25% of Brits are considering a beach break abroad this year which means there will be plenty of flights leaving UK airports this summer and while we’re sure you’re a great passenger who has never annoyed the person sitting next to you, we thought it best to trawl the internet and find the best advice on flight etiquette. Just to be sure. Nothing personal.
Keep The FaceTime To A Minimum
According to Kirstie Koerbel, a flight attendant, “boarding an airplane is not the time for your goodbyes. It’s time for you to concentrate on finding your seat and stowing your bags as fast as possible so the people behind you can do the same thing.”
Realistically, though, you should be keeping the noise from phones and tablets to a minimum. You are flying in a metal tube across countries and oceans, squashed in with a lot of humans doing the same thing. The least you can do is not subject them to your music/movies/TikToks. Headphones are a MUST.
Keep Your Shoes On
A pilot speaking to the Daily Mail said, “The floor in the main cabin is vacuumed but not mopped. People vomit on these materials daily so it’s a good idea to wear shoes.”
BLEUGH. We’re sure it’s tempting, especially on long-haul flights, planes are actually very filled with germs and aren’t the kind of place you want to walk around barefooted. Often, flight attendants can provide you with disposable flip-flops but you might want to consider just wearing your comfiest shoes to fly in.
Respect The Boundaries Of Your Fellow Passengers
Lydia Ramsey, an etiquette expert says: “Acknowledge this person with a greeting as you’re starting off and then you can read the other person to see whether they want to talk or not but most people really want to find some peace and quiet. If the other person is chatty, politely excuse yourself.”
For some people, flying can be an intimidating experience and they might not be feeling as chatty as you are. In fact, 21 million Brits are afraid of flying. Instead of trying to force conversation with your seatmate, respect their boundaries and find ways to entertain yourself.
Be Considerate When Reclining Your Chair
Frequent flyers will know the struggle of somebody dramatically reclining their chair and, in turn, knocking your laptop/food/drink/last nerve. While everybody has the “right to recline”, speak to the person behind you to check that it’s okay with them and that you won’t be knocking anything over when you do so.
Don’t Argue Over Armrests
Koerbel said, “[the middle seat is] the consolation prize for being squished between two people with nowhere to lean. Case closed.”
The least you can do for the poor soul stuck in the middle is grant them both armrests.