I’m back with more specialized etiquette rules for you. I wrote about rules and behaviour appropriate for the workplace here. And now I’m back with rules and behaviours for travelling on a plane. These rules don’t have to be for a long-distance or international flight. If you’re going to move from one place to another via a public aircraft, then these rules are for you.

Travelling is one of my favourite hobbies and cannot wait to fully explore it. This article, in particular, was interesting to work on as it made me dig into all my travelling experiences and put together my dos and don’ts during a trip. 

1. Wait your turn. If there’s a queue, join it and be patient. Don’t try to beat the queues except if you fall into one of the special categories (pregnant, physical disabilities, sick, old age etc) and they have made provisions for quicker access for these sets of people.

2. Don’t block the aisles. The aisles are free spaces for movement and are to be kept so to avoid accidents. Do not use your personal belongings or yourself to block the aisles and keep people from moving freely.

3. Be polite to the flight attendants. Common courtesy demands that you be polite to the flight attendants. Smile and speak to them like a decent human. They have to attend to probably hundreds of people in a day. Be that nice person they encounter on their flight.

4. Keep an eye on the children you are travelling with. Travelling with children is already a hassle, don’t make it unbearable for the other passengers. Make sure to pack their favourite toys, books, playthings, some snacks and basic things to keep them busy on the flight.

5. Respect other people’s private space. This cannot be overemphasized. Keep your hands and personal belongings to yourself. Respect your fellow passenger’s space.
6. Ensure that you do not encroach on the legroom of the person seated behind you while reclining your seat.

7. Get your headphones, earphones or AirPods for your music or film player. Don’t be rude by playing your music or movie out loud. Hearing someone else’s music can be irritating. Don’t be that person on the flight.

8. If your neighbour has their headphones in, it is a clear sign that it is not the time to try to engage them in conversation. No matter how pleasant you may think your conversation to be, sometimes people just want alone time on their flight. 

9. Don’t bring food with strong smells on the flight. Imagine opening a bowl of egusi with fish and fufu in an enclosed space. Please don’t be that person especially if it’s going to be a long flight. 

10. Don’t talk loudly on the phone. Apart from the risk of revealing sensitive information to the general public, talking loudly during a phone conversation in public is rude and doesn’t take into consideration your fellow passengers.`

11. Don’t litter. Keep your trash on you until you can get to a suitable waste bin or you could ask the flight attendant for help. Don’t litter the plane. 

12. Obey flight instructions. If the flight attendants say to turn off devices, or to open the window blinds or stow away tray tables, etc or the fasten seat belt sign comes on, obey! Don’t be a difficult passenger. 

13. Sit on your assigned seat. Except if the flight is free seating or not full. However, make sure you stay within the flight class you paid for. Do not cause yourself the embarrassment by sneakily trying to upgrade without paying. 

14. Clean up after yourself when you use the flight lavatory. Make sure you leave it in the best condition for the next user. 

15. If you’re sleepy, still try to compose yourself, so you don’t become a nuisance to your neighbours. Respect personal space and try not to snore loudly if you can help it. 

What’s that one thing you want people to stop doing when on the plane? Share with me in the comment below or tag me on Instagram – @kakaamanoh