580Kviews
30 Do’s And Don’ts When Traveling By Plane, As Pointed Out By Folks In This Online Group
Traveling is a thing everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. It offers you heaps of great emotions and fills you up with memories that you're bound to cherish till the end of your sweet days.
You get to learn about different countries and people's cultures, meet great companions, and try all the mouth-watering foods of our world.
However, the actual travel process can be rather stress-inducing. The packing, a dreadfully long wait at the airport, and what seem like endless security checks – and don't forget the unforeseen circumstances – these things are not fun for most.
But worry no more – a couple of netizens turned to one of Reddit’s communities, wondering what handy tricks and etiquette rules there are to bear in mind before heading off on your next adventure. The questions were directed to frequent flyers; they received up to 29K upvotes and got showered with helpful comments discussing the ins and outs of air travel.
More info: Reddit 1 | Reddit 2 | Reddit 3
This post may include affiliate links.
Make sure to pet the plane right before you get on and tell it that it is a good plane. I do that every time and the plane never crashes.
I did this! I gave the plane a little pat right before my brother pointed at the "Do Not Touch" sign. Whoops.
1. Take a picture of your passport. Keep a copy on your phone and a hardcopy in your luggage.
2. Take a picture of your luggage. If it is lost, showing the picture to the lost luggage person helps a lot.
Very good advice, when my luggage was lost it was a new bag I bought when abroad, so it was really difficult to remember what it looked like "oh it's blue... and a red ribbon... and a front pocket... and wheels" 😅
This one is pretty general, but from experience I guess it still needs saying: If a person has headphones on, earbuds in, *whatever,* don't try to make small talk. It's nothing personal, but some people have really long days at airports (Can't tell you how many red-eyes I've caught after waiting standby all day) and just *don't want to talk*.
Follow-up, for the flip side of this instance: If you're listening to music, be reasonable about the volume. The people around you shouldn't be able to hear your tunes.
Don't assume that because people exist they must want to chat with you, headphones or not LOL
If you have a lot of time to kill, find the area in baggage claim where pets are reunited with their owners. It's a blast watching those dogs get out of their carriers, and they all behave differently.
I’ve flown over a million miles so hopefully this helps. Make sure to check behind you before you throw your seat back when reclining, the overhead bins are shared spaces, if you have a backpack it’s best under the seat in front of you to save room in the overhead. The person in the window seat gets the wall and an arrest, the middle person gets two armrests, the aisle person gets a little extra leg room and an armrest. Treat your flight attendants with respect. Most of all flying is inherently miserable so don’t be a d**k.
Late to the discussion, but... If you're a smaller person and a large person sits next to you, do not say "yes" if they ask to put up the arm rest between you. I feel a little bad for them because they are crammed into a small seat, but the most miserable flight I've ever had was having 1/3 of my seat taken by another person.
Once the plane lands and the seatbelt sign is switched off, just...chill. Stay comfortably in your seat until people start exiting the plane. There is no point standing with your head hitting the overhead locker for five minutes - it's not going to get you off any sooner.
Some of need to stand. We know we are getting off quicker, but our backs need to stretch after sitting through the flight in a cramped chair where you have to contort your shoulders and legs to dodge aisle walkers and middle seat passengers.
@Jerry seriously!!! as someone who has had knee surgeries on both the bastards, I need to stand up (in my seat area) and start flexing them, otherwise I will be too slow as we leave the plane and annoy ppl even more. Not everyone is fully able-bodied even if they look it.
Load More Replies...
It's not about getting off sooner; it's about getting off my aching tailbone and painful hip joints... streching my neck to one side is like yoga. I'm good with getting up asap.
I have to say --and this is going to make me sound privileged I know-- I'm a big gal and so when I travel, I always save a part of my budget to do first or business class. These prices are drastically different than standard ticket prices and it's not like there's a whole lot different with certain airlines. *Sometimes* there is on longer flights/bigger airlines but, honestly the seat is bigger and that's the only real benefit. And it drives me crazy that one of the few benefits you're SUPPOSED to get is to board early/get off first and they honestly rarely enforce it. They'll call first class and before you even get to the line they're calling everyone else so you go on the same time. And when you land, people start coming up the aisle before the door even opens so I'm stuck waiting. People complain about being stuck near a fat person all the time but even when we try to do the right thing we can't. Part of the fee is being able to de-board first but...it never happens.
I have knee and back issues, so it is important for me to get in a good stretch before trying to walk. I don't mind being last to get off the plane, but after sitting for so long, I have to stretch.
yeah, no, flights are so cramped and if you have to stretch, you *have* to stretch. I'm not saying do yoga in the aisle, but if you're not blockin gthe aisle, it's fine.
I so hope people stop giving this BS advice with generalization for all. Some must stand up to relieve discomfort and pain in their legs or back.
I have sen this a couple of time during my youth. Most of them were people who worked overseas. This was back in the days when there were internets or cellphones...ok the 80s.
5 feet tall, I stand up, by the time we can move, my joints work. Also old😂
'Stay comfortably in your seat' Have you ever flown in economy? The seats comfort ends before the plane even leaves the ground!
Just because I stand doesn't mean I'm the a-hole that occupies the aisle, clamors for my bag overhead, and tramples people to get off the plane. If I just stand once landed, it doesn't hurt anyone else. Leave me be.
Yes, people always like to leave first but they get stuck so I like to wait for a while until I disembark
These “I’m just stretching” comments don’t ring true. During a significant portion of the flight the seatbelt sign was off, and all the “I’m cramped I need to stretch” people could have stood up then but didn’t. Sorry but there’s no good reason to jump up and have your head crammed against the luggage compartments for five minutes before deplaning.
In Saudi (and on flight from Saudi) they all stand up as soon as the plane lands! It’s still taxiing, and the seatbelt light is still on, the attendants always have to make announcements to sit! Sometimes they remember to make the announcement before the plane lands, but people still stand up! Crazy!
My Mom was claustrophobic and, I am touch allergic to peanuts. So the crush of people getting off a plane wasn't the safest place for my family growing up. We always waited till the end of the line passed us to get up and exit. We didn't make the crew wait just let the crowd pass us. We still had to wait for our luggage at baggage claim.
You can't bring a bottle of water through security, but you can bring an empty bottle through security and fill it up once you are inside the terminal.
Quit crowding the f**king gate when it's not your turn. Your seat will be there.. Unless you're on southwest then stand where you belong.
Edit: in order to answer the question-- to improve your gate experience, and the experience of those around you, wait for your turn instead of crowding the gate. Really bumps up your experience from s***ty to almost s***ty
Not a frequent flyer but in my experience frequent flyers say try not check bags if you can help it. If you have to, try to have medicines and a change of clothes in your carry on if they lose your checked bag
Your medicines should always be in the carry on anyway with copies of your recipes. Especially if any of them are the "red triangle" type meaning that they affect the central nervous system
It doesn't matter how much time you think you have before your flight, find your gate first, and confirm it is the right one for your flight. Then, set an an alarm on your phone to give you plenty of time to get back in time to board.
Missing your flight because you don't realize how far away your gate is will be a mistake you only make once, but better to not make at all.
Early morning flights FTW — a lot less can go wrong with the first flight of the day, that plane is typically there overnight so you aren’t waiting on crew or equipment. Security lines are shorter. Traffic to the airport sucks less.
Reclining, especially in steerage, is a moral failing and should be avoided at all costs.
When they start the boarding process, you don't have to stand up and queue. It usually takes a long time and you have a seat assigned to you anyway, so relax a bit more before your flight.
Thank you!!! I do not understand this behavior, especially since there are boarding zones. You are in boarding zone 7? Well, I suppose you need to stand up when they call boarding zone 1.... Also, can we talk about the bag claim carousel? Is your bag going to come out sooner if you stand inches away from the carousel, blocking every other reasonable person?
For the love of god, if everyone could learn that people should get out of their seat by alternating rows, de-boarding would be so much easier.
Wait....you mean a sudden rush of tired passengers, slamming their overstuffed carry-on bags into everyone, who are then forced to stand in very tight quarters for 20 minutes while waiting for the door to open ISN'T how it's supposed to be done?
If you get stuck in a middle seat, you can put a coat or blanket over your legs and tuck it under you to hold your legs relatively close together. This will allow you to fully relax your leg muscles without bumping into your neighbors.
Get one of those neck support half moon cushions - you'll be glad you did.
If you are taking a bus to the airport, and there is one that gets there 3 hours before your flight, and one that gets there half an hour before your flight. Take the one that's there 3 hours before and just have time to relax, and you don't have to worry about your bus being late/stuck in traffic.
I learned the hard way my first time flying overseas: drink a s**t ton of water while you're waiting on your layover. Just bring an empty canteen or aluminum water bottle to fill up at fountains.
I know you don't want to get up to pee all the time, but on a long haul flight you'll get sick, bloated, headachey, and dried out if you don't hydrate. Drink up. You'll thank me later.
Screenshot your boarding pass and keep your ID in your front pocket makes security as simple as possible. EVERYTHING goes in your bag before you even get in line (wallet, keys, belt, shoes).
Edit: Turn the brightness on your phone ALL THE WAY UP when presenting your boarding pass in security lines or when you board the plane.
Lock the orientation on your phone, with the QR code open, and place your phone about a foot above the scanner. Push the phone down onto the glass scanner, and then raise it back up. This is the best way to scan that QR code... those scanners can be finicky.
Pack half the clothes and twice the money.
If you have to check a bag, keep changes of underwear with you in your carry-on.
Over-the-ear headphones are much more comfortable for long haul flights than on-ear or buds.
Start doing stretches to limber up your hips and back a few weeks before a long flight.
Don't use public wifi. If you have to, use a VPN.
I'll throw in after security, take a fast walk to the terminal gate. The exercise will help before you are stuck sitting for a few hours.
Don’t be a douchebag and assume everyone who’s the same race as the majority in that country is from that country. (My mother tried talking to a guy in Japanese, and he was like “dafaq? I’m from Canada “)
My personal favorite is taking a sturdy, empty, reusable water bottle and a bottle of Koolaid/Mio/etc concentrate. That way you have something yummy to drink, the concentrate is small enough to get through TSA, and you're not paying for expensive drinks past security.
There's a clip in the film Up In The Air where George Clooney basically profiles the respective people in the security line. Watch it; everything he touches on is correct. Then choose your line accordingly - tl;dr = line up with business travellers.
Global Entry helps enter countries 'easier' but it also helps you use TSA Precheck.
The white zone is for loading and unloading only.. Do NOT stop in the red zone
1. You will lose luggage eventually.
Be ready for that by having cash and essentials for overnight on your person.
2. If the overhead bins are completely full, they'll usually check your bag free.
So no need to worry about rushing the door before your group is called. Chill out. Wait for your group. You'll be fine.
3. Netflix episodes can be downloaded to watch offline. Great for when there's no in flight wifi.
Take all that stuff out of your pockets before you get to the security checkpoint and put it in a small compartment on your carry-on. Now you have one less thing to juggle while trying to keep your belts-less pants up after going through the x-ray machine.
Plus, you won't look like an idiot for having stuff in your pockets still
Study the terminal maps before you get to a connecting airport. Knowing where you're going - especially with limited time to make a connecting flight - is a godsend.
We had a 1 1/2 hr layover in Newark from Europe. Didn't realize that you had to leave the secure area and go back through security for the domestic flight. We barely made it.
After traveling to the same cities multiple times, I make sure to know what each airport has to offer in case I have extra time there. For instance, Portland has a great little free theater with local short films. Many airports have massage places. Midway has a free use yoga studio. Sitting around being bored is for suckers.
There's a little latch underneath the outside arm rests. When pulled, you can adjust your arm rest up or down. For larger people it can give you a few more inches of a** and hip space.
Note: this post originally had 35 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
One thing that really angers me is the a$$holes who will put their carry-on in an overhead bin close to the front, then go sit in the back of the plane. Then the person who is sitting towards the front has to find an overhead bin in another row from where they're sitting. Put your carry-on in the bin above where you sit, you jerk!
Absolutely. Flight crew should police this behavior too.
Load More Replies...
When you're on a long haul flight, do little leg stretches while you're sitting down. What I do is put my legs together and move my heels up and down for 15 - 20 times. Your legs will feel less stiff when you get off the plane.
I was headed out on an international flight at a time of high terrorist paranoia. The security checkpoints were s-l-o-w. Up ahead of me, filling up the zig-zagging queue, was some sort of youth group—about 20 teens and two adult leaders. One of the leaders thought it was a great idea to collect all the teen passports and boarding passes, because... responsible adult or something. But then he got to the first TSA person and learned each person needed to have their own documents in hand. What a mess trying to redistribute things, clogging the line, angering the other passengers. I'm a peaceful guy, but I wanted to do sever physical harm to the leader.
24 yr airline pilot instructor here. Been through dozens of emergency training schools. 1. Know where your exits are. Count seat backs from the entrance/exits. In a smoke filled cabin, you won't see the exit signs. 2. Wear cotton/rayon/natural fibers. In a fire, synthetics and polys WILL melt into your skin. 3. Leave your damn purse, carry on, coat, whatever. If fuel tanks rupture, you have less than 90 seconds to get out. 4. There is no 'women and children first'. If fire is burning at your heels, men will walk over a covey of nuns and toddlers to get out. 5. Escape ramps are wicked steep. Doesn't matter. Close your eyes and jump. Might break an arm, but you'll live. 6. Never ever have a lap child. In even a short field, hard stop, the g-forces will turn that 30 pound toddler into a 90 pound missile you cannot hold. 7. Illness/injury? Tell your FA. We can land at any or all suitable airports. Including military bases. We can declare an emergency, CFR will meet us on the runway. Y
How about not crowding around the luggage carousel. Stand a few feet back so I don't have to fight through a crowd to grab my luggage. You look like cattle.
One thing that really angers me is the a$$holes who will put their carry-on in an overhead bin close to the front, then go sit in the back of the plane. Then the person who is sitting towards the front has to find an overhead bin in another row from where they're sitting. Put your carry-on in the bin above where you sit, you jerk!
Absolutely. Flight crew should police this behavior too.
Load More Replies... When you're on a long haul flight, do little leg stretches while you're sitting down. What I do is put my legs together and move my heels up and down for 15 - 20 times. Your legs will feel less stiff when you get off the plane.
I was headed out on an international flight at a time of high terrorist paranoia. The security checkpoints were s-l-o-w. Up ahead of me, filling up the zig-zagging queue, was some sort of youth group—about 20 teens and two adult leaders. One of the leaders thought it was a great idea to collect all the teen passports and boarding passes, because... responsible adult or something. But then he got to the first TSA person and learned each person needed to have their own documents in hand. What a mess trying to redistribute things, clogging the line, angering the other passengers. I'm a peaceful guy, but I wanted to do sever physical harm to the leader.
24 yr airline pilot instructor here. Been through dozens of emergency training schools. 1. Know where your exits are. Count seat backs from the entrance/exits. In a smoke filled cabin, you won't see the exit signs. 2. Wear cotton/rayon/natural fibers. In a fire, synthetics and polys WILL melt into your skin. 3. Leave your damn purse, carry on, coat, whatever. If fuel tanks rupture, you have less than 90 seconds to get out. 4. There is no 'women and children first'. If fire is burning at your heels, men will walk over a covey of nuns and toddlers to get out. 5. Escape ramps are wicked steep. Doesn't matter. Close your eyes and jump. Might break an arm, but you'll live. 6. Never ever have a lap child. In even a short field, hard stop, the g-forces will turn that 30 pound toddler into a 90 pound missile you cannot hold. 7. Illness/injury? Tell your FA. We can land at any or all suitable airports. Including military bases. We can declare an emergency, CFR will meet us on the runway. Y
How about not crowding around the luggage carousel. Stand a few feet back so I don't have to fight through a crowd to grab my luggage. You look like cattle.
