While nobody is asking you to go out of your way to be extra kind to your fellow passengers, there are certain “rules of the air” that you should keep in mind while traveling.
Airplane etiquette, while largely unspoken, should be one of your top priorities while flying. Being conscientious of others surely improves your chances of a stress-free and comfortable flight.
One woman experienced first-hand exactly what happens when airplane etiquette falls by the wayside. She turned to the “Mildly Infuriating” Reddit forum to share exactly what she saw on a 6-hour flight.
The woman shared a video of a nearby plane passenger using a flashing phone charger on her 6-hour red-eye flight.
After making her way to her middle seat, ready to bed down for her 6-hour red-eye flight, this passenger was shocked when she caught some flashing lights out of the corner of her eye. Her section of the plane lit up, she looked over to see the culprit — a woman who’d plugged in her fluorescent phone charger to the front of her seat.
While she found it absurd, nobody seemed to speak up, so she took to Reddit to post a video and asked users if she was overreacting or if this was genuinely disrespectful to people trying to sleep on the overnight flight.
She considered it disrespectful, which prompted a discussion about appropriate plane etiquette for traveling passengers.
While it’s clear there’s no written, or even spoken, rule for these kinds of phone chargers on a plane, comments suggested it was unfair to those around her.
So, how can you know what’s appropriate to do on a plane outside of just using common sense?
Traveling site The Points Guy shared their plane etiquette rules every passenger should be courteous of and even named a few controversial ones that have gone viral in recent months.
“Don’t recline your seats during meal times,” they urged. “Some cabin crew will instruct passengers to raise their seats during mealtime, but regardless you should do it out of respect for the person behind you.”
In addition to the first “golden rule” for traveling, they mentioned leaving the armrests to the middle passenger, keeping your socks and shoes on during the flight, not playing music loudly and standing up for passengers coming into your row.
Other TikTok creators shared tips for plane passengers that make traveling more comfortable and efficient for everyone.
Outside of simple courtesy for plane passengers near you, other creators suggested tips for making your own experience more enjoyable. Self-proclaimed “grandma to the masses” shared the tips that many people forget while traveling.
“Do — adjust the headrest to create a nook for your head to rest in while on the plane,” she started. “Do — be patient and wait your turn. Everybody has to get off the plane eventually.”
She also pointed out the button on the bottom of most plane armrests which can easily lift up the barrier to make moving into your row a little bit easier. Outside of these, her other “dos and don’ts” were relatively simple to ensure you keep your neighbors happy and yourself comfortable.
While you might not have brought a flashing charger onto your flight or purchased “stinky food” right before boarding, you may have some habits while traveling that are less than courteous.
Consider bringing a little extra kindness and self-awareness on your next flight. You never know what someone might be struggling with while seated beside you.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture analysis and human interest stories.