Brush up on your travel etiquette

Sometimes I feel that everything I write is designed to help people have a calmer, more peaceful trip. Preparing well, packing simply and being mindful of your fellow travellers, are things that I talk about a lot. If all travellers enacted these practices, the travelling world would be a better place.

Etiquette is something I feel strongly about. Not necessarily the traditional, so-many-rules-it-is-hard-to-remember-them-all etiquette, but recognising that you are not the only passenger on the road and acting accordingly. This is a list of my favourite etiquette guidelines but not by any means all encompassing:

Security
Be prepared to go smoothly through security. Know what the present security rules are for the location you are travelling through and follow them. Have everything ready to go as soon as you get to the bins. Have all change out of your pocket. Have your boarding pass out for people to see.

Carry-on
Know your airline’s guidelines. All major airlines have the size and weight restrictions for carry-ons on their website. Make sure you can lift your bag. You may not be able to depend on having people around you that can help and some flight attendants are prohibited from helping customers put bags up. Put your suitcase on the correct side of the aeroplane, facing the correct way.

Listen to what the flight attendants tell you to do and do it. If one side of the aeroplane is made to hold rollaboards, please put your suitcase there. That way there is room for everyone’s stuff. Only put your large bag in the overhead. Put your purse or briefcase under the seat in front of you, until you know for sure there will be room.

Put your bag in the bin as close to your seat as possible. If you are sitting in Row 25 and there is no room over 25 and there is room over 23, that is one thing. But if you are sitting in Row 25 and you put your bag over Row 8, the people in Row 8 won’t have room. Don’t make it your plan to gate-check. If you bring a normal-sized carry-on that you are happy to bring on the aeroplane or gate check, that is one thing. But don’t bring an oversized bag on the aeroplane, expecting they will make you gate-check it. If you don’t want to pay the fee, bring less stuff.

On the aeroplane
When you are standing up to go somewhere, please don’t grab the seat in front of you for balance. Most people, it seems, don’t think about this. Every time you touch the seat in front of you, the person sitting there can feel it. Grab your own seat if you need help! Let the middle seat have the armrests. You may be tall, have long arms, need a lot of space. … It doesn’t matter. The person in the middle has less space than you and it makes their flight better if they get the armrest too.

Respect the crew. If the flight attendant tells you to turn off your cellphone, do it. If they tell you where to put your bag, put it there. The crew is responsible for the transport and safety of more than a hundred people. They are not your personal chef, bartender, or secretary. Keep your kids corralled.

Whatever it takes to keep your kids happy, be it snacks, juice, music, a colouring book, please do it. Don’t let your child kick the seat in front of them. I know sometimes it is unavoidable but if it is constant throughout the flight, it can get very uncomfortable for the person in that seat. Be mindful of reclining. When I posted about whether or not reclining your seat is rude , the results were definitely mixed. If you need to recline your seat, make sure that you don’t keep it reclined the entire flight, especially during food service.

Once you arrive
Practice patience while deplaning. Hundreds of people rushing down the aisle to get off the aeroplane all at the same time. … It is just not possible.
Even though it can be frustrating to have to wait what feels an excessive amount of time, be patient. And when it is your turn, grab your stuff quickly. If there is someone who has a tight connection, it is polite to let them go first, or pass you in the jetbridge if necessary. Think of how you would like to be treated in that situation.

Don’t be too loud in hotel rooms. Most of us know this one but sometimes can be loud without realising it. I was guilty of this myself once. I was in a room next to a coworker and she could hear my alarm through the wall. It wouldn’t have been a problem, except that I am a “snoozer”. I set my alarm 30 minutes early and it goes off every five minutes. Which can be very frustrating for a neighbour.