By Abbey Interrante, Editor in Chief, Emerson College
The first time I flew on a plane, I was 6 weeks old. Ever since then, travel has been a constant part of my life. Through travel cheerleading as a preteen, college visits as a teenager, and trips home as a college student, airports have become a second home to me. As I write this, I’m on an airplane flying from Atlanta to San Francisco, embarking on the first of 13 trips (a total of 26 plane rides) over the next four months for an internship.
Since I’m always traveling, I’ve learned a few unwritten rules. It seems only a small amount of my travel companions have learned these rules, so I’ve decided to turn that “unwritten” into “written.”
Rule #1: Don’t rush through security.
Yes, I know, it’s scary to have a line of 20 people rushing to catch their planes behind you. But it’s a lot scarier to be the person directly behind you and having your backpack hit me in the face because you’re trying to go so quickly. Take a deep breath, and grab three buckets to hold your items. Put your laptop (all by itself) in the first, your backpack and shoes in the second (I suggest wearing shoes with socks so you don’t have to touch the icky airport floor), and your purse, belt, and jacket in the third. If you try to rush this, you’ll forget to take off your belt or shoes, or knock something over, actually slowing down the process. Wait to walk through the metal detector/body scanner until all of your items have gone through the flaps of the examination machine (I obviously don’t know the real names for any of the security machinery).
This also applies when getting your buckets after you walk through. Wait your turn, and let the person in front of you move forward after they’ve gathered some of their things. Pushing is not necessary. Grab your items and walk to the conveniently placed benches a few feet away to get yourself situated. Also, help out the workers and don’t leave your buckets sprawled around. Stack them back up, or hand them to a worker.
Rule #2: Don’t block the escalators and moving walkways.
If you have a suitcase on an escalator or moving walkway, place it so that there’s a path for people to walk past you. The general rule for walkways is to stand right, walk left, but read the signs around you. They’ll probably tell you what to do.
I feel like this is the appropriate time to bring up trains. Some airports have them, and if they do, make sure to hold on to the poles. These trains have quite the punch to them, and I’ve seen one too many people fall over/slam into me. It seems obvious, but don’t sit on any benches meant for people with disabilities or elderly people. Yes, I know you’ve been standing all day, but chances are, someone else needs it more.
Rule #3: Don’t crowd around the gate entrance.
I know you’re excited to board and spend the next four hours sitting in front of a crying baby and getting your complimentary handful of peanuts, but they’ll call you when it’s your turn. Know which zone you’re in, and when the zone before you seems about finished or they’ve called yours, make your way over there. Otherwise you’ll spend an extra 15 minutes on your feet. If you’re in First Class, go ahead, crowd around beforehand and await your early boarding, cushiony seats, champagne, and live musical entertainment. I actually have no idea what happens in first class, so don’t ask me.
Rule #4: Be patient and swift when boarding.
Sometimes the person in front of you is going to have trouble loading their carry on to the overhead bins (load it longways please). Give them space and time. But don’t stand there playing Candy Crush on your phone—know when the line is moving forward.
Rule #5: Let the person in the middle seat have the armrests.
Let’s be real, the person in the middle seat has it the hardest. They need the armrests on either side of them, you either have a nice aisle or window on your side—they just have people. Give them that one happiness, please.
Rule #6: Food.
Sometimes, flights are long, and cookies or a tiny bag of pretzels just isn’t going to cover it. Bringing food is totally acceptable, but think about your choices. Any type of fast food will immediately stink up the cabin. Crunchy foods are especially loud at 20,000 feet, and hey, that baby is crying for a reason (it’s your loud chewing, in case you didn’t catch that). The person next to me today actually pulled out a burrito and tortilla chips and ate them during the part where we couldn’t listen to music to block out noise. I was less than amused.
In life, don’t do this, but especially on planes, chew with your mouth closed. I don’t need to see your turkey sandwich as processed food, and I don’t want to hear your smacking, either. A lot of people chew gum to deal with the altitude, but don’t blow bubbles. This isn’t an ‘80s music video.
Rule #7: Once the plane lands, wait in your seat until you start deboarding.
This is similar to the “Don’t crowd around the gate entrance rule.” Yes, I realize you’re sick of that baby behind you, and you’re starving because there were only four peanuts in that packet, but standing in line while the plane prepares for you to leave isn’t going to make it any faster. You’ll stand there for ten minutes with your butt in some poor person’s face (probably mine), and still have to wait for the people up front to get off first. Stand up, grab whatever you can hold in your lap from the overhead bins, and then sit back down so other people can grab their things. Maybe lend a helping hand to someone struggling. Don’t worry – you’ll get your turn to leave.
Rule #8: Stand 2 feet back from the baggage claim conveyor belt.
This is probably my biggest pet peeve in airports. Many people stand right up against the conveyer belt while they wait for their luggage. What they should do is stand 2 feet back, so that everyone can see the belt. Then, everyone can see when their luggage comes, and they’ll have room to grab it without smacking you in the shins. When you get your luggage, step back 2 feet again while you wait for any remaining pieces so you and your giant black suitcase don’t get in the way of someone else.
I may seem picky on a lot of these rules, or they may seem obvious already, but the more people that know about them, the smoother and less painful trips to the airport can be. So, stay calm, respect fellow travelers, and have a safe flight.
The first time I flew on a plane, I was 6 weeks old. Ever since then, travel has been a constant part of my life. Through travel cheerleading as a preteen, college visits as a teenager, and trips home as a college student, airports have become a second home to me. As I write this, I’m on an airplane flying from Atlanta to San Francisco, embarking on the first of 13 trips (a total of 26 plane rides) over the next four months for an internship.
Since I’m always traveling, I’ve learned a few unwritten rules. It seems only a small amount of my travel companions have learned these rules, so I’ve decided to turn that “unwritten” into “written.”
Rule #1: Don’t rush through security.
Yes, I know, it’s scary to have a line of 20 people rushing to catch their planes behind you. But it’s a lot scarier to be the person directly behind you and having your backpack hit me in the face because you’re trying to go so quickly. Take a deep breath, and grab three buckets to hold your items. Put your laptop (all by itself) in the first, your backpack and shoes in the second (I suggest wearing shoes with socks so you don’t have to touch the icky airport floor), and your purse, belt, and jacket in the third. If you try to rush this, you’ll forget to take off your belt or shoes, or knock something over, actually slowing down the process. Wait to walk through the metal detector/body scanner until all of your items have gone through the flaps of the examination machine (I obviously don’t know the real names for any of the security machinery).
This also applies when getting your buckets after you walk through. Wait your turn, and let the person in front of you move forward after they’ve gathered some of their things. Pushing is not necessary. Grab your items and walk to the conveniently placed benches a few feet away to get yourself situated. Also, help out the workers and don’t leave your buckets sprawled around. Stack them back up, or hand them to a worker.
Rule #2: Don’t block the escalators and moving walkways.
If you have a suitcase on an escalator or moving walkway, place it so that there’s a path for people to walk past you. The general rule for walkways is to stand right, walk left, but read the signs around you. They’ll probably tell you what to do.
I feel like this is the appropriate time to bring up trains. Some airports have them, and if they do, make sure to hold on to the poles. These trains have quite the punch to them, and I’ve seen one too many people fall over/slam into me. It seems obvious, but don’t sit on any benches meant for people with disabilities or elderly people. Yes, I know you’ve been standing all day, but chances are, someone else needs it more.
Rule #3: Don’t crowd around the gate entrance.
I know you’re excited to board and spend the next four hours sitting in front of a crying baby and getting your complimentary handful of peanuts, but they’ll call you when it’s your turn. Know which zone you’re in, and when the zone before you seems about finished or they’ve called yours, make your way over there. Otherwise you’ll spend an extra 15 minutes on your feet. If you’re in First Class, go ahead, crowd around beforehand and await your early boarding, cushiony seats, champagne, and live musical entertainment. I actually have no idea what happens in first class, so don’t ask me.
Rule #4: Be patient and swift when boarding.
Sometimes the person in front of you is going to have trouble loading their carry on to the overhead bins (load it longways please). Give them space and time. But don’t stand there playing Candy Crush on your phone—know when the line is moving forward.
Rule #5: Let the person in the middle seat have the armrests.
Let’s be real, the person in the middle seat has it the hardest. They need the armrests on either side of them, you either have a nice aisle or window on your side—they just have people. Give them that one happiness, please.
Rule #6: Food.
Sometimes, flights are long, and cookies or a tiny bag of pretzels just isn’t going to cover it. Bringing food is totally acceptable, but think about your choices. Any type of fast food will immediately stink up the cabin. Crunchy foods are especially loud at 20,000 feet, and hey, that baby is crying for a reason (it’s your loud chewing, in case you didn’t catch that). The person next to me today actually pulled out a burrito and tortilla chips and ate them during the part where we couldn’t listen to music to block out noise. I was less than amused.
In life, don’t do this, but especially on planes, chew with your mouth closed. I don’t need to see your turkey sandwich as processed food, and I don’t want to hear your smacking, either. A lot of people chew gum to deal with the altitude, but don’t blow bubbles. This isn’t an ‘80s music video.
Rule #7: Once the plane lands, wait in your seat until you start deboarding.
This is similar to the “Don’t crowd around the gate entrance rule.” Yes, I realize you’re sick of that baby behind you, and you’re starving because there were only four peanuts in that packet, but standing in line while the plane prepares for you to leave isn’t going to make it any faster. You’ll stand there for ten minutes with your butt in some poor person’s face (probably mine), and still have to wait for the people up front to get off first. Stand up, grab whatever you can hold in your lap from the overhead bins, and then sit back down so other people can grab their things. Maybe lend a helping hand to someone struggling. Don’t worry – you’ll get your turn to leave.
Rule #8: Stand 2 feet back from the baggage claim conveyor belt.
This is probably my biggest pet peeve in airports. Many people stand right up against the conveyer belt while they wait for their luggage. What they should do is stand 2 feet back, so that everyone can see the belt. Then, everyone can see when their luggage comes, and they’ll have room to grab it without smacking you in the shins. When you get your luggage, step back 2 feet again while you wait for any remaining pieces so you and your giant black suitcase don’t get in the way of someone else.
I may seem picky on a lot of these rules, or they may seem obvious already, but the more people that know about them, the smoother and less painful trips to the airport can be. So, stay calm, respect fellow travelers, and have a safe flight.