The Sophisticated Traveler
As you board the plane, set the tone for the rest of the flight. Acknowledge the flight attendants with a smile and a warm "Hello." If you're allowed only one carry-on item, don't cheat by carrying on more. Don't move other people's belongings around in order to cram your own belongings into the overhead bin.
Nothing looks more cloddish than slogging down the aisle carrying department store shopping bags. Pack an extra collapsible tote bag with you for your return trip to handle your overflow purchases. If you're wearing a back pack, avoid clobbering passengers on the head with it as you search for your seat. Once you find that seat, excuse yourself if you need to disturb other passengers when you sit down.
No one appreciates a traveler who...
* Talks loudly during the flight attendant's safety lecture, thus denying essential information to white-knuckled novice passengers unfamiliar with safety procedures.
* Spreads out newspapers when seated in the "sandwich seat" between two other passengers.
* Rushes to the plane's magazine rack and grabs all the good magazines, leaving little for others to read besides Whale Watchers International.
* Treats flight attendants with disrespect. Cursing at an attendant or exhibiting drunken behavior can cause you to be unceremoniously escorted off the plane. Flight attendants are given a good amount of discretion in deciding what constitutes disruptive behavior. Air Transport Association rules state "if a passenger's behavior is offensive to other passengers on board, then the airline reserves the right to deny boarding or to ask for the passenger to be removed."
* Chats non-stop on the air phone.
* Leaves the restroom messy.
* Wears overpowering fragrance.
* Places shoes on the seat cushion.
* Takes up two arm rests.
* Occupies a portion of another passenger's seat.
* Adjusts the seat into a reclining position.
* Talks incessantly to another passenger, who is obviously trying to get some work done.
* Assumes that fellow passengers and attendants are on board for their entertainment.
Deflecting the Chatterbox
Know when not to carry on a conversation by being tuned into the body language of others. If your attempts to make small talk are met with short answers and no follow-on questions, you should get the hint. If your fellow passenger begins to read a book or work on a computer, the hint becomes obvious. By the same token, there is no need to feel obligated to talk to fellow passengers if you are the subject of unwelcome chatter. To discourage others from talking to you, turn on your iPod or open a magazine. If you do chat with them for a few minutes, you might then smile and say, "I really enjoyed talking to you, but I'm on a deadline to finish this work."