It’s vacation season, and everyone’s excited to go see Grandma, head to the seashore, or visit a special historical site. But the trip to your destination isn’t nearly as fun as the vacation itself—particularly if an airport is involved. To make your next air travel experience go more smoothly, here are five Cs to observe on the plane, courtesy of etiquette instructor Bethany Friske.
Clothing
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It never hurts to “dress for success” when traveling, Ms. Friske says. Choosing business casual clothing balances comfort with a polished appearance—and may even get you bumped up to first class more easily. After all, “First impressions are lasting impressions!”
Close Quarters
Cramped spaces can create grumpy faces, so prevent confrontations by being aware of others around you. “If you happen to notice that the person behind you is over six feet,” Ms. Friske says, then reclining your seat wouldn’t be very considerate. Neither is putting your feet on the armrest in front of you, for that matter. You may, however, subtly lay boundaries delineating your own space. Putting down your armrest as soon as you’re seated and using the luggage bin closest to your seat are two ways to politely do this.Conversations
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Give a friendly greeting to your seatmates as you initially interact, but don’t pressure them to continue conversing. “Watch for their body language and cues,” Ms. Friske says. “You can tell pretty quickly if they want to chat.” Likewise, it’s perfectly fine for you to signal your desire for quiet, such as by picking up your book or putting in your earbuds.
If you do chat with your seatmate, make sure to keep the volume down. “This is a small, confined space, and we don’t need to be carrying on a loud conversation the whole flight,” Ms. Friske says. For that reason, you should also refrain from talking on the phone before takeoff or after landing—a text is less invasive if outside communication is necessary.
Children
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Flying with children can be difficult—for both parents and other passengers—but Ms. Friske encourages travelers to extend grace to little ones, remembering that we were all once crying or restless kids. She urges us to lend a hand to parents with children, offering to open a stroller or hold a bag while they get their brood situated.
Confrontations
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Unfortunately, confrontations come no matter how much you try to prevent them, so diffuse the situation with kind and friendly interactions. Instead of yelling at a kid for kicking your seat, “just make a joke of it,” Ms. Friske suggests, using the lighthearted moment to build a child’s awareness of how his or her actions affect others. Or, if the airline messes up the seating arrangement you specifically requested, first talk to the ticket agent, requesting seat changes from fellow passengers only as a last resort. In that event, “Switch like for like: middle for middle, aisle for aisle,” Ms. Friske says. “Go with the expectation that nobody’s going to switch, and if they do—that’s really nice.”
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
