Should you clap when the plane lands? Lufthansa's new travel merch has thoughts

Dubai: There's that one moment at a boarding gate when a person's true character shows itself. The first boarding call sounds — group one, mind you — and suddenly half the waiting area rises as if to a starting gun only they could hear.

Suitcases are readied, boarding passes drawn, elbows discreetly deployed. You might think the plane were about to leave without the ones pushing to the front. It won't. It waits. For everyone.

For these small, quirky points of friction above the clouds, Lufthansa has found an answer that's as charming as it is playful - something to wear on your sleeve.

The unwritten laws of flying are now printed on sweaters, T-shirts and caps. For UAE-based flyers who rack up long-haul miles through two of the world's busiest hubs, the collection reads less like merchandise and more like a shared inside joke.

Boarding groups

The most relaxed message in the collection: Boarding by Group Hits Different. Whoever wears it sends a quiet signal to the world — that they figured out boarding long ago. It isn't a race. There are no medals for the first person at the gate.

Etiquette expert and "manners influencer" Clemens Graf von Hoyos, who has more than 400,000 followers on TikTok, put it plainly: "I stay calmly in my seat until my boarding group is called."

Nothing is more elegant, he suggests, than being completely at peace with your own boarding while others are already staking out positions at the gate.

Armrest diplomacy

Now to the great question of fairness in civil aviation — the quiet battle waged in every row of three. Middle Seat Gets the Armrest gets straight to the point and ends the debate before it begins.

The logic is compelling. The window passenger leans back and dreams out the porthole. The aisle passenger stretches their legs and reaches the drinks cart first.

Whoever sits in the middle gets both armrests in return — fair deal, surely. Anyone wearing this wisdom on their sleeve may not even need to say it out loud. A glance down settles the matter.

Recline responsibly

Recline Responsibly is perhaps the most diplomatic message in the collection, because two hearts beat in one chest here. Of course you're allowed to recline your seat — that's what the button is for. The only question is whether a few inches of tilt on a short flight are worth half a cup of coffee for the row behind.

The fix is disarmingly simple and costs nothing: a quick glance back, a friendly "Is this okay for you?", and a potential conflict becomes a small gesture of consideration.

Exit row order

The end of every flight is the same the world over: the moment the plane stops, the whole cabin springs up as one and stands there, motionless, because naturally nothing is moving. Live, Love, Exit by Row is the affectionate reminder that disembarking works remarkably well when it happens one row at a time.

Von Hoyos would likely smile here, given his own philosophy: "The supreme discipline of politeness is looking past the misbehaviour of others." Sometimes, though, he concedes, a well-placed line on a cap does the trick too.

Is the clap optional?

And then there's the big emotional question that arises, at the latest, during a gentle touchdown after a long-haul crossing: does anyone still clap?

The loveliest answer is — however you like. It's Okay to Clap When the Plane Lands celebrates everyone who applauds on the spur of the moment. And for everyone else, the same holds true: It's Okay Not to Clap When the Plane Lands. Both are perfectly fine.

Applause is heard less often than it used to be, perhaps because flying has simply become more routine for many. Whoever wants to clap should feel free, as a spontaneous thank-you to a crew finishing a long shift. Whoever prefers to smile quietly says thank you just as well.

In the end, it's exactly these small things that make a journey above the clouds more pleasant — for yourself and for everyone sharing the cabin. Von Hoyos names the adversaries of good company with precision: "The three mortal enemies of good manners while travelling are comfort-seeking, a lack of empathy, and stress."

There may be no cure for a lack of empathy. The rest, it turns out, can be practised — and now, worn.