06 September 2023 , 14:00
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Plane passengers may accidentally be getting on the wrong side of pilots and cabin crew by doing forgivable but apparently annoying things.
According to research from the International Air Transport Association, there’s been a “worrying” increase in air rage incidents over the last year. Latest figures show that there was one unruly incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021.
To offer a helping hand, Jo Bryant has paired up with the travel experts at SkyParkSecure to share her advice on the biggest flight don’ts. The etiquette expert has explained that one of biggest travel "icks" is when passengers clap for the pilots when the plane lands.
According to the behaviour expert, it could be considered “rude”. Jo said: “Applause is not necessary after a landing and is rude to the pilots. If the landing is good, clapping suggests surprise at such skill. If the landing is bad, applause would be insultingly sarcastic.”
Clapping for the pilots has become more common over the years, with passengers joining a round of applause once the plane touches down in scenes that would not be out of place in America.
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Not all pilots like to be clapped it turns out (Getty Images/Westend61)To avoid inadvertently knocking the confidence or irking the aviation pros, while also showing your feelings of gratitude, Jo suggests bringing a small gift for the crew. Jo also offered some advice on shoes - basically, keep them on.
However, if the air pressure is causing your feet to swell and you are uncomfortable - particularly on a long haul flight - then slipping them off for a while will not lead to total social disgrace, the etiquette guru advised.
However, travellers will need to make sure their toes are in shape before they do so, according to Jo. She said: “Be sure that your feet are suitable for public viewing (or in socks) and are completely odour free. Keep them to yourself, never put them on the seat, or worst of all, rest them on the armrest of the seat in front.”
While passengers might want to remove their shoes while they’re sitting in their seats, it’s definitely not a good idea to go for a walk without them. According to flight attendants, the plane’s aisle is usually extremely dirty as they don’t have time to clean it between every flight.
Passengers could be picking up bacteria as they walk around, let alone making the experience unpleasant for other travellers.
There are plenty of other ways to annoy fellow passengers if you're not careful. Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, has shared some of the other common means of causing eyebrows to be raised.
She told Today how a classic move is taking up too much space with your luggage. "The airline makes it very clear that you can take two items onto the plane and it’s important to not take up space with your suitcase, shopping bags, and other personal items in the overhead bin," she said.
Another is bothering your seat neighbour. Diane continued: "Some passengers enjoy conversation while others want to be left alone so they can relax, watch a movie, read or simply remain silent. It’s important to take cues. If someone is wearing earbuds, buried in a book or are not responding to your questions, it’s a clear signal they would prefer to be left alone."