I live about 1,000 miles away from where I go to school, so basically all of my holiday travel happens on airplanes. I have direct flights, layovers, and have even experienced a number of delays. In all my air travel experience, there are always some people in the airport with annoying mannerisms which directly relate to simply not having been on an airplane before. If you’re about to embark on your first plane ride, here are 10 behaviors you should avoid in the airport.
1. Not having your ID out.
When you start off through security, you must have your ID and your ticket. Not having your ID out and ready to go slows down the security line and frustrates people around you.
2. Not being ready for the security checkpoint.
Security checkpoints, I admit, can be a bit of a hassle, but they’re easier for you and everyone else if you’re prepared for them. This means pockets emptied, shoes and coats off, laptop out, liquids in a sandwich bag, and not stacking things inside the plastic bins. It’s a process, and people ahead of you won’t be as fast as lightning, but if you’re walking over to the scanning machine with your shoes still on, you’re doing it wrong.
3. Leaving your bags in a seat.
If you’re going to the bathroom, take your carry-on items with you. Not only do you risk your luggage being stolen or tampered with, but it’s also frustrating when the only seats at the gate that don’t have people in them have bags in them instead.
4. Standing near the line during the priority call.
You’re exempt from this one if you’re a priority passenger, but if you’re in or after Group 2, just calm down. Crowding the gate and line keeps other passengers from hearing important information and sometimes clogs the walking area behind you.
5. Not tagging your roller board carry-on at the gate.
As someone who takes full advantage of the “carry-on and one personal item” rule for trips that last only a week to ten days, always make sure that you check your roller board carry on at the gate. Most airlines will provide you with a tag that allows you to drop off and pick up your carry on planeside, leaving more room in the overhead compartments for non-roller board carry-ons. This is especially important if your flight is full.
6. Refraining to put your phone on airplane mode.
I’m sure that texting and calling your loved ones/business associates/whoever else to tell them you’ve boarded is important, but please do so efficiently and then turn your phone onto airplane mode. While it may not seem incredibly pertinent until you’re in the sky, it’s best to follow airline regulations and also be paying attention to safety instructions as the plane is in taxi.
7. Spreading out as much as possible in your seat.
As a five-foot-four female, I know I am not the absolute authority on the size of Economy class seats. I know they’re small and uncomfortable, even for me, but that’s the space you paid for, so now you have to deal with it. Infringing on others’ personal space is rude and uncomfortable on even the shortest of flights.
8. Talking loudly with the people around you.
I am not saying you shouldn’t talk, but it is courteous to keep your voice down. Everyone has their own thing they do on a plane, whether it’s listening to music, watching a movie, reading a book or magazine, etc. Loud talking often disrupts and agitates others, which is not a good thing in a giant metal tube hurtling 30,000 plus miles above the ground.
9. Shoving to the front of the airplane as soon as it stops.
The exception to this is if you have a connection you absolutely have to make. If you don’t, there’s no real point in dashing past everyone to get to the front when the door isn’t open and the jetway isn’t connected. If you just wait patiently in your spot, you’ll find everyone gets off the plane at a rather swift pace once everything is all set.
10. Getting into the vehicle that's picking you up while it is in the moving lanes.
Arrivals suck at many airports, since they’re so traffic-heavy and everyone has to pull off to the right to stop and let their people in. It’s not fun to wait for, and it’s not fun when the person picking you up can’t wedge into a spot right near you and has to drive further down. However, this does not mean you should walk into the center or left lanes that cross the pickup section and stop a whole line of traffic just to get into your vehicle. Waiting two more minutes or walking a bit further down will not kill you.
These are just some major things airport newbies (and sometimes airport veterans) do that disrupt and inconvenience others at the airport. They are all easy to avoid, and simply require planning, patience, and conscientiousness. If you can master these, you’re one step closer to making air travel less of a headache for yourself and the people you travel with.
