The Oxford Dictionary defines etiquette as “the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.” The thing that makes it hard with the customary code with a group of airline passengers is the fact that some plane etiquette is pretty straight forward while other things are more gray in nature. What is very important to one person may not be on someone else’s radar.
Also, consider that in 2023, US based airlines had over 860 million people fly in their planes. With all of those people, you are going to have some that fly often and know what the proper plane etiquette is while others have never flown or don’t fly that often so they may not know what the proper etiquette is for a given situation.
I believe that we can take a lesson from what the Apostle Paul wrote in Phillippians 2:3-4 when it comes to airplane etiquette. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Paul was obviously not speaking directly about plane etiquette but what he wrote can easily be applied when flying on a plane. If people did take Paul’s words to heart, there would be a lot less conflict when at the airport or in the air.
Proper Plane Etiquette
- Be prepared to go through TSA
There is proper etiquette before you even get on the plane. You don’t want to hold up people when going through TSA. So, you will want to be prepared. Make sure to have your boarding pass and ID out. If you are waiting in line, you can take your laptop out, get your shoes ready to be taken off, take items out of your pockets, and etc.
TSA Precheck and Global Entry are two ways to help you get through security faster. I have a post that compares the two and which may be right for you.
2. Say hi to flight attendant(s)
It is just being polite in making eye contact and saying hi to people from the flight crew who are greeting you when you come on a plane. It doesn’t take much effort and it can help make their day brighter.
I have been taking it a step further by buying some Starbucks gift cards and giving them to the flight attendant(s) that are greeting people when they come on the plane. It has been interesting to see how grateful most of the flight crews have been with that small gesture.
- Be respectable to flight attendants
Flight attendants have a tough enough job the way it is. What they don’t need is for people to take advantage of them or think that they are their own personal servants. Being polite and saying please and thank you can go a long way.
4. Store carry on where you are sitting
Carry on luggage is very important to most people when flying since most airlines don’t charge for carry ons. Make sure to store your carry-on luggage above where you are sitting. Don’t store it up front if you are sitting in the back of the plane. It is inconsiderate to take other people’s carry-on space.
- Place carry on in taco position
Many overhead bins are big enough that you can place your carry-on on its edge like a taco in the overhead bin. It makes more room for other people to place their carry-on items in the overhead bin when you do it that way.
- Use your headphones
People around you don’t want to hear the movie, TV shows, music, podcast, etc. that you are watching or listening to when on the plane. So, put on the headphones and enjoy yourself.
- Take off headphones when talking to flight attendants
It is just being courteous and polite when the flight attendant is addressing you that you slip off your headphones to talk to them. Plus, they don’t have to yell to you when trying to talk.
- Who gets the armrest
This can be another sticking point for people. The standard plane etiquette is that the person in the middle seat gets access to both armrests since they are in the worst seat. If they aren’t using the armrest, it is okay to ask them if you can use it.
- Don’t eat smelly food
It is quite all right to take food on a plane. The thing that you don’t want to do is take food on the plane that has a strong smell. This is usually going to be hot food. Other people don’t want to be smelling your fish sandwich that you bought at the airport McDonald’s.
10. To recline or not recline that is the question
This may be one of the more controversial pieces of etiquette. Some people see no problem in reclining their seat while others will say that you shouldn’t at all.
If you are wanting to recline your seat, you should look back to see if the person is especially tall, do they have a child on their lap, or is their tray down and they are eating. Some people say that you should ask the person behind you if it is okay with them. The key is being considerate of the person who is sitting behind you.
- Don’t groom yourself on the plane
This piece of etiquette may be one of the more disgusting ones on the list. No one wants to see you groom yourself on the plane. Using your water glass to brush your teeth and spitting the excess water into a glass, filing your fingernails or toenails, shaving with an electric razor, or cleaning out your ears are all things that should be saved for when you get off the plane.
12. Okay to take shoes off but leave the socks on
This is another one of the more hot button pieces of etiquette. Most people are okay with people slipping off their shoes with socks on but the vast majority aren’t into people having bare feet on a plane. It is best to leave the shoes on if you have issues with foot odor.
If you do slip your shoes off, it is best if you don’t get up and move around or go to the restroom with just socks on. Some airlines even draw a distinction between having socks on and bare feet. You can actually be thrown off of United for having bare feet on a plane.
- Get up to allow people out of the row
It can be quite awkward and you have to be very flexible when trying to get by someone who is not willing to get up when trying to get to the aisle. Things can go so much smoother if you just get up to let them out of the row.
- Keep your feet to yourself
It doesn’t matter if you keep your shoes on or off. You want to make sure that you don’t put your feet out into the aisle. This can be a hazard for people coming down the aisle.
Also, it is never okay to put your feet on the arm rest of the person in front of you. If that does happen, it is quite all right to turn around and politely ask them to remove their feet. If that doesn’t work, you can always break one of their toes. Just kidding!
- Proper way to walk down the aisle
There is a proper way to walk down the aisle of the plane. You don’t want to be grabbing onto the backs of people’s chairs as you are walking down the aisle. Instead, grab onto the overhead bin space to steady yourself if you need to.
- Know if the person beside you wants to talk
Some people are introverts while others are more extroverts. You need to be able to tell if the person that you are sitting beside wants to talk or not. If someone has their headphones on then that is a sure sign that they don’t want to talk. It is also okay to tell a person that wants to talk that you want to sleep, watch a show, or listen to something.
- Make sure to flush the toilet
No one wants to see the deposit that you made while using the restroom. Plus, no one wants to smell it. So, no matter which deposit you make in the restroom make sure to flush it.
- Sleep at your own risk
You need to be considerate of other passengers when you sleep. The last thing you want to do is wake up and your head is on a stranger’s shoulder or someone is waking you because you sound like a chainsaw. The window seat is nice since you can lean that way. A travel pillow can also keep your head from ending up where it shouldn’t be.
- It’s okay to ask a parent to control an unruly child
There may be times when a child is kicking the back of your chair or they are being unreasonably loud. It is within your rights to politely ask the parent(s) to have their child stop whatever they are doing. This doesn’t apply to people who have babies and the baby is crying or being fussy.
- Be cognizant of personal space
If you are doing some work on a laptop or reading a newspaper (there still are newspapers) avoid having your elbows spilling over into other people’s personal space. This also hold true with personal items that you have with you at your seat or on your tray.
- Use arm rests to get out of your seat
You want to make sure that when you are getting up from your seat that you don’t grab the back of the seat in front of you to get up. This can be bothersome for the person in front of you. Instead, use your arm rest to help you get up out of your seat.
- Person who has window seat controls the window
This is another one of those sticky situations. Who controls the shade for the window? The consensus is that the person that is sitting by the window controls the shade for the window. That doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for the shade to be closed. You just can’t expect the person to close it just because you asked.
- Asking to switch seats
If you are the person asking to switch seats with someone, you should do so politely and be ready for someone to say no. You should also try to either exchange the same type of seat with the person or be upgrading them in the process.
If you are being asked to change seats, it is okay to say no but again you want to be compassionate to the person asking. There may be reasons that the person is asking to exchange seats, like being beside their child or husband/wife.
- Take your turn getting off the plane
Don’t act like Usian Bolt once the seat belt sign is turned off. Just like with most things in life you need to wait your turn before you grab your carry-on and you disembark the plane. Things will go much smoother that way and other passengers won’t want to ring your neck.
The only exception to this rule is if you have a connecting flight that you need to catch. You should still ask politely if it is okay that you go ahead of other people.
- Don’t crowd the belt in baggage claim
Your luggage hopefully will be on the belt for you to grab after your flight. The bag isn’t going to get there any faster by crowding around the baggage claim belt. By standing so close to the belt, it impedes other people from being able to easily see and grab their luggage when it comes around.
Final Thoughts
So, what do you think about the list. Do you agree or disagree with any of the 25 rules that were listed. Are there other rules that are important to you? I would love to hear your thoughts. So, please leave a comment.
If you want to learn more about traveling, how to save on travel, travel itineraries, and how to earn and maximize credit card points and miles make sure to check out my blog Travelwidstom.
Take your turn getting off the plane!! My biggest pet peeve when flying. Unless you have a connecting flight you are really going to miss, take your turn!
I totally agree.