We all love to travel: whether it’s interstate or overseas, there’s something exhilarating about escaping our day-to-day. However, the one thing no one loves is the time spent in the airport or on planes. We all convince ourselves that it ‘wasn’t that bad’ no matter how many times we’ve been stranded after plane delays, stuck in queues of endless, slow people, and had impatient travellers standing up as soon as the plane lands. Air travel certainly isn’t going anywhere, but here are some tips for having excellent etiquette so you can ensure you are respectful of others before, during, and after your flight.

7 Ways to Have Perfect Airport Etiquette

1. Documents at the ready – Ensure you have all your relevant documents, like ID and passport, boarding passes, or any other required documents for all checkpoints. Everyone else also has places to be, so keeping your passport handy instead of digging through your bag to find it during check-in is preferred for all.
2. Check your luggage weight beforehand – Ideal to keep you happy and to prevent you from paying unwanted fees, checking your luggage is within weight requirements before check-in is a must. Keeping a handy USB Rechargeable Luggage Scale in your suitcase is a great way to ensure you’re always under the limit. 
3. Dress code – We all struggle to choose between wanting to be comfortable during the flight and looking good once we get to our destination. No matter what you opt for, make sure you remember that you’re going to be heading through airport security. If you have to take off your boots, your belt, a thousand pieces of jewellery, two coats, and more, you’re only going to get annoyed and take up the time of the people in line behind you. Be respectful about other’s time and dress for the occasion.
4. Meet all carry-on requirements – Air travel is not a new concept and neither are restrictions on what you can and can’t have in your carry-on bag. The x-ray machines are going to spot any restricted items and delay the whole queue, only so you can try to sneak a 2L bottle of body lotion onto your international flight. Prohibited or restricted items are only going to be thrown out and end up wasting money for you, so it’s best to not take the risk. 
5. Don’t clog walkways – If you’re travelling for a holiday, you’re likely to be in good spirits and have time to kill at the airport, but not everyone is so lucky. Make sure you stand to the left so other people can pass you with no problems.
6. Declare your items – Show the security staff know you are courteous and declare your items. If you are uncertain, it’s always best to declare! At best, you can avoid a fine, and at worst, you were overcautious and got to pass through the security checkpoint with ease. 
7. Don’t crowd the baggage carousel – This one is a huge pet peeve to many. When you get there, take a step back from the baggage carousel. This allows everyone to have a clear view of all luggage without preventing access for people trying to grab their bags. 

7 Tips for Excellent Plane Etiquette

1. Think before you recline – Sitting in planes, especially for extended periods, is uncomfortable. We all know our seats can recline to give us more space but in doing so, the person behind you will become more cramped. If it’s during a meal or you can see they are working on a laptop or writing, perhaps think twice about whether you really need to recline.
2. Use headphones – As impeccable as your taste may be, no one wants to listen to your music, podcast, or film. Pop those headphones on before you hit play. If you need headphones for your next flight, check out the handy audio products available at our store!
3. Let people escape – We’ve all been stuck on a window seat during a long flight before and it’s stressful to ask your seatmates to let you out to go to the bathroom. So if you’re in the aisle, make sure you’re willing to pack your things up and let people come and go without a fuss.
4. Share the armrests – Armrest hogs are no one’s favourite person. Make sure you let your seatmates have their fair share of the armrests and definitely don’t hog the one that controls someone else’s screen!
5. Don’t hog the row – Mid-flight is not the appropriate time to manspread, and this goes for women too! Every centimetre of space in your assigned seat is precious, so try to limit your spread so everyone can stretch their legs as much as the space will allow.
6. Child courtesy – Children on planes are always a huge bone of contention between people. If you have kids, do your best to make sure they’re not kicking seats, harassing people, or otherwise misbehaving. If you don’t have kids, don’t be rude to them. If someone else’s child is causing a problem for you and you’re frustrated on your flight, try to remember that they’re frustrated with being cooped up too. Obviously, let the parent know if their child is causing you problems, but do your best to be respectful. This will hopefully prevent any hostile confrontations that will impact everyone else on the plane.
7. Stay seated once the plane lands – Standing up while the plane taxis, are docked, or other people are leaving will not get you out of the plane faster. Everyone has places to be, too. Patience is a necessary thing to practise when people are leaving a flight.

Travel can be frustrating at times, but ensure you are polite and respectful to all staff, from flight attendants to check-in and security staff, to even the person behind the counter in the airport cafe. Not many people love hanging out at airports and on planes, but being polite and courteous to those around you will make the experience better for everyone — yourself included.

We hope you have a safe and respectful flight to wherever you’re headed. But to make sure your flight is as relaxing as possible, ensure your car is parked securely with Park on King! Book with us today to secure your spot!