky socks for six hours isn’t charming for those around you, either. It’s acceptable to remove your shoes; just make sure your socks are clean. Changing into comfortable slippers can also solve this problem.
Be Mindful of Your Kids
It goes without saying that cabins are cramped spaces from which you can’t escape. So when kids act like the seats around them are theirs for the taking, whether by shoving those next to them, pouring glitter on their laps, screaming, or just being disrespectful of their space, it can be torture for your fellow passengers. Bring appropriate entertainment for your brood, and reign them in when they get rowdy.
Be Tolerant of Their Kids
Flying with kids is not for the faint of heart. For little ones, being in a cramped space without space to move and play is hard to understand and frustrating. Kids and babies often also experience excruciating ear pain on the plane due to altitude changes, and when they’re so young, the only way they can vocalize their pain is through crying. For parents, it’s a lot to cope with and handle. Pack earplugs and practice compassion. If you can’t tolerate the situation, calmly speak to the flight attendants—they can help with a solution.
Stow Away Your Bags Correctly
Store your bag below the seat in front of you, making sure it fits neatly underneath. If straps and bulges stick out, they can encroach on your fellow passenger’s space and lead to tripping.
Be Careful When You Use the Overhead Bin
Starting the flight with someone dropping a heavy bag on your head is awful. If you’re struggling to lift and fit your bag into the overhead bin, ask for help. You don’t want to risk causing injury to those seated below.
Don’t Blast Your AC in Their Direction
An icy cold blast from an air conditioner hitting your left cheek for several hours? Torture. You may be boiling, but the person seated next to you may have a completely different internal temperature or tolerance to drafts. Make sure the AC vent is pointed straight at you.
Don’t Take It Personally
Fear of flying is incredibly common on flights. Many experience frayed nerves or even overwhelming panic when on the plane. This may make them fidget, sweat, nervously chatter, or even be snappy and aggressive. That’s not to say being rude is ok, but it might be a sign someone needs help. Have compassion, and if a fellow passenger is driving you crazy, rather speak to a flight attendant to come up with a plan.
Safe Travels
Being kind to the person seated next to you is good manners. It’s also, at the end of the day, about safety. Having heated arguments up in the air is not conducive to a calm, safe flight. So remember to pack your headphones, earplugs, clean socks, and manners.
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