Peak travel season is starting for the year. Lots of people will be flying.
Here are 10 things you should never do on a plane flight, both for your own comfort and out of respect for fellow passengers and airline staff:
1. Ignore Flight Attendant Instructions
They’re there for your safety. Disregarding them isn’t just rude — it can be illegal. Does anyone watch the screen or pay attention to the flight attendants at the beginning of the flight when they are showing all that safety stuff?
2. Recline Your Seat Without Checking
Suddenly reclining can spill drinks, damage laptops, or annoy the person behind you. Always glance back and do it slowly.
3. Go Barefoot
Cabin floors are not clean. Wearing shoes is a basic courtesy and hygiene measure.
4. Bring Strong-Smelling Food
Foods like tuna, eggs, or certain fast food can make the cabin unpleasant for everyone.
5. Get Drunk
Alcohol affects you more at altitude. Getting drunk on a plane can lead to aggressive or disruptive behavior, and airlines may report you.
6. Hog the Armrests (Middle Seat Gets Priority)
In etiquette terms, the person in the middle seat should get both armrests as a small consolation. I did have an arm wrestling match with a middle seater once, I guess I was wrong. I was in the window seat at the time.
7. Be Rude to Airline Staff
They deal with a lot. Being polite makes everyone’s experience better, and being aggressive can get you removed from the flight.
8. Use Strong Fragrances
Perfumes or colognes can trigger allergies or asthma in confined spaces.
9. Ignore Personal Hygiene
Long flights don’t mean letting go of basic cleanliness. Being overly sweaty or smelly affects everyone nearby. I literally had to move my seat one time because the guy next to me smelled so bad. It was in the days when you could just get up and move, I just moved without saying anything. He kept looking back, wondering where I went.
10. Leave Your Headphones Off When Watching Media
No one wants to hear your game, movie, or music — always use headphones and keep the volume low.
Speaking of travel, Hotels.com has a bunch of Summer Specials going on right now. Check it out.
RECEIVE 10 WITH TOM in your email each time I publish. Sign up here.
10withtom.com 