Flying etiquette

As someone who travels a lot, I find that people can be amazingly insensitive and inattentive  in airports and on airplanes.  I’ve prepared a short list of behavior that should make air transit better if followed by more people.

Ticketing

Look for an open e-ticket station.  Do NOT stand in line like cattle.  You standing in line like cattle means I spend more time in the line.  If you see someone in front of an unused e-ticket station waiting for the agent to ask a question, please politely ask them if you can use the station while they wait.  If you see an open station and you aren’t the first in line, politely point it out to the oblivious person who is first in line.  (Trust me, I think it’s one of the undocumented corollaries of Murphy’s Law.  If someone oblivious can be in front of you to slow you down, they will be. )  Pointing out open e-ticket stations typically gets you a thank you, and you get to leave ticketing faster.

Security

Have a plan on how to pack and unpack your belongings before you get there.  I typically carry a laptop through security, and I finally realized that the order I put items on the conveyor belt was  important.  Shoes need to go on the belt first followed by your carry-on bag.  Anything you take out of the carry-on (like a laptop) should follow.  Doing it in that order allows you to put on your shoes, get the bag your stuff goes in; and then, put your stuff in it.  It’s a simple concept, but I’ve screwed it up countless times.  Doing it right makes leaving security so much easier and faster.  If you’re reading this, please write your congressman or send a suggestion to TSA to add these instructions to those nice security signs you see at the airport.  It will make everyone’s life better.

Airplane

They already tell you to get out of the aisle and sit down as fast as possible when you get on the plane so they can get the plane in the air as quickly as possible.  I won’t comment on those who seem unable to follow these simple instructions or bring bags the size of a new born calf on the plane.  I will note that many who are able to get on the plane quickly won’t lift a finger to help someone else get their luggage in an overhead bin.  Apparently they haven’t caught on that this is an all or nothing situation.  Either everyone gets on the plane quickly and efficiently or the plane takes off late.  A typical situation is that a 5 foot tall grandmother is struggling to put her bag in an overhead bin which she is barely tall enough to reach.  Do you send another text on your cell or help her put the bag in the bin?  The answer:  You help her put the bag in the bin. There is an off chance you’ll suffer catastrophic damage to your back, but it’s far more likely that the elderly grandmother will lose her grip on the bag and drop it on your head.  Given that possibility, I’d rather risk strained muscles over a concussion.  Also, the plane takes off sooner.

The final and overarching rules of thumb in air travel are to follow directions and to have a good sense of benevolent self-interest.  If it doesn’t get you in trouble with airport security and causes you to move faster or someone else to happily pay attention and move faster, then it’s probably a good idea.