The unspoken rules of flight etiquette Posted by Anita Froneman on 13 February 2020 Flying sounds like a dream to some, but frequent travellers know that unless you can afford business or first class, it’s no picnic. Sharing a confined space with strangers for hours at a time comes with its own unique set of problems. Screaming babies, squabbling over the arm rest, and rude neighbours are only some of the problems that make passengers dread getting on a plane. The most-debated topic has to be the etiquette of reclining seats. Is it rude to recline your seat if the person behind you doesn’t? Is it rude to ask someone not to recline their seat? Do ‘taller than average’ people get preference over whether seats may or may not be reclined? Recently, a passenger flying with a US airline reclined her seat and the passenger behind her didn’t like it at all. So he began knocking her seat. She filmed him, taking to Twitter and saying the airline refused to help her and even offered the man behind her a free drink after she asked for assistance. @BravoAndy Here’s a great jackhole! He was angry that I reclined my seat and punched it about 9 times – HARD, at which point I began videoing him, and he resigned to this behavior. The other jackhole is the @AmericanAir flight attendant who reprimanded me and offered him rum! pic.twitter.com/dHeUysrKTu — wendi (@steelersfanOG) February 9, 2020 The internet is divided. Some say people who recline their seats invade the space of other passengers and are being inconsiderate. There is even an Instagram account dedicated to the strange things some passengers witness on flights, like this passenger who seems to be picking dry skin from his feet: View this post on Instagram MONDAY MOTIVATION? #flyingfeet #pickemifyougotem ✈️👣😂🙏🏼😘 “A video filmed on board an AirAsia flight, captured a man picking his toes and dry skin from his feet, before dropping it on the floor. The video, captured by fellow passenger Jade Thomas, took place on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi.” – DailyMail (video from 2018, not sure how we missed this gem!) 🤷🏼♀️🤣 Don’t forget to check out our new “Passenger Hall of Shame” Collection of merch, including a tee and hoodie that reads “Stop Taking Your Shoes Off On Planes” (amongst others) • • • #passengershaming #flyingfeet #instagramaviation #comeflywithme #airlinelife #airplaneetiquette #frequentflyer #crewlife #plane #aviation #cabincrew #avgeek #cabincrewlife #flightattendant #flightattendantlife #stewardess #flightattendantproblems #travel #flightattendants #instapassport #aviationgeek #FAlife #airtravel #travelgram #traveltips #pilotlife #frequentflier #mondaymotivation A post shared by Passenger Shaming (@passengershaming) on Jan 13, 2020 at 5:20am PST And another passenger who is for some reason drying underwear beneath the air conditioner above her seat: View this post on Instagram A little #TuesdayMotivation to help you with the week. 🙌🏽🙏🏼Things could always be worse…. 💨👙😂 (we originally posted this video last year, and it still holds up. literally.) This is a repost for all of our new followers! 👍🏼 Welcome aboard!! 😘👩🏼✈️ • • • #passengershaming #NOPE #flyingfeet #instagramaviation #airplaneetiquette #frequentflyer #crewlife #sassystew #aviation #cabincrew #avgeek #cabincrewlife #flightattendant #flightattendantlife #stewardess #flightattendantproblems #travel #flightattendants #instapassport #aviationgeek #FAlife #airtravel #travelgram #traveltips #pilot #pilotlife #travelling #frequentflier A post shared by Passenger Shaming (@passengershaming) on Feb 11, 2020 at 4:07am PST General rules to abide by when boarding a flight is to make sure you keep your hand luggage in the designated seat in front of you, or the compartment directly over your seat. Don’t use both arm rests and don’t put your feet on the seat in front of you. Don’t stretch your legs in the aisle, and if you travel with children, do your best to keep them calm. When you do recline, do so carefully and it’s considered thoughtful to ask the passenger behind you if they are comfortable with it. Most of these rules seem reasonable -and obvious- enough, but like they say: Common sense ain’t that common. Image: Unsplash Related Posts 10 of the best eco hotels in South Africa 13 May 2021 Just a simple hut, on a private beach or in the middle of the wilderness,... read more Texting and driving could kill innocent road users 7 December 2020 This topic is receiving much attention internationally and we would like to discuss in this... read more Microplastics discovered 8,000m above sea level 23 November 2020 Microplastics have been discovered just 400-metres below the peak of Mount Everest. The highest point... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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