Regular Travelers Are Sharing Flight Etiquette Mistakes To Avoid When Next You Fly And Here 40 Of The Most Common Ones

Some people treat a flight like a personal inconvenience Olympics, and the rest of us are just trying to survive the cramped seats without getting our dignity yanked by strangers with zero awareness. This thread is basically a highlight reel of “regular travelers” calling out the tiny etiquette mistakes that turn a normal trip into a full-blown annoyance festival.

It started with OP’s list of offenses, from hair getting draped over the seat like it’s communal property, to someone “helping” themselves up by grabbing the back of another passenger’s seat and accidentally launching their head back. Then you’ve got the loud ones, the gum-before-takeoff believers, the people who clap at landing like the plane just graduated, and the ones who immediately stand up the second it’s allowed, setting off the whole “noob” debate.

And yes, the funniest part is how fast small choices spiral into chaos at 30,000 feet.

OP asks...

Reddit

1. "Long-haired people - do not put your hair over my seat so the TV of the person behind you is covered."

EasyVader

2. Tight connection

edjennersmilkmaid

3. Stand back

Cndwafflegirl

4. "Wash yourself before the flight."

Vondecoy

5. "Don't grab the back of my seat to help yourself stand up, and ESPECIALLY don't grab my hair when you do it. I don't need to be woken up by you yanking my head back and pulling out my hair, too."

Helen_A_Handbasket

6. First flight

maxximii

7. "As a pilot, my unspoken rule is to actually land the plane, lol."

anon

8. "Wear comfortable clothes!"

DrunkOMalfoy

9. Being loud

Weirdobanana1

10. "When the flight attendant asks you to do something, they’re not actually asking. They’re telling you nicely. And when they request something from you, that is the rule of law on that plane, and you will obey."

72scott72

11. "Chew gum before the plane takes off. It stops your ears from popping."

AintshitAngel

12. "Don't clap when the plane lands."

BabyFlure

13. "You can stand up as soon as it’s allowed."

It seems to be a thing for people who don’t fly that often to think that those who stand up immediately are less experienced than they are.“Look at this noob standing up; you’re not getting off earlier, lol. Bet he never flies!”While in fact, we who fly often don’t care. I might have 15 hours in an economy seat before this 2-hour flight we’ve been on and can’t stand to sit for a second longer than I have to.thx_for_the_fish_

14. "If someone is struggling to put their carry-on in the overhead bin, help them."

Don’t be condescending and watch them struggle (I speak from experience. I’m short and struggled to put my carry-on in the overhead, and the couple sitting next to me just watched me struggle and said, “You can do it.” The dude sitting across from us got up to help me).ta_beachylawgirl

15. "Think before going through TSA. Don’t wear lace-up boots, all the jewelry in the world, bring multiple computers, or forget about your liquids and food. We don’t have to wait while you clog up the line to undress. Wear sweats, a sweatshirt, and slip-ons."

Intelligent_Rent4672

16. "Treat the stewards with tons of respect."

Remember to stretch on long-haul flights (I learned this the hard way on a 17-hour flight).Know what you want from the snack cart.KevinB1520

17. "Take your full-sized luggage on as carry-on. Take up all the overhead bin space, and when asked to gate-check your stuff, refuse. Do this, and you will fit right in."

Odd_Inevitable871

Also, this comfort split echoes the debate in “Should Friend Pay More for Flight Upgrade?” where an upgraded friend’s luxury gap sparked fairness arguments.

18. "Your f*****g backpack goes under the seat, not in the overhead bin, you selfish twat."

PerpetualFourPack_2

19. Another one

ThatBitchBengali

20. So many to list...

Headphones. Nobody wants to hear your music or your conversations.Wear shoes; this isn’t your living room.If you’re in zone 5, don’t block the boarding area when they are boarding zone 1.Move with a purpose. Don’t meander while walking through the terminal.Just because your seat reclines doesn’t mean you should do it.exbex

21. "H E A D P H O N E S"

RobSamson

22. Private jet

bretty666

23. "Middle seat gets both armrests."

Wegzuwerfendes_Konto

24. Defense time

ClydeenMarland

25. "You're never obligated to yield your seat to someone because they want to sit next to another person. They didn't plan accordingly; that's not your problem."

Cassandra_Canmore

26. "You don't ask someone to trade your middle seat for their aisle/window seat."

VivianSherwood

27. No hitting

mixmaster7

28. "Don't be chill when your kids are kicking the seat in front of them..."

ETA: If you have an aisle seat and the person in the middle or window seat needs to use the restroom, well, sucks to be you; you have to get up. Please, dear men, don't suggest that the female stranger next to you could crawl over your lap because you're too lazy to move.

Dingbat2022

29. "Don’t clog in front of the gate if your section hasn’t been called yet."

WorcesterRulez69

30. "If you're morbidly obese, you need to buy 2 seats. Sorry, not sorry."

z3k3sr3v3ng3

31. "Don’t put your bare feet on someone else’s seat."

cmcrich

32. "No matter the line size behind you, you always give the person in front of you the opportunity to exit first."

reditballoon

33. Starting a fight

Healthy_Aspect_3590

34. "Don't eat stinky f*****g food on a plane."

You want to eat eggs, an egg sandwich, or tuna with onion sandwiches? Go ahead to your heart's content on land, at home, or at your vacation destination. On the plane, eat the least stinky food possible. I'm not smelling egg fart smells or tuna breath for half the ride. Planes are neutral smell-only zones as much as possible. Stick with granola bars or the food they serve you on the plane.

Dancingskeletonman86

35. "Don’t have full-volume conversations (or any conversation) on a red-eye flight."

sukiejones

36. "Leave the person next to you alone. Unless they're about to f*****g die, do not bother them."

rockpebbleman

37. Making out

Illustrious_King_116

38. "Be patient with the parents if a toddler is freaking out. Trust me, we’re 100 times more stressed about it than you. Except for s****y parents, I guess."

lrrssssss

39. "Don't stick your arm down the airplane toilet just to see where it's all going."

PhreedomPhighter

40. "Don't wallow in cologne before boarding."

the_purple_goat

OP’s first complaint, the long-haired passenger who covers the TV screen behind them, is where the whole “why are you like this” energy kicks in.

Then comes the tight connection, because nothing says “please don’t make it worse” like rushing through the airport while everyone else is already stressed.

After that, the TSA lineup and the carry-on overhead bin struggle get messy fast, especially when someone forgets liquids or watches a short person struggle instead of offering help.

Finally, the landing moment and the immediate standing crowd are where the clapping debate and the “noob” comments collide, and the cabin turns into a drama stage.

An increasing number of people are flying domestically every day due to the low cost of domestic travel and the growing expense of foreign travel. When traveling by air in a nation as vast and varied as any other country, there are a few things to keep in mind, which this post has done justice to.

Leave your thoughts below and share this post to enlighten others as well.

Nobody wants a front-row seat to your flight etiquette chaos.

Next time, decide whether to share your itinerary with a flaky friend who joins last minute, or not.