Q&A for How to Practice Airplane Etiquette

Kindly ask one of the flight attendants if they can possibly reassign you to a different seat.

If possible, ask to be seated in a different seat. If that is not possible, wear a mask if you have one. If you don’t have a mask, you improvise with a scarf. Once you arrive at your destination take a shower, blow your nose, gargle your throat, and change your clothes. You may want to take extra vitamin C, D, and zinc to support your immune system.

You can have your headphones on at any sound level, but playing music from a device at any sound level would not be respectful to other passengers and may not be allowed on some flights.

Ignore them. If they continue to use inappropriate language, contact one of the flight crew to take care of the situation.

Try to get a window seat near the wing because it is the most stable and you can look out, sleep, or do whatever you like and not be bumped by people walking up and down the aisle.

Notify a flight attendant and have them moved to a different seat. If they are trying to grab you, they will most likely be kicked off the flight. If someone is following you or trying to grab you in the airport, then contact airport security.

The parents likely would be happy for a break; also, it shows the other passengers compassion.

Politely tell them to remove their arm, because you need to rest yours and it's your space.

Yes. Just don't suddenly move it down; make sure it is OK with the person behind you first.

If no one is sitting there, you can cross if you really need to. If any of the seats are taken, you can't cross, unless there is plenty of space for your actions to not inconvenience anyone else. Follow the crew's directions, they should show you the correct aisle to your seat without the need for crossing between the aisles. If you are helping someone, consider helping them after take-off so as to complete the boarding process as quickly as possible. All that being said, if you really need to cross the aisles, even if there are people in the seats and there is no space to cross, you can politely ask them to let you through.

No, just ring once. Flight attendants are busy, so keep that in mind. If nobody responds, just wait until an attendant walks by and politely try to get their attention.

It would be better to ask the child's parent(s) directly to interfere and control their child, but if they don't do anything, then that would justify calling the flight attendant.

No matter who it is, young or old, if you don't want someone touching you, you have the right to make this known and the person should stop. Kids don't know any better, but that doesn't mean you should just accept it. Show through your body language and actions that you do not appreciate it, and the parents must take action to stop this. If this doesn't work, try asking them politely; if that doesn't work either, can you ask the flight attendant to intervene.

If it's your 5-year-old, this is a perfect teaching opportunity. If it's not, you mind your own business. Sure, if it's a repeated thing, you might politely show that you do not appreciate such language. But really, an air flight isn't the place to get into it.

It's annoying, we've all been there. But what, in a clear, normal, objective light, do you actually expect the baby or the parents to do about it? Babies cry, it's a fact of life. No parents have ever said, "He's about to cry, let's hop on an airplane!" It's embarrassing and annoying for them, too, and you can be sure they're trying their utmost to hush and comfort the baby, help him get to sleep, etc. Yes, you have a right to a quiet flight, but so do they. Focus your attention on something else, use ear plugs, try to sleep, listen to music. Relax, exhale, send a comforting smile to the parents.

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do. The parent should be doing his/her best to quiet the child, and you shooting dirty looks or asking the parent to quiet the kid won't be helpful. Bring earplugs or headphones and try to ignore the noise.

The simplest way to remember is to go in letter order. A, B, and C go before D, E, F.

The person in the front seat. Their seat reclines for a reason, therefore they have the right to recline when they want to.

Turn around and politely ask them to reposition theirself. They most likely will, but if not, then you can move your foot orientation so your feet aren't touching.

The best way to deal with this is to ask the people sitting in the seats you are passing to stand up into the aisle so you pass their seats as they are empty. "Excuse me, would you mind getting up so I can reach my seat?" Alternatively, the design of airplane seats (and, to a lesser extent, theaters) imply that shuffling sideways to your seat with your back towards the other passengers aligns your body more closely with the seats, allowing for a better balance and moveability. Facing the people usually extends your back and knees in a straight up position, leaving you prone to fall forward onto the other passengers.

That's perfectly allowed. If you keep the conversation going, that's fine; if not, the other person will pick up that hint. If not, you can politely mention that you're going to read something, or have some thoughts to go over as you stare out the window, or you can politely end the conversation: "That's interesting, thanks for that conversation, it was nice."

Simply say, "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." Don't worry about if they're crabby or not, anyone who sits in an aisle seat should expect to have to move at some point to allow their seatmate to get up. If the restroom is occupied once you get there, simply stand outside the door and wait, and then move aside to allow the other person to pass when they come out.

If there's nothing underneath the seat, and the person behind you doesn't seem to be using the space underneath it, go ahead and put your feet there. But keep in mind, if they want to use that space, then you need to move your feet and let them.

You can tell the flight attendant that you appreciate their providing you a meal, but, the food wasn't to your taste. You shouldn't be embarrassed about what you do or don't like to eat. The flight attendant doesn't want you to eat something you don't like. You could try saying, "I'm sorry I couldn't manage this" and the flight attendant may assume you were full from another meal. If you think you might not like the food, you could decline it initially to save embarrassment.

No, there is no reason to do this. There's almost always ground personnel at hand to help passengers - men and women - unboard the plane.

You could work it out with them so that one of you takes the front half and the other takes the rear half, or say that everyone in the row should use arm rests on the right. It's very unlikely that there will only be one armrest, since each seat has arm rests on both sides.

Step past them. If you brush up against them, it is fine. Just don't step on them.

Do not cope with that. Be firm but polite, and demand respect. There are situations, like someone's in the aisle, someone else is taking a coat off, and yet a third is getting up. Someone might take charge and suggest a smooth way for everyone to get through: "Ma'am if you step aside for a moment and you stay seated, I'll pass by and it will ease things up." But barring that, don't let anyone boss you around. Say "You are being impolite, and it is unacceptable."

Call security, stop the person and sort out whose bag is whose. It could be an honest mistake, though people always do know what their own bags look like. There is always security personnel at hand for these situations, and airports take these matters very seriously and will act accordingly.

Not everything requires action. Sure, you have the right to a quiet and polite flight, and this person is disturbing that. But you don't always have to start something. Focus your attention elsewhere, listen to music, or just use ear plugs, try to get some sleep. On the other hand, if you think it is likely to escalate, it is best nipped in the bud: by a flight attendant or an air marshal, not by you. If necessary, you can show your support for these people by standing with them without taking an active role in this. In all, I think this is not an issue that requires any action from you.