Dear Jacquelyn,

As airplanes get more cramped, it seems travelers have become increasingly cranky in recent years, resulting in unpleasant flight experiences. Can you please refresh me on a few basic core guidelines of airplane etiquette?

Dear Reader,

The opportunity to travel should be a positive experience and something to look forward to.

The experience will be more pleasant if you are mindful and prepared with a courteous demeanor.

The right to recline one’s seat is a topic of debate. If you must recline, do it carefully.

Turn around and politely ask if it would be alright if you put your seat back just a little, taking only the space you need. You can avoid annoying your neighbor by simply asking for permission.

Knowing which armrest belongs to you seems like a small problem, but can cause frustration among people sitting in a cramped space. It’s simple: The person near the window gets the one near the window, the person on the aisle gets the aisle armrest and the middle seat passenger gets both armrests.

If someone asks you to trade seats so they can sit with a friend, change seat for seat. A middle seat for a middle seat or a window seat for a window seat. You may also say, “No thank you” when asked to trade your seat for another.

Many travelers opt to pack their own snacks and meals, whether for dietary restrictions, health reasons or just plain dissatisfaction with what’s served on board. Don’t carry on anything that your neighbors wouldn’t want to smell for the next handful of hours, such as anything with seafood or hard-boiled eggs, for your own sake and for the sake of your fellow passengers.

You can’t control everything that happens around you, but you can manage your response.

Respectfully Yours,

Jacquelyn

Have a question? Email: jacquelyn@ptd.net. Jacquelyn Youst is owner of the Pennsylvania Academy of Protocol, specializing in etiquette training.

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&Copy;2023 Jacquelyn Youst