How not to be a ‘gate louse’ (and other flying etiquette tips)

The glamorous flying days are anything but a distant memory. Travelers no longer put on their best Sunday attire before heading to the airport. And fine china and comfortable chairs? Forget it unless you’re willing to spend the big bucks. Instead, prepare for some flight cancellations and feel like a canned sardine.

Air travel is already uncomfortable and chaotic as it is. You don’t need an inconsiderate passenger for that. You know them: the hoard-the-overhead-bin Harry’s and feet-on-the-armrest Felicity’s.

Sure, the golden days of air travel may be over, but who’s to say we can’t still fly the friendly skies?

Here’s an etiquette guide so you can be a model jet-setter this summer season.

Wait your turn to board

Are you familiar with the unflattering term used by airport and airline personnel to describe travelers crowding at the gate before boarding begins? They’re rightly called “gate lice,” says Katrina Cameron-Epp, a former flight attendant turned pilot.

“It’s very entertaining to watch,” she admitted. “Sometimes the crew hasn’t even arrived yet and people are lining up to get on a plane that hasn’t arrived yet.”

These passengers may want fine access to the overhead compartments (see point below), but being a gate louse is totally unnecessary.

And everyone hates that awkward “are you in line?” ask when boarding starts. Avoid that by simply staying in your seat until your zone is called. It’s that simple.

Don’t stop the plane

The looks are mean and often vengeful. They are reserved for those ignorant stragglers who hold up the flight during boarding, sauntering in unconcernedly, perhaps with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, as the clock ticks on.

Or even worse, what about those travelers, whose luggage is already in the cargo hold, but who miss the flight altogether, forcing ground crew to unload that bag, causing a costly delay?

In some cases there are very valid reasons why you are late. Perhaps your inbound flight was delayed. Or maybe you had an emergency. But forgetting to grab your favorite iced cappuccino and scramble to it on the last boarding call is not one of them.

“Most people don’t give themselves enough time to get to the airport,” says Jacqueline Whitmore, a former flight attendant turned etiquette expert who founded The Protocol School of Palm Beach. “Expect the unexpected, especially this summer, because I think it’s going to be an extremely busy travel season.”

Bottom line: plan ahead, arrive at the airport in plenty of time, and be near your gate as boarding time approaches.

Keep your personal items to yourself (and out of the luggage compartment)

You know it: hand luggage is limited to one standard item and only one personal item. And once you’re on board – unless the flight is empty – the larger bag goes into the overhead compartment and the personal item is placed under the seat in front of you.

Don’t be that person who puts his designer coat in the overhead hold to pretend it’s not his while other passengers are desperate for a place to store their carry-on luggage. That overhead space is precious – especially with everyone paranoid about checking their luggage, given all the lost luggage chaos of the past year. Neither your handbag nor your designer coat is worth that space anyway.

Cameron-Epp said some passengers forget that an airplane is a shared space. bought,” she said.

If you want to be an etiquette saint, sign up to check in your carry-on at the gate. Your fellow passengers will thank you.

Go ahead and sit back – with care and attention

We are entering controversial territory here. To lie or not to lie? Even our two experts are on opposite sides of the debate.

Whitmore is an armchair. “I’ve always said the seats are designed to recline,” she explained.

Cameron-Epp, on the other hand, never reclines her chair when someone is behind her.

However, both agree that the choice is personal. “This is a very personal decision,” Cameron-Epp said. “My neighbor might say, ‘I paid $1,500 for the seats and I’m going to get my extra four inches.’ And all the way, power to you.

But if you decide to sit back, do so with care and consideration, the two former flight attendants note. We’ve all seen those viral videos of air rage, mostly fighting over personal space. If you want to be famous on YouTube, that’s not the way to do it.

So always look behind you before gently reclining your chair. If someone needs extra space, like a parent with a small child, maybe think twice before kicking back. And always raise your seat for meal service.

It’s an airplane, not a spa, so don’t groom yourself

You’re fiddling with your half-edible onboard meal—a soggy stew, perhaps, partially reheated in a flimsy plastic container—when you hear something next to you. Click… click… click.

Is that a toenail that got into your food?

This may sound like a scene from a horror movie, but it’s a far too common reality in the sky: passengers gleefully treating the airplane cabin like their private spa.

Again, it comes back to the issue of personal space. Your flossing, grooming, and nail trimming needs can probably wait until the plane lands.

Keep your feet on the floor

After finding a semi-bearable position to close your eyes, the last thing you need is the sight and stench of a smelly foot wedged between the seats and resting on your armrest.

We Canadians, unlike Americans, like to walk barefoot in our homes. But an airplane is not a house.

It’s okay if you have to take off your shoes – flying long distances can make you swell sweetly – but at least keep your socks on and your feet on the ground.

And please don’t go to the toilet barefoot. That’s just disgusting.

Know when to use the toilet (and when not to)

Nature is calling. But why does it always seem to come at the worst time for some travelers?

During takeoff and landing it is not the time to go to the toilet. “Those are critical moments during the flight when you absolutely must stay in your seat with the seatbelt fastened,” Whitmore said.

And if you don’t want to annoy the crew, avoid getting up during meal service and force flight attendants to maneuver those cumbersome carts. (That side-shuffle to accommodate passengers is called “the tetris,” Cameron-Epp said, and it’s pretty distracting.)

Be kind and considerate

If there’s one thing you can take away from this etiquette guide, it’s this: be kind and considerate to your fellow passengers and everyone working to get you to your destination safely.

Delays and other unexpected events are inevitable. Flying is part of it these days, so grab your patience.

“When you have a perfect flight, it’s almost like it’s a miracle,” Whitmore said. “Complaining won’t do you any good at all. When people are relatively nice to each other, it just makes the process much smoother.”

And if you see a passenger who needs an extra hand, borrow it, added Cameron-Epp, who noted that on some flights there is only one flight attendant for every 50 passengers.

“Just help your fellow man and I think that will go a long way toward positive flight,” she said.

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