Etiquette at 30,000ft

As I sit in my hotel room in Antigua, I can't help but think about my flight over here. During our flight, a couple of situations arose that got me wondering about the dos and don't whilst in the air. When is it the right time to recline? When do you tell the man across the aisle to stop his incessant sniffing every 10 seconds and get a tissue? What about that person with the headphones so loud, you're sure even the pilot can hear the 14th rendition of James Blunt? How's about that poor child in UC who won't stop squealing to get his Dad's attention? (Or perhaps the scriking is due to the James Blunt album...) The lady who opens up a tupaware box full of smelly fish.. The man next to you who keeps on farting..

When is the correct time to approach a fellow passenger about your niggles, or would you tell a CC member instead to avoid a brawl?
If you're a well seasoned traveller, like me, *ting,* you must have a juicy onboard story to share.

(Apologies if this thread has been covered in the past!)

I would say that unless what someone is doing is dangerous, unsanitary or physically affecting you (ie someone keeps pushing/kicking the back of your seat), then you ignore it....

Boo

I think sadly Boo Boo is right, the problem of air travel is that you're surrounded by the GU, with all their bad habits, poor manners, and selfish ways. In the confines of a metal tube at 36,000 feet, your choice is to create a ruckus or stay quiet ... the latter is I suggest good form, unless that is the situation is one of kicking the seat or physical incursion!

For me, the worst thing to see was a couple almost (maybe even) making out in their suite, with a few too many giggles and grunts ... even if they were DDG that is not something I want to see! Then there was a man on an internal flight in India whose dandruff was so bad, flakes of his head were falling over the back of his seat into my colleague's meal ... UGH!

Wow - you guys have had it really bad n( I think the worst I have had is the recline situation (at meal times) which only requires a little knee action to put right ): I agree with both of the above posts - the people around you can make or break your flight but there is little you can do unless there is a danger/H&S issue

My only real "intrusion" was in PE on another airline flying back from Canada a few years ago - I was sat next to an older chap who turned out to live not that far from me but he was a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic.

He was convinced I was a former England Cricket captain and, being slightly less than compos mentis, kept rehashing the same stories again and again - much to the annoyance of his wife and to the ammusment of me. Thankfully he drited off to sleep a few hours in after his wife plyed him with brandy.

I could have made a fuss - but it was an unusual situation that made a drab flight slightly more interesting - so I didn't.

Other than that - nothing more than screaming kids here!

For me, I doubt anything will "trump" the aroma we experienced on our flight to Grenada last spring.
:0 :0

For me, the worst thing to see was a couple almost (maybe even) making out in their suite, with a few too many giggles and grunts ...

Mine was coming back from LA when Steve Coogan and well what i assume was his girlfriend at the time seeing if 2 people can fit into the suite and many giggles and grunts too

I think the answer is ignore everything except the dangerous stuff. I'm sure we have all had the smells: food, perfume, farting, vomit (the worst) - and the intrusions: seat recline, "large" people spilling onto a shared armrest, people standing around your feet in exit rows....

I do confess that on one overnight return from JFK, I upset the lady behind me in PE by reclining too much too soon. I needed to get as much sleep as possible as I had a meeting the next morning in London. So I ate in the Clubhouse and as soon as we were off the ground (literally) I reclined fully. Eyeshades on, earplugs in and blanket pulled up with seatbelt firmly clipped over the top.

I'm just dozing off and I feel this tapping on my arm, which becomes more and more insistent with my lack of response. I'm in full sensory deprivation mode and strapped in so I can't and won't sit up. I think she tried again later, tap tap tap, but I was not interested. I don't really recall what happened during the meal service, but I suspect the FA may have moved my seat upright a little - or maybe the lady behind pushed hard, but I was not fully reclined when I woke up. Nothing was said in the morning on arrival.

Was I selfish or was I just using the seat I had paid for? ?|

For me, I doubt anything will "trump" the aroma we experienced on our flight to Grenada last spring.
:0 :0

We had a similar experience on a VS flight to Cuba last year. A subtle word in the CC's ear and she walked down the aisle with an air freshener giving an extra and obvious press of the button when she was next to the offender just to make the point

I don't really recall what happened during the meal service, but I suspect the FA may have moved my seat upright a little
Was I selfish or was I just using the seat I had paid for? ?|

In my opinion, having your seat fully reclined during the meal was selfish, but the rest of the time it's no biggie unless there was an obvious space/comfort issue for the person behind.

I've only had the 'recline tap' once (in PE) and I positivly refused.

The 'request' came from the pax next to the pax sat behind me and when I turned around to respond to the tap he was sat with his knees up and a lap top on the knees. His feet were bent under his legs and resting on the front of the seat. It really was a strange way of sitting.

It was his deliberate decision to sit in such a strange way so I exercised my rights to stay reclined. This was after meal service though.

I had a make out couple on a flight back from LA in June. Hands up her shirt and her straddling him in his seat ): :0

We had a similar experience on a VS flight to Cuba last year. A subtle word in the CC's ear and she walked down the aisl with an air freshener giving an extra and obvious press of the button when she was next to the offender just to make the point

Unfortunately, as I indicated in my Trip Report at the time, the purveyor of the pong of pongs was unknown and, for some reason, nobody claimed ownership either at the time or later!! ii)

I had a make out couple on a flight back from LA in June. Hands up her shirt and her straddling him in his seat ): :0

Well at least they didn't light up afterwards!

Something similar happned on a train. No one said anything during the 'activity' but there were several complaints whent he couple tried to have a post 'activity' ciggy !

its the pong that does it for me. we all know we are going to be a little smelly by the end of the flight but to stink when you get on ! Please.
I had a mother and daughter sit next to me on a flight to JFK and the smel was so bad I asked to be moved before take off. the steward was rather doubtful so I asked him to come to my seat. one sniff, an 'oh dearie me' and a new seat was found.
my personal hate is people wearing those singlet /vests (normally coming back from MCO) -no way do i want 9 hours being so close to hairy sweaty armpits (thank you madam )

Feet.

What is it with some people that makes them want to take their shoes and socks off and then sit with their exposed appendages resting on the ottoman?

Edited to state that on each occasion the 'offenders' were male.

Feet.

What is it with some people that makes them want to take their shoes and socks off and then sit with their exposed appendages resting on the ottoman?

Goodness me.
): ): ):

no way do i want 9 hours being so close to hairy sweaty armpits (thank you madam )

Now I knew Orlando was a place of desperation ): but do all the ladies wear vests and have unshaved pits?

I do confess that on one overnight return from JFK, I upset the lady behind me in PE by reclining too much too soon. I needed to get as much sleep as possible as I had a meeting the next morning in London. So I ate in the Clubhouse and as soon as we were off the ground (literally) I reclined fully. Eyeshades on, earplugs in and blanket pulled up with seatbelt firmly clipped over the top.

I'm just dozing off and I feel this tapping on my arm, which becomes more and more insistent with my lack of response. I'm in full sensory deprivation mode and strapped in so I can't and won't sit up. I think she tried again later, tap tap tap, but I was not interested. I don't really recall what happened during the meal service, but I suspect the FA may have moved my seat upright a little - or maybe the lady behind pushed hard, but I was not fully reclined when I woke up. Nothing was said in the morning on arrival.

Was I selfish or was I just using the seat I had paid for?

In my opinion, if you have paid your airfare, and recline is the option the company have given to you are part of your ticket then you are perfectly within your rights to recline as much as you want, especially in PE as the tray table isn't attached to the seat in front. If you are in economy you probably should sit upright during meals. But even then, I think reclining is probably more important to you as a passenger because of how uncomfortable the seats are.

I've only had the 'recline tap' once (in PE) and I positivly refused.

The 'request' came from the pax next to the pax sat behind me and when I turned around to respond to the tap he was sat with his knees up and a lap top on the knees. His feet were bent under his legs and resting on the front of the seat. It really was a strange way of sitting.

It was his deliberate decision to sit in such a strange way so I exercised my rights to stay reclined. This was after meal service though.

I had it on a flight from MAN to Orlando from an old couple in the seat behind me. I was reclined because I had been sleeping due to feeling unwell, and then they brought the sandwiches round, the old man tapped me on the shoulder to put my chair up. But, when I turned to look who was tapping me, I saw that they had three seats between them, AND neither were sitting directly behind me. I seriously couldn't understand why they took issue with me reclining. I did move my seat though because I'm polite....

Travelling MAN to MCO a few years ago, watched a teenage girl across the aisle use the same tissue over and over and over again and the volume of what she was blowing out of her nose just became ridiculous. :$

She kept the tissue on her tray even during her meal and kept wiping her fingers on the armrest. v(

Had to pass a packet of tissues over to her in the end couldn't bear it any longer and her parents were obviously disinterested in what was going on.

thelaceys

She kept the tissue on her tray even during her meal and kept wiping her fingers on the armrest.

It's exactly for this reason that Mrs NV and I always use the hot towels to wipe down the leather fittings on the suite. The amount of grime that can be removed can, sometimes, be quite astonishing.

When I am in PE/Y I really do not like being woken to be offered some yellow slush masquerading as a distant relative of the egg family.
If I have my eye mask, earplugs and am snoring I think crew ettiquette should be leave me alone !

When I am in PE/Y I really do not like being woken to be offered some yellow slush masquerading as a distant relative of the egg family.
If I have my eye mask, earplugs and am snoring I think crew ettiquette should be leave me alone !

When I flew on Emirates to SGP a year ago, they provided a little set of stickers you could put onto the top/edge of you seat. IIRC there were different ones for: "Wake me up for breakfast", "Let me sleep, I'm not hungry" etc. I thought at the time it was an excellent idea and a simple low cost benefit for their business and first cabins. VS should take note.

The V-Flyer set would of course include an extra one: "Please wake me up for a top-up champagne/mohito/G&T"

When I am in PE/Y I really do not like being woken to be offered some yellow slush masquerading as a distant relative of the egg family.
If I have my eye mask, earplugs and am snoring I think crew ettiquette should be leave me alone !

When I flew on Emirates to SGP a year ago, they provided a little set of stickers you could put onto the top/edge of you seat. IIRC there were different ones for: "Wake me up for breakfast", "Let me sleep, I'm not hungry" etc. I thought at the time it was an excellent idea and a simple low cost benefit for their business and first cabins. VS should take note.

The V-Flyer set would of course include an extra one: "Please wake me up for a top-up champagne/mohito/G&T"

I remember these being on VS many year ago. Think they stopped doing them because the stickers found their was on to the setback tv's on some occasions.

[mitchja]

I still have some of those economy stickers. They where in the amenity pack: