Flying can be a mix of excitement and exhaustion, but it’s a whole lot smoother when everyone follows basic travel etiquette. Just like we have rules for dining or social gatherings, air travel comes with its own set of unspoken dos and don’ts. Yet, some passengers seem determined to make the journey unbearable for everyone around them!
Today, we took a deep dive into the internet and rounded up some of the most essential airplane etiquette rules that all travelers should know. From passengers kicking seats to armrest wars and barefoot flyers (yes, they exist!), these common mistakes can make or break a flight experience.
So, are you guilty of any of these air travel faux pas? Keep reading to find out! And while you're at it, don’t miss our interview with a seasoned flight attendant who has spent over a decade in the skies—she spills the tea on the worst travel behaviors she's encountered!
#1
Take the seat on your ticket. Period. People pay more for the privilege of choosing their seat, so if you are stuck with a middle seat, don’t expect to take an aisle or window that someone else has paid for - either by having a higher fare class, or paying a premium. If you want to sit next to your spouse, teenager, or co-worker, cough up for more money. I take great care to get my window seat, front third of the plane, away from the sun, and I am not giving it up for free.
113points
#2
Wash. Your. A**e. Seriously. I don’t care if, at your work from home job, you only shower once a week and that that is the day you change your underwear. That’s between you and your long-suffering cat. The night before a long flight eat a healthy meal and take a long bath. That morning take a shower like you’re trying to deny evidence to a forensic lab apply deoderant even if you hate the stuff and put on freshly laundered (comfortable) clothing. You’re about to spend most of a day in a metal tube breathing recycled farts, the least you can do is start the day smelling nice.
57points
#3
Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
49points
As passengers, we often come across stories about how terribly some people behave on flights. Whether it's kids running wild, adults being inconsiderate, or someone deciding to treat the cabin like their personal living room, there's never a shortage of travel horror stories.
But have you ever wondered what it’s like for the crew dealing with this chaos every single day?
#4
People travelling with children should prepare prior to the flight. Carry something for them to suck on if their ears hurt, have something to keep them occupied during the flight and tell them, if they are older, they must respect their fellow passengers or they will lose privileges. Generally, children will respond to their parent’s expectations. If your children have autism or other special needs, get your pediatrician’s advice on what would make their trip optimal. Adults should remember the effects of alcohol multiply in flight so limit your drinks. Do not board drunk or s****d. For everyone, if your seat companion does not want to engage in conversation, respect their privacy.
48points
#5
There are a few of them that I wish more passengers would respect.
I have encountered several passengers whom I'd like to talk to in regard to etiquette and I would like to tell them the following:
Please occupy the seat you were assigned and don't ask the person assigned on that seat to give it up for you. Passengers are willing to pay extra for a preferred seat while others went to the airport to check in early so they can ask for their preferred seat. Please respect their efforts and don't make them feel awkward by having to say "no" to you.
2. Queue at the boarding gate according to your seat number. The ground staff announces "Flight ____ is now accepting passengers for rows 16–31." If your seat number doesn't fall in this group, don't waste your time falling in line and then waste the ground staff's time by asking you to wait for your turn. I can't really blame ground staff when they became irritated at passengers who try to board their flights even though it's not yet their turn.
3. Stow your carry on luggage in the overhead bin above your seat and not in the compartments above the front rows. I've seen a lot of passengers seated on rows 16–31 stow their carry on bags in overhead bins above seats on rows 1–4. Just because you got to board first doesn't mean you get dibs on which compartment you can place your stuff. You don't even realize you're only delaying passengers from deplaning since the passengers in the front rows would have to go all the way back to retrieve their carry on bags because you took up space intended for them.
4. Please don't stand until the seatbelt sign is switched off or until the purser/lead cabin crew announces it's safe to stand up and get your bags. I've seen a lot of passengers do this. What part of "Please remain seated until the captain switches off the seatbelt sign" don't you understand?
5. Don't recline your seat the way you would your couch at home. Have some consideration for the person behind you by not taking up the entire limited space he or she already has.
6. Please be mindful of your movements and make sure you don't kick the seat in front of you if you're trying to move or stretch your legs. Like you, the passenger in front of you is also trying to get some rest. Similarly, don't tap the monitor screen too hard in front you. It's not going to load the movie or music any faster.
7. Please tone down your voice. The person you're talking to is only right beside you.
8. Please observe proper hygiene. You'll be sharing a limited space with fellow passengers so don't make the flight an unpleasant one for others because they have no choice but to put up with your stink for the duration of the flight.
9. The toilets are shared, so please don't take your time the way you would in your bathroom back home.
10. Remember, the passenger who sits in the middle has "rights" to the arm rests. Etiquette experts have agreed on this. Don't give the passenger sitting in the middle the stink eye for not sharing the arm rests with you. Similarly, for passengers in the middle seat, please do not man spread. It's not nice.
11. Lastly, don't prop your feet up against the seat in front of you.
I have encountered several passengers whom I'd like to talk to in regard to etiquette and I would like to tell them the following:
Please occupy the seat you were assigned and don't ask the person assigned on that seat to give it up for you. Passengers are willing to pay extra for a preferred seat while others went to the airport to check in early so they can ask for their preferred seat. Please respect their efforts and don't make them feel awkward by having to say "no" to you.
2. Queue at the boarding gate according to your seat number. The ground staff announces "Flight ____ is now accepting passengers for rows 16–31." If your seat number doesn't fall in this group, don't waste your time falling in line and then waste the ground staff's time by asking you to wait for your turn. I can't really blame ground staff when they became irritated at passengers who try to board their flights even though it's not yet their turn.
3. Stow your carry on luggage in the overhead bin above your seat and not in the compartments above the front rows. I've seen a lot of passengers seated on rows 16–31 stow their carry on bags in overhead bins above seats on rows 1–4. Just because you got to board first doesn't mean you get dibs on which compartment you can place your stuff. You don't even realize you're only delaying passengers from deplaning since the passengers in the front rows would have to go all the way back to retrieve their carry on bags because you took up space intended for them.
4. Please don't stand until the seatbelt sign is switched off or until the purser/lead cabin crew announces it's safe to stand up and get your bags. I've seen a lot of passengers do this. What part of "Please remain seated until the captain switches off the seatbelt sign" don't you understand?
5. Don't recline your seat the way you would your couch at home. Have some consideration for the person behind you by not taking up the entire limited space he or she already has.
6. Please be mindful of your movements and make sure you don't kick the seat in front of you if you're trying to move or stretch your legs. Like you, the passenger in front of you is also trying to get some rest. Similarly, don't tap the monitor screen too hard in front you. It's not going to load the movie or music any faster.
7. Please tone down your voice. The person you're talking to is only right beside you.
8. Please observe proper hygiene. You'll be sharing a limited space with fellow passengers so don't make the flight an unpleasant one for others because they have no choice but to put up with your stink for the duration of the flight.
9. The toilets are shared, so please don't take your time the way you would in your bathroom back home.
10. Remember, the passenger who sits in the middle has "rights" to the arm rests. Etiquette experts have agreed on this. Don't give the passenger sitting in the middle the stink eye for not sharing the arm rests with you. Similarly, for passengers in the middle seat, please do not man spread. It's not nice.
11. Lastly, don't prop your feet up against the seat in front of you.
42points
#6
I was seated between 3 men for 7 hours! On my flight to Delhi from Manchester, I was in the middle seat in the middle row (which has 4 seats). Our row looked like : Man 1 - Man 2 - Me - Man 3
I won't lie, I wasn’t too happy with this arrangement. After all, it was my fault - failing to check in online :( How did my 7 hours go? Comfortable. Kudos to the man on my left, who crossed his arms for the longest time and apologised even if his foot or knee touched mine. I could see he did everything to make me comfortable.
The man right to me, gave me his arm rest occasionally but was really nice too, poor him for getting up so many times for my small bladder.
According to me, this is a must have “passenger-on-a-flight” etiquette. Making everybody around you feel comfortable.
I won't lie, I wasn’t too happy with this arrangement. After all, it was my fault - failing to check in online :( How did my 7 hours go? Comfortable. Kudos to the man on my left, who crossed his arms for the longest time and apologised even if his foot or knee touched mine. I could see he did everything to make me comfortable.
The man right to me, gave me his arm rest occasionally but was really nice too, poor him for getting up so many times for my small bladder.
According to me, this is a must have “passenger-on-a-flight” etiquette. Making everybody around you feel comfortable.
31points
To get an insider’s perspective, we spoke with Krithika D’Souza, an experienced flight attendant who started her journey with Air India and now works for an international airline.
“We encounter unruly passengers all the time,” she shared. “It’s almost a given on every flight—there’s always someone causing trouble, whether it's minor inconveniences or full-blown incidents.”
#7
Number one thing that bugs me is people going barefoot and putting their feet all over everything. It's just gross. If you want to walk around barefoot on the plane, that's bad enough, but that's on you, just don't put your feet on the armrest and seat backs and literature and whatever else your monkey feet want to touch.
31points
#8
Sit in your own damn seat. As a gate agent, nothing was more aggravating than trying to close up an aircraft for departure, only to be stymied by people scrambling around because someone felt entitled to another's seat. I don't care why you want to move. Sit your a*s down, in your assigned seat, and deal with it once you're in the air and the seatbelt sign is off. After that, please shut up and pay attention to the safety briefing. There's an extremely slim chance it could save your life Even now that I'm retired, those are the two things that I just can't abide.
31points
#9
A2A - Thank you - Original question: What "passenger-on-a-flight" etiquette do you wish more people would respect? Thank you again for the question - I have a major pet peeve. Do not use the seat back of the person in front of you as a convenient way to get up, use the arm rests and push yourself up - it works. That seat back would be part of their seat, not your hand-hold. The person in front of you may be sleeping (or not), but at any rate, you have no right to rattle their head just because you want to get up.
28points
One of the most frustrating moments, according to Kritika, happens before the plane even takes off.
“Right from the moment they board, some passengers start throwing tantrums. While others are still finding their seats, they’ll start pressing the call button, demanding headphones, blankets, or drinks. We have to remind them that takeoff comes first—please, let everyone settle in before asking for extras! Some people just have no patience.”
#10
1) Don’t raise the armrest just so your fat a*s can spill over onto my seat. 2) Practice “shut-the-f**k-up” behavior. Meaning that if your seat neighbor has given you short, curt answers to your obvious attempts to strike up a conversation, that means they don’t want to have a conversation with you. So, STFU!
27points
#11
Some great answers on here already, but I will add my comments.
Personal Hygiene. Please practice personal grooming and wash yourself before getting crammed into a seat next to me. Also, it’s a very bad idea to pick your nose, shave or CLIP YOUR TOENAILS in your seat.
Control your children. Yes, I understand babies get fussy, and nobody, least of all a baby’s parents WANT to fly with them. I have a lot of patience for parents of infants on flights. I get it. As for toddlers and older children? Control them. Don’t let them into my space, or run up and down the aisles, or bang the back of my seat. Bring something to entertain/distract them, and don’t ignore them when they start acting up. Remember, your baby is your baby, not mine. I will not hold your child for any amount of time.
Seat backs recline. I get it, and you have every right to recline your seat. But during meal service (if there is one) please be considerate and put your seat upright so I can eat.
Stop looking at my computer/tablet/phone. I will pull up some nasty p**n or pimple popping videos if you keep checking out what I’m doing, Grandma.
DON’T BRING ALL OF YOUR LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE. (also don’t insist that my bag, which I have placed properly in the overhead bin should come out and go beneath my feet so you can save $25 by not checking your 3 bags and take my bin space instead.)
Don’t put your damned feet between the seat gaps of the row in front of you. Also, LEAVE YOUR SHOES ON.
Be mindful of your long hair. Don’t flip it over the back of your seat. I will close it in the tray holder.
Don’t try to get me to move from my Aisle or Window seat into your middle seat so you can be next to your travel companion. Plan your travel better and get seats together. Or, offer me cash to move.
If I have a headset in/on, please don’t try to have a conversation with me. Likewise, if I am asleep, unless I’m leaning on you, don’t mess with me. (the exception is if you have to get past me to use the restroom. I understand that.
Have some damned care when loading and unloading the overhead bin. If your bag hits me or falls on me, I will be very unhappy.
Move like you have a purpose both boarding and disembarking. Once it’s time to sit down or get off is not the time to try and get all your s**t together.
The person next to the window controls the shade. End of story. You may ask me to adjust it, but if it’s my window seat, it’s my shade. (flight crew instructions will be followed).
If you’ve got your own meal, awesome. I too occasionally bring food onto a flight. But be mindful or strong odors. Please don’t bring strong smelling foods like fish or kimchee on the plane to eat.
If you have a service animal, like a llama, goldfish, duck, dog, cat, parrot or whatever, keep it where it belongs. No, I don’t want to pet, hold or feed it. Unless it’s a baby Tiger. Then yes, I want to do all of that.
If you get airsick, please give me a heads-up. I’ll donate my airsickness bag to you and monitor you for signs of impending upchuck. I don’t want any of it on me, so I will be happy to help you. Just give me some warning well in advance of the 5 seconds of time it takes your lunch to go from your stomach onto the seat in front of you.
Sit down, strap in, be quiet and still. Nice flying with you!
*Every single event covered above has happened to me on multiple flights, including a man with horrid body odor who sat cross legged in his (and my) seat and proceeded to cut his toenails.
Personal Hygiene. Please practice personal grooming and wash yourself before getting crammed into a seat next to me. Also, it’s a very bad idea to pick your nose, shave or CLIP YOUR TOENAILS in your seat.
Control your children. Yes, I understand babies get fussy, and nobody, least of all a baby’s parents WANT to fly with them. I have a lot of patience for parents of infants on flights. I get it. As for toddlers and older children? Control them. Don’t let them into my space, or run up and down the aisles, or bang the back of my seat. Bring something to entertain/distract them, and don’t ignore them when they start acting up. Remember, your baby is your baby, not mine. I will not hold your child for any amount of time.
Seat backs recline. I get it, and you have every right to recline your seat. But during meal service (if there is one) please be considerate and put your seat upright so I can eat.
Stop looking at my computer/tablet/phone. I will pull up some nasty p**n or pimple popping videos if you keep checking out what I’m doing, Grandma.
DON’T BRING ALL OF YOUR LUGGAGE ON THE PLANE. (also don’t insist that my bag, which I have placed properly in the overhead bin should come out and go beneath my feet so you can save $25 by not checking your 3 bags and take my bin space instead.)
Don’t put your damned feet between the seat gaps of the row in front of you. Also, LEAVE YOUR SHOES ON.
Be mindful of your long hair. Don’t flip it over the back of your seat. I will close it in the tray holder.
Don’t try to get me to move from my Aisle or Window seat into your middle seat so you can be next to your travel companion. Plan your travel better and get seats together. Or, offer me cash to move.
If I have a headset in/on, please don’t try to have a conversation with me. Likewise, if I am asleep, unless I’m leaning on you, don’t mess with me. (the exception is if you have to get past me to use the restroom. I understand that.
Have some damned care when loading and unloading the overhead bin. If your bag hits me or falls on me, I will be very unhappy.
Move like you have a purpose both boarding and disembarking. Once it’s time to sit down or get off is not the time to try and get all your s**t together.
The person next to the window controls the shade. End of story. You may ask me to adjust it, but if it’s my window seat, it’s my shade. (flight crew instructions will be followed).
If you’ve got your own meal, awesome. I too occasionally bring food onto a flight. But be mindful or strong odors. Please don’t bring strong smelling foods like fish or kimchee on the plane to eat.
If you have a service animal, like a llama, goldfish, duck, dog, cat, parrot or whatever, keep it where it belongs. No, I don’t want to pet, hold or feed it. Unless it’s a baby Tiger. Then yes, I want to do all of that.
If you get airsick, please give me a heads-up. I’ll donate my airsickness bag to you and monitor you for signs of impending upchuck. I don’t want any of it on me, so I will be happy to help you. Just give me some warning well in advance of the 5 seconds of time it takes your lunch to go from your stomach onto the seat in front of you.
Sit down, strap in, be quiet and still. Nice flying with you!
*Every single event covered above has happened to me on multiple flights, including a man with horrid body odor who sat cross legged in his (and my) seat and proceeded to cut his toenails.
23points
#12
Don’t invade other people’s personal space physically, or with sounds, odors or demands.
21points
Then there’s the mad rush to the washroom before the flight has even left the ground.
“The second they sit down, some people get up to use the toilet or rummage through the overhead bin. The problem? The aircraft hasn’t even taken off yet! We have to repeatedly ask them to sit down for safety reasons, but some just don’t listen,” Kritika said.
#13
I agree with all the comments posted, particularly these: 1) Let passengers with tight connections exit first so they can make their flights, and 2) Sit in your assigned seat and don’t beg other people to change with you. If sitting together is that important to you, choose your seats beforehand like the rest of us do. I’d like...
20points
#14
Stow you're bag, clear the aisle ASAP. If you are in the middle seat then the armrests are yours. Window and aisle seats can spread the other way. Wear your seatbelt when seated, and always follow instructions from cabin crew. If the seatbelt light is on, stay seated and wait. Never kick, or allow your children to kick, the seat in front. Seats recline for a purpose and that is ok, but during meal service seat backs should be upright. Make sure you are wearing clean clothes and have attended to your personal hygiene. Leave the toilet as you would like to find it.
20points
#15
Stop trying to jam your %$&# luggage into the overhead bins when it won't fit. I've had countless morons try to do this, particularly with hard-sided carry-ons. There are plenty of us who travel with flexible or soft-sided bags. Soft-sided bags that may have things too delicate to trust to checked bags, like a bottle of alcohol, a glass souvenir or something else breakable. Secondly, if a person has placed their carry-on in the bin, they own the space above it. Don't think you can jam and crush their bag to get yours on top. The space is occupied. Get lost. I can't tell you how many times I've had to snap at some dope: “Show a little respect for the belongings of others!”
20points
And, of course, there are those who simply don’t care about others.
“Some passengers are so loud and disruptive that they ruin the experience for everyone around them. They talk at full volume, play music without headphones, or have phone conversations as if they’re in their own house. The worst part? There’s nothing much we can do except apologize to the other passengers and hope these people calm down.”
#16
Having just returned at 1am this morning from a long Hartford to LA flight, I’ll say this: Standing in the aisle to talk to a friend and blocking the route to the bathroom.
20points
#17
I’m pretty tolerant on long flights, because I realize that the current fashion of stuffing people into tiny coach seats like sardines means that they’ll inevitably get on each other’s nerves at times. Not because they’re being callous, but because even shifting position can interfere with their seatmate’s comfort. But, if I had to choose the action that is most needlessly annoying, I’d say it’s when one passenger hogs the overhead bin, or holds up the line of passengers. When you get on the plane and find your seat, is it really necessary to stand in the aisle for an additional two minutes in order to get organized, or to hold a conversation with your traveling companions? I don’t tend to get upset at people who are hurrying to get off the plane when it lands. I just assume that they have a short connection to make, or that they’re a bit claustrophobic.
16points
#18
I wish people would be more considerate about putting back their seats. Some people may have a cup of coffee or are working on their computer behind you. People with weak bladders probably need not to request the window seat as they often have to wake up the person next to them to get to the toilet, Please don’t take off your socks and go bare footed. It is a cattle call on these modern day airliners, and a little courtesy really helps reduce the anxiety for most folks.
16points
The numbers back it up—disruptive passenger behavior is on the rise. According to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association, unruly passenger incidents increased significantly in 2023.
With over 24,500 reported incidents from more than 50 operators worldwide, the data shows that there was one unruly passenger for every 480 flights, compared to one in every 568 flights in 2022. It’s clear that flying has become more stressful—not just for passengers but for the crew as well.
#19
When boarding a flight, put your hand luggage up then sit down or stand so you are NOT blocking the aisle. Its so frustrating to see persons fiddling with their hand luggage whist there are 50 people behind them trying to get to their seats. *once everyone is seated you can stand and THEN get that MP3 player, magazine, book, sandwich, IPad, water bottle* You will have time don't worry
16points
#20
A number of things: 1: Learn how to move in a crowd. Remember, there are people behind you always. Even in the airport terminal. This means not standing still in high traffic areas like the top of escalators, the entrances to the restrooms, and the aisle of the plane during boarding 2: Don’t grab the head rest of every aisle passenger as you walk up the aisle. You are shaking everyone. People are sitting there. Maybe sleeping. 3: Don’t ask people to swap seats. It’s akin to panhandling. Your problem is not their problem, they owe you nothing, and people pay extra for seat selection. I will always refuse. Unless you are tra...
15points