Flying Etiquette Tips to Get Along Better with Your Fellow Travelers

Flying involves being cooped up in close quarters with complete strangers, so good etiquette is important in making the experience as pleasant as possible. Flying can be both stressful and unpredictable, but if a person has the peace of mind that travel insurance provides, they will be more likely to accept any difficulties calmly knowing that the trip will not be ruined by delays or other problems.

One good rule of thumb to keep in mind as a polite flyer is that just because it is possible to do something doesn’t mean it should be done. In other words, while reclining the seat is fine, if doing so all the way means ending up in the lap of the person who is behind the seat, it is worth considering compromising by reclining only halfway. Similarly, if two people are seated in a row of empty seats, it is important to share. People should not stretch out to sleep across all the empty seats except the one that the person is sitting in.

Trying not to disturb fellow sleeping passengers is also important. If the cabin is darkened and most passengers are trying to sleep, window shades should be lowered so that the light coming through doesn’t disturb others.

Travelers should try to anticipate what kind of a flyer they are and make a seat selection accordingly. For those who tend to fall asleep shortly after takeoff and stay that way, a window seat might be best so that they are less likely to lean on their seatmate while sleeping and no one has to clamber over them to leave. Those who like to move around a lot should ask for an aisle seat.

Travelers should be pleasant to flight attendants. It is not their fault if there are delays, and if passengers have purchased trip protection and travel insurance, they should be protected from any expenses associated with those delays.

Parents should bring plenty of activities to keep their children occupied and, hopefully, quiet. They should try to keep their children from kicking seats or otherwise disturbing passengers. Those who are not parents should have some sympathy for those who are rather than becoming angry at them.

The better prepared a traveler is, the better the journey will be. Purchasing travel insurance is an important aspect of being prepared and will save travelers from many headaches if something major goes wrong.