Whether it’s kicking the seat in front or listening to music in headphones that’s audible from several rows back, poorly behaved passengers are an all-too-common occurrence in the air.
But US airline JetBlue is looking to change that by teaching travellers better manners though a series of humorous video clips centred on the Twitter hashtag #FlightEtiquette.
“Every airline tries to glamorise flying, but not many provide a more realistic and truthful perspective of the air travel experience,” said As Chan Tran, Brand Analyst at JetBlue Airways.
“We understand that on a plane, you’re sometimes forced to rub elbows – literally – with people you don’t know, and a little etiquette goes a long way. We’ve all been there.”
The first video in the series depicts a traveller that would rather use your shoulder, lap, or the entire row of seats as a pillow than stay in their own seat:
That’s followed by the window seat flyer who insists on consuming every available beverage and then disrupting their surrounding passengers in a less-than-subtle way to make a quick bathroom escape:
Episode three spotlights the chatterbox – and not just any old passenger that won't stop talking, but one who shares their entire life story with a complete stranger:
Next up, passengers who bring their own food on-board. While that's not a 'breach of etiquette' in itself, if passengers in the surrounding rows know what you're having for lunch without looking at the plate, pack something else.
Rounding out the series is a clip on how not to board a flight: such as everybody fighting for their place at the front of the boarding queue before their ticket is eligible for boarding:
What have other travellers done in the air that gets under your skin, and do you pipe up or bite your tongue when somebody should clearly know better?
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Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Mar 2011
Total posts 270
Can't stand the person who hogs the armrest.
Can't stand the person who thinks that spreading their legs into my area is their right to do.
Can't stand the person who thinks its their "right" to lecture me about a certain person, Christianity seems to the main religion.
Can't stand the overhelpful seat mate, who wants to do all for me, I like the window seat, so he/she has to "helpfully" pass tray or other things back and forth from and to flight attendant on my behalf.
Can't stand the talkative nut.
Can't stand the person who seems to have no where else to look except in my direction.
Can't stand members of the Australia Seat Kickers Association.
Can't stand fidgeters.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 383
Geeze, what can you stand?
Lufthansa - Miles & More
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 181
I assume a bisuniess class seat for 1
02 Jan 2013
Total posts 140
Remind me to stay well away from Andrew Barkery. Hope you dont have issues with people breathing lol. Im possibly the most considerate person in the world when it comes to flying. Just recently I took a flight with ANZ from LAX to AKL seated in Economy Exit Row, I didnt have the guts to recline my seat back onto the poor lady behind me so slept upright for the duration of the flight. Thats just one of many examples haha
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
Total posts 383
That is very generous of you! I never recline my seat on a domestic flight, unless it's an overnighter. However, on long haul flights I think it's perfectly acceptable to recline for sleeping. But, seats up at meal time please!
31 Aug 2013
Total posts 60
That's a lot of leg room in the second video!!! Maybe the airline can display this etiquette? But won't get my hopes up.
I am strangly confused by the point of these videos. I doubt either is going to change someone's behaviour.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Mar 2011
Total posts 270
If you are too polite on an aircraft, people take advantage of you.
One example, you might not dare recline your seat, on a transworld flight during meal times, but just you watch it when others do it to you. You want to eat, the person in front wants to not eat, and wants to sleep. What do you do?
You give them an armrest for 5 secs, they practically take it over.
You sit next to a hoilitoisis person, its bah bad whole trip!
O, you want considerate? I don't ever use the travellatos at Australian airports, I let others have their "fun"!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 127
I think Andrew must be having a joke, otherwise that's all just too sad.
I agree, what's the point of the videos? It's not like you can help what you do when you sleep, is Jetblue saying, don't sleep? Don't drink? If they're going to make these videos, they need a point and a solution.
Most people are considerate on planes, those that aren't are not nice people and nothing you can do will change that.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1564
Herd wanna save a dollar. Airline happily provide “service” for herd that wanna save a dollar by packing them to extreme. And than we start talk etiquette! Hilarious! What kind of “etiquette” one talking about when some physically wider then seat? And some physically cannot fit legs without kicking fellow in front row? 3 seats at window must be banned for humanitarian reason. Should I really continue?
BTW when they shooting this rubbish they made rows too far apart from real life – they cannot even shoot damn thing without spreading rows apart and they talk etiquette!!!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Feb 2013
Total posts 44
I found both videos pointless, another attempt by a marketing department to try to get people talking on social media - BTW video 1 guy needs to be tasered.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
Passengers (mainly kids, but not always) who play games on their smartphones or tablets with the sound effects turned up but no headphones. This is so frigging annoying, and more than a few times I've had to ask such passengers to either turn off the sound effects or plug in their earphones/headphones.
Lufthansa - Miles & More
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 181
Ive had this on a flight from lax to lhr late flight and all I could here was the bloody star wars and angry birds theme song. My advice to the child use the bloody headphones. The most annoying thing was he was about 11/12 and this was in J class. Never again will I sit in the middle pair of seats
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Jan 2013
Total posts 698
I'm surprised adults would do this, as they would be well aware this would cause disturbance (no excuse really). For kids, who tend to live in their own bubble, they may have not even thought about the impact and therefore I would be much more conciliatory. I think it is always worth asking through the parent if It would be possible for their kid to use headphones (if accompanied, or through the FA if unaccompanied).
I also greatly recommend the Bose QuietComfort headphones, which I know David is a fan of too, which - in a worst case scenario - can help mitigate this problem. My best bit of travel kit.
Lufthansa - Miles & More
29 Jul 2014
Total posts 181
I have some of these but unfortunatly there were sat in the hold as my bag was gate checked :(
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 May 2013
Total posts 25
I flew from Los Angeles To Sydney last year with the passenger in front of me having his seat reclined for the entire flight.....now that was annoying.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Jan 2013
Total posts 698
Chris may be opening a can of worms with his invitation here lol.
Personally I advocate and follow the golden rule "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you", and if other people behave badly, still try to be polite about it. You can have your point heard without acting like a spoiled three year old in the playground. If anything you can greatly contrast their unreasonableness by refraining from direct name calling and aggression, by keeping things within the style, level and tone of normal office conversation (without having to abandon any valid/reasonable points, or become a doormat to any quellrent).
True, it may not always resolve a situation to your complete satisfaction, but at least you can look yourself in mirror content you kept to high ground.
Some basic etiquette I think when travelling is to not recline into someone else's space during meal service, takeoff and landing if at all possible. Refrain from unnecessary movement, light, sound and vibration when the cabin is darkened (keeping it to a minimum where possible during these periods). Don't be afraid to say please or thank you, even for expected courtesies such as letting you get in or out of your seat - it doesn't diminish anyone to do so. Treat FAs as human beings - because that's what they are.
Trapping a whole bunch of humans inside a flying tin can for an extended period is not a natural state of affairs, so you don't always find people at their best. For minor things, give some leeway
03 Jul 2015
Total posts 4
Could be the most sensible thing ever written on the internet!
09 Jul 2014
Total posts 31
For real, if you're going to drop warfare-grade farts take yourself to the loo to do it.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 211
It is interesting to see an airline creating these videos when airlines themselves have to share a lot of the 'blame' in the development of some of these things. Ever tighter seat configurations - e.g. from 9 to 10 abreast on B777 or 8 to 9 abreast on A330, tighter and tighetr seat pitch so reclining does indeed just about hit the person behind you in the face and no way to easily navigate over laps from window to aisle. Just saying...
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
Total posts 439
I'll have my 2 cents here....People who sit in the departure lounge for 6hrs, then get onto the plane first to only stand in the aisle and go through their bag to get something out whilst holding everyone else up.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
This is why I have everything that I want in a little gym bag with the string handles that you pull to close and leave all the stuff i don't need for the flight in my main bag in the overhead locker. That way I can store my main bag immediately upon boarding and sit down with my small bag.
09 May 2015
Total posts 33
Is it really like this in economy class...it's been a decade or more since I've been back there so I've kinds forgot how bad it was. I really recommend people buy business or first class tickets to avoid all this unpleasantness.
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