Travel Etiquette 101

Got travel manners?

There’s always that one person on a flight who ruins the whole experience for everyone—whether they take off their shoes and expose their natural odors; blind (or wake) half the passengers by pulling up the window shade midflight (nothing to see, Jan!); or cause an, ahem, big stink that forces the plane to reroute. 

The takeaway? Don’t be that guy/girl. Here, five travel etiquette tips for being a friendly flyer to all on board—plus a few ways to beat the airport blues. Here’s to taking off without a hitch! 

• Save the smells for later. Craving curry or sardines as your in-flight snack? Well, too bad. While questionable smells are always taboo in public, they are especially a no-no in tight quarters with a captive audience. And while we’re at it, be aware of your personal hygiene as well. Translation: Wear deodorant and clip your toenails in private. 
• Stay in your lane personal space. Your private is invading my public. Whether you’re looking to join the mile-high club or simply taking up your neighbor’s armrest (flight rules = middle seat gets the armrest)—keep your hands to yourself. 
• Sit down. News flash: Standing up ASAP after touching down on the runway won’t expedite your off-boarding process… quite the opposite actually—and promises to annoy your fellow flyers. Fun fact: In science we can get behind, the entire process has been proven to move faster if we all stand up and exit one row at a time wedding-style. Unless you’re rushing to make a connection… then you get a pass. 
• Bin there, done that. To have your travel in the bag, (read: fees at the gate because your carry-on is too hefty), check your airline’s requirements ahead of time. … And once you’re hoisting a bag (OK, leg workout!) into the overhead compartment, slide it in wheels first and be ready to pivot to placing your bag a few rows back if your row has no vacancy. In news you can use: A good way to avoid in-flight enemies is to never move anybody else’s stuff. 
• Corral—and be kind to—kiddos: OK, here’s the deal—parents traveling with children in tow, we see you and we sympathize with you. With this caveat: We know you can’t control if your baby is crying, but you can stop your toddler from kicking the seat of the person in front of them. … Childless travelers, give grace and (attempt to) keep the annoyed looks at a minimum. Trust, the parents also wish their kiddo wasn’t crying.  

Fun fact: Airplanes have low humidity levels due to pulling ~50% of low moisture high altitude air from outside—meaning, drink up.

Quick In-Flight Tips: 

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate + boo to the booze!
• Stretch your legs often.
• Dress comfy—and bring a sweatshirt (or travel blanky).
• BYO (dry) snacks to save $—and an empty water bottle to fill up post-security. 
• Pack your personal item lightly.
• Wear compression socks on long flights because swelling.

High-Flying Travel Terms:

• Bleisure: Business trip 🤝 leisure time
• Crotch watch: Flight attendants checking your, ahem, fly area to ensure a buckled seat belt 
• Pink eye: Not fully an overnight flight, but still past your bedtime
• Blue Room: Officially dubbed the “lavatory,” plane toilets’ nickname compliments of the blue-colored disinfectant aka “toilet deodorant.” 
• Spinners & runners: Those who show up sans seat assignment to lurk in the aisle and latecomers sprinting to make their flight, respectively 
• Miracle flight: Wheels up in more ways than one—when a passenger requires a wheelchair to board but not to deplane. Alexa, cue the CSI theme song. 
• Cross-check: When flight attendants double-check all is a-OK in case of an emergency exit during take off and landing Solomoon: Treating yourself to a trip and forgetting everybody else.

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