Do’s And Don’ts Of Travel Etiquette

Traveling etiquette is easily overlooked when people are overwhelmed, stressed or excited about getting to their destination as quickly as possible. Yet any frequent traveler would agree that being a considerate passenger, whether on a bus, train or airplane, is important. Not only does it make life easier for everyone around you, but it also has the potential to make your trip safer and smoother as well. If travelers make a point to be conscious of a few do’s and dont’s on their journeys, the transportation process would become much more enjoyable. 

Don’t assume that someone will move

According to Fox News, the Federal Aviation Administration doesn’t consider families that are unable to sit together a safety issue. Parents that are insistent on having seats next to their children are responsible for booking their tickets early to ensure it’s possible. Otherwise, the flight attendant doesn’t have the right to ask someone to switch seats so parents and children can be together. 

Southwest Airlines flight attendant Heather Poole told Fox News that she deals with a significant number of passengers who expect her to make a person move to accommodate their families. She suggested offering compensation to the person you would like to switch seats with. She recalled a passenger offering $50 dollars while negotiating a seat change and said the process went much smoother than it normally does. In the end, it’s best not to travel under the false impression that all passengers will or should accommodate your needs.

Do pay attention to your young ones

Expedia recently performed an Airplane Etiquette Study in which 1,000 Americans were asked what behavior annoyed them most while traveling to their destination, according to USA Today. The number one behavior chosen was “the rear seat kicker,” accounting for 67 percent of the votes. Participants also reported that nearly every time the incident occurs, it’s a younger child who’s responsible. The parent generally isn’t paying attention or is distracted. Meanwhile, 44 percent of travelers agreed that they would let the parent know of the disturbance, while the rest said they would try to ignore it.

Make sure that your child isn’t aggravating those around them. It can be difficult to control a rowdy youngster, but preventing them from physically disrupting another passenger is definitely possible.

Don’t rely on others for balance

When you get up to go to the bathroom, don’t use everyone around you for balance. Conde Nast Traveler pointed out that using seats to keep you upright as you walk down the aisle can be incredibly annoying for everyone. It’s likely that you will end up grabbing someone’s arm or hair. The travel source suggested relying on the overhead bins instead, as this will ensure you’re out of everyone’s way.

If there’s a long line for the bathroom, wait it out in your seat instead of standing in the aisle. There’s nothing worse than having someone stand nearly on top of you for an extended period of time as they wait their turn. 

Do respect the flight attendants

Perhaps even worse than disregarding passengers is being rude to the attendants who are trying to do their job. For example, Fox News noted that it’s not uncommon for flight attendants to ask passengers to turn off their phones for take-off, only to be completely ignored. Flight attendant Betty Thesky told the source that she often asks travelers to turn their devices off to which they say they will as they continue using it. It’s also isrespectful – and common – for passengers to bring a bunch of trash onto the plane and immediately ring the call button to request that the attendant throws it away. Be mindful of what is and isn’t the flight attendant’s job.