14 THINGS NOT TO DO ON A PLANE - HOW TO GET INSTANT ENEMIES
You want to make hundreds of people hate you? Well, in a plane that's way easier than you might think! Try any of these airplane etiquette violations or annoying things to do and you’ll have some instant enemies 😈 😜
1. Slamming your seat back
We won’t get in to the recline vs. no-recline debate, but we can all agree that people who slam their seat straight back immediately after takeoff, without even sparing a glance behind them to see if they’re about to smash a laptop screen or send a drink flying, are the absolute worst. We can all agree on that, right?
2. Fighting for the armrest
The poor middle seat passenger should at least get some pity armrest space from the aisle and window seat flyers. Don’t agree and want to passive-aggressively elbow the person next to you the entire flight? Congratulations, you’re a terrible human being.
3. Pounding the seatback screen
The on-demand entertainment screens on the seatback don’t always function the way they should, but when you’re pounding on the screen trying to get it to work, don’t forget about the person sitting in front of you who’s feeling his seat shake with every selection you make. Be gentle or, better yet, use the remote.
4. Don't joke about bombs
No one is going to laugh at your one-liner about guns, weapons, or anything else that could be taken as threatening - particularly not the flight attendants, who have the power to remove you from a flight if they think there’s even the slightest chance you might pose a security risk. (Note: The same advice goes for customs people and TSA agents.)
5. Don't recline your seat during mealtimes
Related to number one - one of the biggest debates in the travel world is whether it’s okay to recline your seat. Whichever side of the issue you take, I think all of us can agree that once the food and drink carts start rolling down the aisles, it’s only courteous to make sure your seat is upright so the person behind you can have full access to his or her tray.
6. Smelling bad
Is the sense of relief you feel after removing your shoes stronger than the smell of your feet wafting through the cabin? There are reasons you might smell bad when traveling that can be beyond your control, but if you’re tainting the cabin air on purpose by going barefoot or eating something odorous, your fellow flyers are justified in their hatred towards you.
7. Stealing the overhead space
The tiny overhead bins are a huge minefield of airplane etiquette. Major violations include: throwing your stuff in the first overhead bin you see even though your seat is at the back of the plane, utilizing it for small items like a sweatshirt, or taking up all the space with oversized carry-ons.
8. Don't drink too much
No one will complain if you have a glass of wine with dinner, but over-indulging in alcohol can have consequences ranging from dehydration to even getting kicked off the plane for disorderly behavior. Remember: No one wants to sit next to the guy who reeks of alcohol, passes out on your shoulder, or throws up on your shoes.
9. Not using headphones
You have amazing taste in music and movies, so why wouldn’t you want to share your selections with the entire plane? Turns out the people two rows ahead of you may not want to spend the entire flight listening to bleeps and bloops from the game you’re playing on your phone, so please do us all a favor and plug in headphones or entertain yourself on mute.
10. Don't eat stinky food
Speaking of mealtimes, give your seatmates a break—don’t show up for your flight with a tuna sandwich or a plate of onion rings. Not only will they stink while you’re eating them, but they’ll also ensure that you have bad breath for the rest of the flight.
11. Don't abuse the flight attendant call button
The flight attendants’ first priority is to keep you safe, not to cater to your every whim, so use discretion when deciding when to hit that call button. If you’re feeling ill, or you’re thirsty on an overnight flight when the lights are out and getting up would wake your sleeping seatmates, feel free to hit the button. If the flight attendants are already serving dinner and you decide you need a drink right now, suck it up and be patient.
12. Ignoring your own children
We get it, you can’t always control a screaming baby. But if you’re pretending to be engrossed in your book while your kid is kicking the back of a seat or running wild down the aisles, be prepared to make some plane enemies.
13. Don't put your carry-on in an overhead bin where you're not sitting
As pet peeves go, this is one of my biggest—when the person in 33A puts her carry-on in the bin above row 16, ensuring that there won’t be enough space for the people actually sitting in row 16 to stow their own bags. This means people in the front of the plane end up having to put their bags toward the back, which leads to passengers trying to go against the stream of traffic when it comes time to deplane. Do everyone a favor and use your own overhead bin space unless there’s no alternative.
14. Don't infringe on your neighbor's space (or screen)
With airplane seats getting smaller and smaller, passengers with broad shoulders or long legs almost can’t help spilling over the bounds of their seats at some point. But I’m speaking out against intentional (and obnoxious) behaviors like manspreading, hogging the armrests, or flipping your ponytail over the back of your seat so it obscures the video screen of the person behind you. Your neighbors paid for their space, too; respect it.
