Ways for Passengers to Make the Airline Travel Experience Better

To a few of us who have been traveling via the airlines for several years, it has become apparent that the civility factor has dropped. Some say it is because of a decline in airline service resulting in smaller and closer seats, charging customers for nearly everything with a fee, and greater airport security. All these things and perhaps a few more have made airline travel taxing for the traveler, and we would like to provide a few ways we as passengers can make the airline travel experience better.

Here is a consensus of what some etiquette experts say on possible disputed areas:

1. Who gets the armrests? Widespread agreement that the person in the middle seat gets both, because unlike the passengers on either side, they have nowhere to lean. Also, it is some compensation for having to sit in that middle seat.

2. The window seat passenger has to go to the bathroom, and he has to get around two sleeping passengers who are strangers. Tapping the stranger on the shoulder and politely asking should do the trick, as there are clearly no other options. However, he should limit the disruptions to a bare minimum.

3. A passenger brings smelly food on the plane and opens it up. Not much that the offended passengers can do except turn the air vent on full blast. But for any passenger to do this is just wrong, and perhaps only does it out of ignorance.

4. On a long flight the neighboring kids are misbehaving. First, try to ignore it for as long as you can, then nicely say something to the parent if you can't take it anymore. If it still persists, turn it over to the flight attendant, who is trained to handle such matters.

5. A tall or extremely large person sitting next to you infringes on your space. This is obviously a touchy one, as seats on some flights have gotten pretty small, and people are getting larger in general. Even though you are entitled to your space from armrest to armrest of the seat you purchased, everyone has to be reasonable. I've found body language can go a long way in everyone positioning themselves in an agreeable position, but if things get really uncomfortable, ask the flight attendant if it would be possible to move.

6. My personal pet peeve, people that recline their seats as far as possible. I never do it unless the seat behind is vacant, and if the person in front of me does it and it infringes on my space, my knees are probably going to dig into the back of their seat, and it will probably be uncomfortable. Oh, well. I am a little taller than average, and if there is no place to put my legs, they are going to press against the seat reclined into my lap.

The fact is, with all the restrictions and with aircraft getting fuller and more cramped, we all have to take an attitude of "let's get through this as best we can." That means for a short period of time, we all have to manage under conditions that are not the most comfortable. But if we all work together observing common etiquette practices, the experience can be made more enjoyable.