Flight & Airport Etiquette

A common convention is that the middle-seat passenger gets both middle armrests, since window and aisle passengers have a wall or the aisle to lean into. It isn't a rule anywhere, but defaulting to it avoids most armrest tension.

Reclining is a feature of the seat and nothing to apologize for, but a quick look back and a slow recline help, especially during meal service. Some passengers skip reclining on short flights or during meals as a courtesy; it isn't required.

If the person in front reclines into your space, the problem is usually your tray table or laptop. A polite request about timing, for example during a meal, works better than objecting to the recline itself.

Use headphones for any audio or video. If calls are permitted, keep them brief and quiet. The people around you can't leave.

On overnight flights, keep reading lights and screen brightness low once the cabin lights are dimmed.

Most announcements are short, and some carry something you need: what to do in turbulence, a gate change, a customs requirement, why you are waiting, what happens to your connection. Pausing your audio for a moment when one begins costs very little.

Asking the same question straight afterwards will not produce a different answer, and the crew may still be dealing with whatever was just announced.

What happens with headsets differs by airline, by aircraft, by cabin and by route. They may be waiting at your seat, handed out or sold after takeoff, or not offered at all.

During boarding and departure preparation the cabin is being secured and safety checks are being done, so entertainment accessories come later. If headsets are given out in flight, waiting for that service is easier than asking again while people are still boarding.

Bringing your own wired pair, with an adapter where you can, saves the question. Many seatback systems still do not pair with ordinary Bluetooth headphones.

The call button is there for the moments you need it: feeling unwell, needing help to move safely, being unable to leave your seat, or anything urgent. Press it without hesitating when one of those is true.

For an ordinary request like a napkin or a glass of water, there is a gentler option. Wait until the service has finished, the cabin is clear and the seatbelt sign is off, then walk to the galley, ask briefly and go back to your seat. You stretch your legs, and no chime sounds over people who are asleep.

Two things to avoid. Do not get up during turbulence, and do not settle in around the galley while you wait. It is a working area, and the space may need to stay clear.

A service cart is heavier than it looks and the clearance beside it is tight. In an aisle seat, keep feet, knees, elbows, hands, hair, blankets, cables and belongings inside your own space while a cart is moving.

Worth knowing: this matters most when you cannot see the problem yourself. A foot that slid out under a blanket, or an arm that dropped while you dozed leaning into the aisle, is invisible to the person pushing the cart.

Before you stand or reach out, look both ways and let the cart pass completely.

Use the bin near your own seat rather than space near the front if you're seated further back. When the bins fill, smaller items go under the seat in front of you.

Board with your assigned group rather than crowding the gate; agents may ask people who line up early to wait. When getting off, the usual practice is row by row from the front. Stepping into the aisle early doesn't get anyone off faster.

If you need extra time, or you are travelling with a service animal or a young child, tell a flight attendant early rather than pushing ahead.

If your connection is tight, tell a flight attendant before landing rather than after everyone has stood up. There may be something useful they can do: give you the arrival gate, point you at the fastest route through the terminal, or sometimes ask the cabin to stay seated while a few people get off first.

None of that can be promised. Other passengers may have connections just as tight, people stand the moment the sign goes off, and someone who needs medical or mobility assistance may change the order things happen in.

Treat any help you get as a bonus rather than as the plan. The plan is to book enough time to get off the aircraft normally and walk to the next gate.

The captain is responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft and decides a great deal about the flight itself. When the aircraft actually moves is a wider question. Departure and arrival also depend on air traffic control, gate availability, the ramp teams, maintenance, baggage loading, airport authorities and the airline's operations centre.

Cabin crew can pass on what they know, explain what is happening, and sometimes alert ground staff that you have a tight connection. They cannot tell another aircraft to wait, produce a gate that is occupied, or override air traffic control.

A calm question often gets you something worth having: the current expectation, or what your options are if the connection fails. Anger cannot create authority that nobody on board has. What you are owed when a flight is delayed or cancelled is a separate question with real rules behind it, set out by country in this site's guide to delays and cancellations.

If you're not travelling with children, a little patience goes a long way. A crying toddler usually isn't a parenting failure. If you are the parent, a quick friendly word to nearby passengers before takeoff is a small courtesy that tends to be appreciated.