Summer travel is well underway and travelers of all ages will be crowding airports around the country. The rules of etiquette were developed long before airplanes were invented, while air travel itself has evolved in the last few decades from something only the well-do-do could consider to something the masses can afford. The very nature of travel can assure that you will encounter travelers who are tired, rushed, anxious about making a flight or a connection, possibly hungry, possibly bored, and occasionally inebriated. There are few locations like the modern airport that will challenge your ability to remain courteous to strangers. However challenging, being on time, being patient, and waiting for your turn will allow you and your fellow travelers to enjoy not only your destination but hopefully the journey as well.
Dear Modern Ed:
My wife and I frequently fly out of Oakland in the early morning. If there are not many people in line at security, I will often unhook the straps on the stanchions so I don’t have to walk back and forth through an empty line just to get to the front. My wife thinks this is rude and possibly illegal as the line has been put there by airport security and some day they are going to detain me for my behavior. If I haven’t cut anyone in line, who am I offending?
Just Saving Time
Dear Just Saving Time:
Traveling has so many checkpoints that it is natural to want to advance through them as quickly as possible in order to relax on your flight. Modern Ed agrees that it feels silly to walk up and down a long, empty, line. That being said, there are many such pointless lines and checkpoints in an airport and security may have designed the line this way for a reason unknown to us.
Good airport etiquette requires showing up early and following rules (even rules that we disagree with). As you are most likely on an hours-long journey, spending an extra minute to walk through an empty serpentine may offend your sense of efficiency but should not impact your schedule. Whether you ever face consequences for disassembling the line is unlikely, but relieving your wife of her anxiety by investing a minute of your time is assured. Walk the line and take comfort that it feels good to stretch your legs before your flight.
Dear Modern Ed:
Are there rules for reclining your seat on a flight? I have always thought that it is my right to recline my seat but recently heard that some passengers think you are crowding them by doing so. Any advice?
Like to stretch out
Dear LTSO:
You have the right to recline your seat whenever the pilot says that it is safe to do so. But, just because it is your right, you should still be courteous about it. When boarding the flight, you may smile and mention to the person seated behind your seat that you intend to recline your seat after takeoff. Or after the flight crew has turned off the seatbelt sign and announced that you are free to move about the cabin, you can turn around and say, “I hope it’s okay I am going to recline my seat.” You don’t have to wait for a response. Also, recline your seat slowly as opposed to abruptly. This is absolutely not necessary but is a courtesy.
Dear Modern Ed:
I was boarding a flight to Las Vegas last week with my friend and he threw his carry-on bag in an overhead compartment 20 rows ahead of where we were seated. I had never seen that before. I just assumed you’d want your bag close to your seat in the event that you needed to retrieve something mid-flight. My friend insisted this saves time as he can navigate the aisle without a bag while boarding, and grab his bag on his way out after the passengers in that section of the plane have already exited. It makes sense but it feels somehow rude to other passengers. Any thoughts?
Carry-on Strategy
Dear Carry-on:
The air travel industry is the most studied business for improving efficiency. If your friend’s practice saved time for everyone, airlines would have mandated it by now. If you think about it, if there are just enough overhead bins for the amount of luggage on a full flight, and your friend’s luggage is ahead of where he is sitting, that means another passenger’s luggage must be behind them. While deboarding planes is a slow but orderly process, it would slow down even more if people had to go backwards in the aisle to retrieve their bag. Modern Ed suspects there is nothing you can say to persuade your friend otherwise, but maximizing one’s position at the expense of others is unbecoming. If he gets off the plane sooner than you, he can cool his heels in the terminal waiting for you. You’ll both arrive at your destination at the same time.
Dear Modern Ed:
Our family just returned from a wonderful week in Maui. In the row in front of us on the flight home was a gentleman watching a movie on his laptop without any headphones. He had the volume turned down low but it was still loud enough to be a distraction. I wanted to say something to him but I assume if he had earphones or buds he would have been using them. I also didn’t want to risk a confrontation on a five-hour flight. Shouldn’t the flight attendant have said something?
Turn it Down
Dear TID:
Modern Ed agrees that confronting a fellow passenger on an airplane about their behavior is fraught with risk. However, their behavior shouldn’t diminish from your flight experience. In this event, you should bring it to the attention of the flight attendant. Ask if they have courtesy earphones that they could offer to this gentleman or if they would ask for him to turn down the volume on his movie. Rest assured that you are not the only person sitting in this area of your flight who is perturbed by this behavior.
Thank you for writing,
Modern Ed