Airplane etiquette: rules every passenger should know

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Air travel can be a daunting prospect. Assuming your flight isn't canceled or delayed, catching a plane requires an early arrival at the airport and often entails long queues at security and passport control. You're then herded towards the boarding gate, and once on board it's first come first served as far as storing your cabin luggage near your seat is concerned. Fortunately, the whole process can be made a little less stressful by following a few simple rules and adopting what's known as in-flight etiquette—a set of norms of personal behavior designed to overcome the sometimes rude and chaotic passenger experience. But what exactly are these rules of flying, and how do they make for a smoother flight in friendlier skies?

Click through and take off with these handy tips for becoming a more polite passenger.

Arriving at the airport terminal

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

In-flight etiquette starts long before you actually board a plane. Most of us are familiar with airport security regulations. And the rules are strict.

Don't hold up airport security

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

It's import not to unnecessarily hold up airport security checks. You can speed up the process by removing your belt and any metal items, things like a watch, coins, and cell phone. The rules on laptops are being relaxed, but be prepared to also place these in the tray.

Separate your liquids

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Liquids are a no-no, or at least until the rules change in certain countries. Separate liquids into a clear plastic bag before your reach the conveyor. 

Don't cause a security scare

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

A no-brainer, of course, but don't ever leave your luggage unattended in or near an airport terminal.

Master the art of boarding

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Don't become part of the boarding mob. No plane is going to depart without its full complement of checked-in passengers, so why attack the boarding gate en masse? Of course if you've opted for speedy boarding, or are flush enough to fly first class, meeting your flight will likely be a breeze.

Don’t treat the terminal like your living room

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Okay, you're past security and hanging about in the departures terminal. But don't start treating it like your living room. That means no unpacking and repacking your carry-on bag, talking as if through a megaphone on your cell, painting your nails, or any other acts that may appear selfish and thoughtless.

Be civilized

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Otherwise, find a seat and wait in an unhurried and civilized manner until your boarding group is called.

Maximize space

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

It's equally civil if traveling with two carry-on bags to only put one bag in the overhead compartment—ideally over your own seat—and place the other under the seat in front of you. By doing so, you maximize room for other passengers.

Be willing to swap seats with a family

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

No one is obliged to swap a seat they've paid for. But if you're traveling solo and it's obvious a family group is not sitting together, do the chivalrous thing and offer to trade your seat so that they can sit beside each other.

Keep your shoes on

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Flying can make your feet swell and it's often a relief to remove shoes and let them "breathe." But a plane is a public place, and you will not be popular if you start filling the cabin with sweaty foot odor. And, please, don't ever remove socks.

Always flush the toilet

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Speaking of bathrooms, don't forget to flush after using the toilet. There a few things more gross than setting eyes on a deposit left by a previous passenger!

Recline or decline?

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

If a child or small passenger is seated behind you, then it's probably okay to recline your seat. However, if the person is large and clearly in a crammed position, you'll very likely whip up a storm of protest. The rule of thumb? Don't recline in economy and don't bother at all during a short-haul flight.

Traveling with children?

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

Kids have a notoriously low boredom threshold, and a long flight can truly test their patience. Be prepared by keeping them occupied, and make sure they're not bothering other passengers, like kicking the seat in front of them.

Preempt airsickness

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

If you're a nervous flyer or suffer from airsickness, plan ahead in case the worst happens and you need to vomit. Reinforce the bag by doubling it, and have plenty of tissues at hand for, er, spills and leakages...

Disembark calmly

Arriving at the airport terminal, Don't hold up airport security, Separate your liquids, Don't cause a security scare, Master the art of boarding, Don’t treat the terminal like your living room, Be civilized, Maximize space, Be willing to swap seats with a family, Keep your shoes on, Always flush the toilet, Recline or decline?, Traveling with children?, Preempt airsickness, Disembark calmly

After the plane has landed and the seatbelt signs are turned off, the unspoken rule is to wait until it's your row's turn before you step into the aisle.

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