DEAR HARRIETTE: I fly quite frequently, so I have seen it all when it comes to airport dramas. I have witnessed everything from fights with flight attendants to grown men getting motion sickness on the plane. What is your opinion on proper airplane etiquette, specifically while on the plane? What do you think about people taking off their shoes on the plane? The person next to you using the arm rest for the duration of the flight? Should people be allowed to push past you in the aisle once the plane lands? If there are any other do’s and don’ts of airline etiquette, I would love to know! -- Flyer Etiquette, Dallas
DEAR FLYER ETIQUETTE: Ah, there should be a book about airplane etiquette -- if there isn’t one already! It used to be that people dressed up in their Sunday best before heading to the airport. The idea was that this was a special outing, and everyone should be on their best behavior.
Today, people are commonly impatient and oblivious to their neighbors. What should you do? Use common sense. It is OK to take off your shoes, as feet often swell on planes. But make sure your socks are clean and that you don’t have foot odor before you do this. Share the arm rest. If possible, use one and leave the other for the person sitting next to you. Before the plane lands, check to see that your personal belongings are in order. When it lands, wait to move through the aisles to retrieve your stowed bags. If you have to get to a connecting flight, let people know and ask to move ahead of passengers who are disembarking. Finally, be willing to change seats if a parent and child need to sit together. Readers, do you have any other advice?
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)