Travel Etiquette: The Respectable Way to Travel on an Airplane
Travelling can be tough. Travel etiquette is important, especially for Australians as visiting foreign countries will most likely mean boarding an airplane and spending a significant amount of time flying.
This can be a stressful experience for the first time to frequent flyers. Traffic to the airport, long check-in queues, frustrated people and flight delays are all commonly encountered when travelling and contribute to creating an extremely stressful airplane environment. This is multiplied with a lot of people spending hours together in a small and uncomfortable space.
In summary, flying is often a RECIPE FOR DISASTER!
Image: http://www.steve-morrish.com
Lets look at the best ways to conduct yourself (and your family) when flying to avoid stress and make it a comfortable flight for everybody aboard.
Travel Etiquette Pre Flight:
- Be organised before you arrive at the airport. Apps can help your organisation.
Visit our article on the top travel apps
- Check in online if possible, Or at least have your preferred seats arranged as you don’t want to get stuck next to the toilet!
- Have your bags, passport and flight documents in order. Always carry a pen for departure/arrival forms.
- Arrive early and be patient when checking in. 5 minutes longer in the line won’t kill you.
- Always view the weather forecast for where you are going. It is easy to spot an Australian travelling because they always get off a flight with thongs, shorts, and a t-shirt regardless of where they are going.
Image : thebakingbookworm.blogspot.com
Travel Etiquette Boarding and In Flight:
- When boarding listen to instructions from ground staff and only board when directed as jumping in early will only delay departure.
- Check your boarding pass and take your allocated seat. It always amazes me how often people sit in another persons place.
- Keep your seat upright when eating meals so the passenger behind you can see and eat their meal.
- Be polite and courteous to Airline staff as their job can be very demanding and tiring.
- Keep your kids in their seat and under control. This can be a difficult scenario and airline staff will usually assist you in any way they can.
- Be patient and follow instructions when landing and exiting the plane.
- If you have any baggage or seating issues be polite to staff so they can resolve these issues quickly.
- Do not drink too much alcohol whilst in the air. This can harmful for your body and mind
- Do not smoke in an airplane under any circumstances.
Image: http://www.traveller.com.au
Follow these simple ideas to make your flight as easy and enjoyable as possible. Take a look at our article on travel essentials to see what else can help with your next long-haul flight.
Being polite, courteous, responsible and mature will go along way to making a stressful flight more enjoyable. If you have any Travel Etiquette horror stories feel free to share them in the comments section below.