This may be another one of those things that, like grabbing the seat in front of you, if you don’t fly often you don’t think about it. But after almost every flight I’ve taken over the last few weeks, someone has stopped abruptly, right in front of me, in the middle of the jetbridge (or the space right outside of it).  Maybe people are trying so hard to get off the plane that they don’t arrange their belongings in a comfortable way, and they need to stop and fix them? Or they want to get their phone/keys/wallet/etc. out of their bag? Regardless of the reason, it can cause a logjam, or even someone to run into you. I came this close to running into someone who stopped right in the middle of the path outside the jetbridge on Saturday.

This is true for the airport in general, and really any place where there is a hallway or walkway used by lots of people at a time. If you need to stop, glance around you and then move to the side without running into anyone. I actually treat it like driving–I look to my blind spot, then get out of the way. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, but please, move over to the side if you have to stop.

On a recent trip, while going through airport security, I noticed a gentleman with writing on his t-shirt. Since security was taking a while, and I was bored, I tried to read what it said. All I could see was that it said NO MA’AM in capital letters, with words underneath. What the heck? I thought. What a weird dude. And forgot about it.

While arranging my stuff (phone, water, book, earbuds) on the plane, the weird dude appeared again. This time he was standing up in front of me, putting his bag in the overhead bin. I was able to see that the rest of his shirt said, National Organization Against Amazonian Motherhood. My first reaction, again, was What the heck? That’s rude! So that night when I got to the hotel I looked it up. Turns out it is something from Married With Children–a club that Al Bundy started. Okaaaaay. Whatever.

I get it–it’s a joke shirt. A really lame joke shirt. But it’s kinda mildly offensive. I mean, if you are in an airport, there is a good chance that you will be interacting with women. Maybe there will be a woman at the ticket counter, deciding where you sit on the plane. Maybe a woman flight attendant, serving you beverages and snacks in flight. Or even a woman TSA agent, deciding if you deserve a “special” pat down or not. Not to mention all those women passengers. Why would you purposefully wear something that is alienating and obnoxious, if not downright offensive, to half of the people you encounter in a day? Especially something that is a joke from close to twenty years ago, which most people don’t remember?

Friends, I’m not saying you need to censor yourself.  My assumption is that most of you are not obnoxious, and therefore concerned at least a little bit with being polite to your fellow passengers. But honestly, only an obnoxious person would think this is okay. So please, try not to be obnoxious, and maybe rethink your decision to wear something that others may consider offensive.

That is all.

People email me questions about it. I see Google searches on it. And of course, I see it all the time while traveling. Evidently, there is a lot of confusion about where small carry-ons, or personal items, go. Let me clear it up for you.

There are only two scenarios:

1) You have only one bag, your personal item. In this case, it is perfectly appropriate to put your small carry-on in the overhead bins. If you want to have it closer at hand, put it under the seat in front of you.

2) You have two bags, a suitcase of some sort and a personal item. If you have two bags, put your larger one in the overhead bins (preferably as close to your seat as possible, with wheels facing the correct way) and your smaller one under the seat in front of you. Please do not put both of your bags in the overhead bins, as it takes up space that passengers getting on later will need. The only time this is appropriate is if you are in the bulkhead seats.

One place the personal item never goes is under your seat, or behind your legs. This may be more comfortable for you, but it means the person behind you loses out on space for their small bag or legs. Please be considerate!And the best way to know where all of your luggage goes is to listen to the flight attendants as you are boarding. They will tell you everything you need to know, especially if you don’t fly often.

My best friend had quite the interesting trip home from Atlanta last month. You’ve already heard about the gate changes she had to deal with, but that was way better than what happened actually on her flight.

She sits down in her seat, gets comfy, and goes to sleep. After about half an hour, she keeps hearing funny noises that wake her up. Click. She looks around. Click. What the heck is that? Click, click, click….. She finally stands up to stretch her legs, and to see if she can figure out where the noise is coming from. It turns out that it is a woman, behind her, clipping her fingernails. With an actual fingernail clipper. When she told me this story, my immediate response was, “No way.” I just couldn’t believe that anyone would do that. But I was wrong, because that woman was clipping her fingernails. On the plane. Wow.

Friends, please do not do this. Ever. In fact, I would say don’t clip your fingernails in public, ever. But on a plane, in my opinion, it is even more offensive due to the close proximity everyone has with their neighbor. Can you imagine sitting next to someone clipping their nails? <<shudder>> Filing your nails is better, but I don’t think I would do that on a plane either. Again, the proximity.

Readers, what is the rudest thing you’ve ever seen while traveling?

In support of the current “Country Means Business” promotion, Road Warriorette will be featuring a weekly sponsored post on behalf of Country Inns & Suites and has been compensated by Country Inns & Suites for her contribution.

We want our hotel rooms to feel like home, right? That’s part of the deal with hotels. You travel, you’re away from home, and you want to feel comfortable. I get that, but it’s still important to remember that not only are you a guest, you are not the only guest. Be cognizant that your actions can affect the stay of others. Road warriors have to look out for each other! Some things to remember:

Be ready to check in. When you reach the front desk, try to have your credit card and ID ready, especially if there is a line. Often by the time you get to the hotel you have been traveling or working for a long time. It can be very frustrating to wait for someone to remove all of the contents of their purse, wallet or briefcase to find their itinerary.

Watch your noise level. Most of us know this one, but sometimes we can be loud without realizing it.  Be aware of this whether you are on a work conference call or catching up with friends or family. I was guilty of this myself once. I was in a room next to a coworker, and she could hear my alarm through the wall. It wouldn’t have been a problem, except that I am a “snoozer.” I set my alarm 30 minutes early, and it goes off every five minutes. This could be very irritating for guests in rooms nearby.

Don’t slam the door. I am pretty sure that most people’s parents taught them not to slam doors in the house. Why should a hotel door be any different? I know these doors are very heavy, which makes it even more important to close them quietly.

Share the common areas. You’re not in your own living room. Spreading your stuff all over every available space is rude, but too common. Once, I came downstairs to the hotel lobby to get some work done, and found one person using three armchairs- one for him, one for his briefcase and one for his papers, with his laptop taking over the ottoman! It’s true that common areas are typically designed to be very comfortable (check out the lobby at Country Inns & Suites-many have fireplaces, oversized chairs, freshly baked cookies and even a lending library!) but don’t forget to allow others to share the space with you.

Clean up after yourself. Leave your room in a reasonable fashion. Towels on the floor are one thing, since this often signals your desire for laundry service. But don’t leave trash lying around, and make sure to call room service to pick up your tray when you finish eating.  This extends to the common areas as well!  If you are enjoying breakfast at a busy time, clean up after yourself and throw items in either the trash or appropriate recycling containers so that someone else can use your table quickly. No need to wait for housekeeping.

Tipping. The tricky question: To tip or not? It is never required, and should be thought of as a reward for excellent service. There are many different rules for tipping, so check out this great guide from Cheapflights. Tipping etiquette varies between countries, so be sure to research local customs when tipping internationally.

Remember that while traveling, you are in a shared environment – whether you’re borrowing space on a plane seat, in the restaurant booth, or yes, even the hotel room. So share nicely!

Readers, what are your favorite hotel etiquette rules?

My younger sister came to visit us last week. When we picked her up at the airport, our first question, as always, was, “So how was your flight?”

She paused. “Well…… it was fine.”

Hardly a ringing endorsement. When I questioned her further, she said that the person she sat next to was clearly not a frequent flier. She seemed okay, if tense, during most of the flight. But when it was time to get disembark, she started to get agitated. My sister, who was sitting in the aisle, stood up to stretch her legs. But as she was in row 14, she was politely waiting for the people in front of her to leave. But the woman next to her started literally pushing my sister, saying, “Go! Go! Aren’t you going to go??” My sister answered that she was waiting for the people in front of them. The woman responded to this by pushing my sister back against her seat, squeezing in front of her into the aisle, and then shoving her way through the aisle-full of people. Um, wow.

Friends, that is not how to handle things. My opinion is that the only time it is borderline okay to not wait for the people in front of you to de-plane is if you have a connecting flight, and are going to miss your flight if you don’t leave quickly. Or if you have a medical condition. Other than that, you need to wait your turn. Since I usually prefer the window seat, I will just stay seated until it’s my turn–no need to stress myself and the person next to me out! It’s just a few more minutes, so be polite to your fellow travelers and wait your turn.

In a recent discussion with a friend, she posed the following question to me.

“I was traveling with my boss last month, and we both asked for upgrades. Luckily we both got them. But it made me wonder–what should I do if I get the upgrade and my boss doesn’t?”

My instinct would be to at least offer it to my boss. Traveling with your boss should have you on your best behavior already, and giving her your upgrade certainly seems like the polite thing to do. But is it necessary?

Readers, what do you think?

 Loading ...

As you can see from the sidebar, my post “Is it rude to recline your seat?” is my most popular ever. I appreciate the varied comments that I have received, and as they are pretty well split down the middle I decided it was time to do something (slightly) scientific. Please take just a second and answer the poll. And of course, feel free to comment as necessary.

 Loading ...

Andi is a travel lover, foodie, writer, and Francophile who writes the fabulous blog Misadventures  With Andi.

6:17, slam!

6:36, slam!

7:12, slam!

You get the picture. That was how my day started this morning in the hotel I am staying in while attending a business conference.

I am pretty sure that most people’s parents taught them not to slam doors in the house. Why should a hotel door be any different? I understand that these doors are quite often rather heavy, all the more reason to allow it to close gently.

While traveling you are in a shared environment, temporarily borrowing the space that you occupy whether that is the plane seat, the restaurant booth, and yes, the hotel room.

The Golden Rule applies here as well. Do unto others as you would have done unto you.

No one appreciates constant door slamming, especially if they do not have to get up until 8:00 for their conference!

Business Travel 101 is a weekly series about making that first business trip as easy and successful as possible. Packing, security, comfort, and etiquette are all factors that, with a little planning, can contribute to a smooth and efficient trip. If you think of a topic I should include, email me at RoadWarriorette@gmail.com.

Sometimes I feel that everything I write is designed to help people have a calmer, more peaceful trip. Preparing well, packing simply, and being mindful of your fellow travelers are all things that I talk about a lot. If all travelers enacted these practices, the traveling world would be a better place. We’ve talked about preparation and packing, therefor the obvious next Business Travel 101 post is one about etiquette.

Etiquette is something I feel strongly about in my everyday life, as well as my travel life. Not necessarily the traditional, so-many-rules-it’s-hard-to-remember-them-all etiquette, but simply recognizing that you are not the only passenger on the road and acting accordingly. This is a list of my favorite etiquette guidelines, but not by any means all encompassing. If there is one that means a lot to you that I missed, let me know! And let’s travel nicely.

Security

• Be prepared to go smoothly through security.  Know what the current security rules are for the location you are traveling through, and follow them. Have everything ready to go (laptop, bag of toiletries, shoes off, etc) as soon as you get to the bins. Have all change out of your pocket. Have your boarding pass out for people to see. If there is an option to choose your security line based on your level of experience, please choose honestly.

Carry-on

• Know your airline’s guidelines. All major airlines have the size and weight restrictions for carry-ons on their website. If your bag is too big, they may make you check it. Also, there are slightly different size requirements for international carriers vs. American carriers, so make sure your bag works for your continent as well.
• Make sure you can lift your bag. You may not be able to depend on having people around you that can help, and some flight attendants are prohibited from helping customers put bags up.
• Put your suitcase on the correct side of the airplane, facing the correct way. Listen to what the flight attendants tell you to do, and do it. If one side of the plane is made to hold rollaboards, please put your suitcase there. That way there is room for everyone’s stuff.
• Only put your large bag in the overhead. Put your purse or briefcase under the seat in front of you, until you know for sure there will be room. Also, don’t put your jacket in a bin unless it’s going on top of or in front of your bag. Again, we’re trying to make room for everyone.
• Put your bag in the bin as close to your seat as possible. If you are sitting in row 25, and there is no room over 25 and there is room over 23, that’s one thing. But if you’re sitting in row 25 and you put your bag over row 8, that the people in row 8 won’t have room.
• Don’t make it your plan to gate check.  If you bring a normal sized carry-on that you are happy to bring on the plane or gate-check, that is one thing. But please don’t bring an oversized bag on the plane, expecting they will make you gate-check it. If you are bringing too much stuff, check your bag. If you don’t want to pay the fee, bring less stuff. Don’t slow everyone else down because you’re trying to save $20.

On the plane

• When you are standing up to go somewhere, please don’t grab the seat in front of you for balance. Most people, it seems, simply don’t think about this. Every time you touch the seat in front of you, the person sitting there can feel it. Grab your own seat if you need help!
• Let the middle seat have the armrests. You may be tall, have long arms, need a lot of space…. It doesn’t matter. The person in the middle has less space than you, and it makes their flight better if they get the armrest too.
• Respect the crew. If the flight attendant tells you to turn off your cell phone, do it. If they tell you where to put your bag, put it there. The crew is responsible for the transport and safety of over a hundred people. They are not your personal chef, bartender, or secretary.
• Keep your kids corralled. Whatever it takes to keep your kids happy, be it snacks, juice, music, a coloring book, please do it. Don’t let your child kick the seat in front of them! I know sometimes it’s unavoidable, but if it is constant throughout the flight it can get very uncomfortable for the person in that seat.
• Be mindful of reclining. When I posted about whether or not reclining your seat is rude, the results were definitely mixed. If you need to recline your seat, make sure that you don’t keep it reclined the entire flight, especially during food service.

Once you arrive

• Practice patience while deplaning. Hundreds of people rushing down the aisle to get off the plane all at the same time…..it’s just not possible. Even though it can be frustrating to have to wait what feels an excessive amount of time, be patient. And when it is your turn, grab your stuff quickly. If there is someone who has a tight connection, it is polite to let them go first or pass you in the jetbridge if necessary. Think of how you would like to be treated in that situation!
• Don’t be too loud in hotel rooms. Most of us know this one, but sometimes can be loud without realizing it. I was guilty of this myself once. I was in a room next to a coworker, and she could hear my alarm through the wall. It wouldn’t have been a problem, except that I am a “snoozer.” I set my alarm 30 minutes early, and it goes off every five minutes. Which can be very frustrating for a neighbor.

Readers, what are your favorite etiquette tips?