If you are someone who considers how your actions may affect others while traveling, or if you are someone who has been on the receiving end of bad traveler behavior, then these tips on what NOT to do on your next flight may be just what the travel agent ordered.
Don’t Take Off Your Shoes
While you may need to take your shoes off while going through security, it’s better to keep your shoes (and socks) on for the flight. Let’s face it: feet get a bad rap and sometimes unfairly so! But because of the close proximity of other passengers and the wide array of preferences, it’s best to keep your shoes on. Keeping your shoes on also benefits you. It can prevent potential injury. Perhaps more importantly, due to flight turnaround times, the plane carpets will not be deep cleaned regularly. You don’t want to bring foot fungus back with you as a travel souvenir. If you are not able to travel comfortably with shoes on, consider packing slippers in your carry-on for the flight. (And, while we’re talking about feet, it’s a thoughtful idea to keep your feet off the back of the seat in front of you as no one likes to have their seat jostled by the person sitting behind them.) Don’t Skip the Antibacterial Wipes
It’s safe to say that on most flights, your airplane has transported thousands of passengers before you…and with that, areas in and around your seat have been touched by those thousands. One of the most touched areas is the tray table. If you choose to skip wiping it (or the armrest, seat buckle, window shade, screen display or other high touch areas) you may invite the germs of the many passengers before you. While airlines have cleaning regimens between each flight, why not go the extra mile and wipe it yourself-- then you can rest easy knowing it’s extra clean.
Don’t Bring Smelly Snacks
Not everyone has an iron stomach when they travel, which means strong smells combined with potential turbulence and a feeling of confinement could be a recipe for trouble. As a fellow passenger you have control of one of those three things – not contributing to strong smells from smelly food. Foods to avoid due to strong odors include but are not limited to seafood, pickled foods, strong smelling cheeses, and hard-boiled eggs. Don’t get us wrong, we love a good egg, scallops, bleu cheese and pickle sandwich… just not on a flight.
Don’t Decide that the Aisle is the Best Hangout Spot
The aisle of an airplane is much like an internal runway. You wouldn’t want a brick wall blocking the runway as you are taking off or landing, so stay out of the aisle as much as possible during the flight itself. Flight attendants are very regimented in how they operate the schedule on a flight, and if you are standing in the aisle chatting with a friend a few rows down it could cause a traffic jam for flight attendants serving refreshments as well as for your fellow passengers trying to use the restroom. And just imagine the stink eye from others if you are the reason they aren’t getting their snacks and wine. Don’t Crack a Joke About Airplane Crashes
Cracking jokes about crashing, hijacking, or bombs could land you in hot water and be considered serious enough to get you removed from the flight, banned from the airline altogether, or worse. Lighthearted jokes that are truly funny and meant to lighten the mood can help others relax and feel better, but if you are looking to help someone who is nervous about flying, a kind word of reassurance rather than a misplaced joke goes a long way.
We hope that this has inspired you to take a more thoughtful approach to travel and if you have some good travel tips, please send them to WinniWanderer@winni.com. Hearing from you will make our day!
By Staff Contributor
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