1. Do not try a new medicine for the first time.
When you find out that Ambien is causing you hallucinations or that you are allergic to the new iron supplement, would you rather be in a metal tube hurtling 35,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean or at home with easy access to your doctor or a public hospital? Never take a medicine on a flight that you have used at home before and have not seen side effects.
2. Don't ignore the security information.
Okay, okay, the information you've heard a million times and already know how to fasten your seat belt is boring. As tedious as it is, knowledge may one day save your life. At the very least, take a few minutes to figure out where the nearest emergency exit is and how many rows away it is from your seat.
3. Don't make bomb jokes.
No one in the same row as you will laugh at your joke about guns, guns, or anything threatening. Especially if those on the plane think there is even the slightest possibility that you might do something that could compromise safety, they have the right to kick you off the plane. (Note: The same advice applies to the public and Transportation Security Administration personnel.)
4. Do not recline your seat during meal time.
One of the biggest debates about travel in the world is whether it is correct to recline the seat. No matter which side you're on on this issue, I think we all agree that as soon as the food and beverage cart starts making noise, it's polite to make sure your seat is in an upright position so the person behind you has full access to the food tray.
5. Do not eat smelly foods.
Speaking of meal time, give the passenger sitting next to you a chance. Do not eat a tuna sandwich or a serving of onion rings on the flight . Not only will they smell while you're eating them, but they'll also give you bad breath to listen to in flight.
6. Don't drink too much.
No one will complain about having a glass of wine with your dinner, but allowing too much alcohol can lead to dehydration or even getting kicked off the plane for disorderly conduct. Remember: No one wants to sit next to someone who smells like alcohol, leaks on their shoulder, or vomits on their shoes.
7. Do not abuse the cabin crew call button.
A flight attendant's first priority is to keep you safe, not to cater to your every whim, so be sensitive when deciding when to press the call button. If you are sick or on a night flight with the lights off and getting up would wake up the passenger sleeping next to you and you are thirsty, do not hesitate to press the button. If the hostesses are already serving dinner and you decide you need a drink now, accept it and be patient.
8. Do not put your hand luggage in the locker above your seat.
As for the main complaint, this is one of our biggest problems. When a passenger sitting in seat 33A puts his carry-on luggage on the 16th row, rest assured, there will not be enough space for the passengers sitting in seat 16 to place their own belongings. This means that passengers sitting in the front have to put their belongings further back, which causes passengers to try to go in the opposite direction against traffic flow when it comes time to get off the plane. Do everyone a favor and use your own carry-on locker until you have no other option.
9. If your bag is small enough to fit under the seat in front of you, do not put your bag in the overhead cabin locker.
Another piece of luggage nonsense, please don't be the type of person who puts your suitcase, backpack and coat in the cabin locker for the entire flight. Leave room for other people's belongings by placing your personal belongings under the seat in front of you and tucking your coat into a space to the left after everyone puts their larger bags in the cabin locker.
10. Do not hit other passengers with your feet.
We do not see a problem with people taking off their shoes to be more comfortable on long flights, with a few important exceptions.
First, your feet should be somewhere they can't be easily seen by anyone (i.e., don't rest them on the head of the seat or put your feet in the gap between the wall inside the plane and the poor person sitting in front of you who wants to lean against the window without facing your toes). Second, put your shoes back on before going to the sink (because, um). And in conclusion, if you know your feet are prone to smelly, politely express this, think about your passengers, and take off your shoes.
11. Do not occupy the space (or screen) of those next to you.
With increasingly smaller airplane seats, broad-shouldered or long-legged passengers can almost never avoid exceeding their seat limits in a given location. But we're not talking about deliberate (and inappropriate) behavior like splaying out, putting elbows in more space than your share of space, or flicking the person in the backseat so they turn off the person's TV behind you. The passengers next to you also paid for their space; Respect that.
What airplane mistakes can you add to this list?
