Unspoken Rule of Air Travel

[ejb]

I actually had this on my PER/ADL flight a couple of days ago. I was sitting in 3D and as 3F was empty, I moved there to work (didn't want everyone behind to be able to read my personal notes on my client meetings). The lady in Economy 4D then thought to use the armrest of 3D as a footrest (with thongs, albeit nice wooden ones). I pointed it out to the FA, who asked her to remove her foot - she argued that I had moved, he came back with a retort (that I missed hearing) and the foot disappeared.

I have never seen this occur.

I would have thought this would be a very uncomfortable way of sitting and clearly a very rude practice.

I think behaviour like this would preclude her from being called a "lady".

ejb

 

[NYCguy]

I believe it's "Va te faire foutre" to be pedantic.

No, "Va te faire foutre" is incorrect. The conjugation for Aller (to go) in French for tu (which is the assumed pronoun) is Vas, not Va. Va is the conjugation for il/elle/qui/on (he/she/who/one).

 

[anat0l]

No, "Va te faire foutre" is incorrect. The conjugation for Aller (to go) in French for tu (which is the assumed pronoun) is Vas, not Va. Va is the conjugation for il/elle/qui/on (he/she/who/one).

Whatever it is supposed to be, either way if I were on the ground in France, I'd be expecting a fight. Or a duel with a huge breadstick.

 

[NYCguy]

Whatever it is supposed to be, either way if I were on the ground in France, I'd be expecting a fight. Or a duel with a huge breadstick.

Agreed. One must save it for special occasions. It's not something that I say very often, but at the time it seemed like the perfect retort, and had the desired effect.

 

[JohnK]

Very interesting responses. Love the reclining debate everytime.

For domestic flights I almost never have to worry about recliners as I manage to get the bulkhead seat >90% of the time. I hate chronic recliners. It is a horrible addiction. Who reclines on a DJ SYD-CBR flight? This youngish couple did it in unison a couple of years ago to read their book and looked at me funny when I walked off to another seat while giving them a verbal spray.

For international flights the exit rows were good when Platinums could pre-allocate them. The QF A380 (or the new shell seats) could be my saviour though. My first SQ A380 flight SYD-SIN end of last year was interesting. The Asian (I presume Singaporean) couple in front of me reclined as soon as possible which really did not bother me although I needed to get up and stretch. I could not get up unless I grabbed the seat in front. I apologised but the seat went back up and did not recline for the rest of the flight. Nice to see some people with manners.


Seriously it will be hard to get people to agree on most things. Some things bother some people while some people are not bothered by anything. I do try to be considerate but cannot please everyone. Some of my rules for air travel

• If you recline then you won't mind me grabbing the top of your seat when I need to get up. And no it is not just me being overweight. I have joint and lower back problems. (And yes I know it is not your problem but Ialso need to get up)
• I shower at home or the hotel every morning and after a game of golf (it is great that you have a shower at the lounge before a flight, during a stopover and at the end of the flight, don't expect the same from me
• No I do not want to swap seats with you. I specifically chose an aisle seat as this is where I want to sit (If I wanted a window seat or a middle seat I would have pre-allocated one)
• No I do not want to move down to 92E because a couple (or friends) want to sit together (It is not my fault your are not seated together. If you want to sit together then ask the person at the back if they want to move up the front and you move down there. I will happily take a seat in higher class cabin though if you need help to sit together)
• I sleep easily but I also snore (I can only apologise)
• I would expect people using iPods or whatever to have the volume down a reasonable level
• I am usually one of the first people at the carousel and get to the front most times. There are people who still try to push past me before any luggage has come out. I usually stand about a metre back and stretch my foot out onto the carousel until the luggage starts coming out (why do people want to keep pushing in front of me? I want my luggage as badly as you want yours and I made an effort to get here first but left you plenty of room to look for yours and collect it, not to push and shove in front of me)

 

[QF WP]

I have never seen this occur.

I would have thought this would be a very uncomfortable way of sitting and clearly a very rude practice.

I think behaviour like this would preclude her from being called a "lady".

ejb

Oh yes, she was no lady - I took a good look when I got up to get off the plane.

The FA walked into the Y cabin so I missed hearing what he said, but I presume something about hygiene.

 

[Katie]

• No I do not want to swap seats with you. I specifically chose an aisle seat as this is where I want to sit (If I wanted a window seat or a middle seat I would have pre-allocated one)

That reminds me - I was flying on UA LAX-MSY last year. AT OLCI from home in Bris, along with paying for my checked luggage, I paid to upgrade myself to Premium Economy. I ended up in the first row of Y, middle or aisle seat. A woman was already sitting there, chatting with a friend in the next seat. She proffered her boarding pass and asked if I wanted to swap. I was stunned, and flat out said No. I'd paid for the upgrade, and while I'd had a great Y+ flight in a skybed to LAX, there was no way I was throwing out my upgrade $. She accpeted that, though seemed somewhat dejected. Before we took off, the lady remaining in the seat next to me ended up swapping with someone nearer to her friend, and some other bloke ended up sitting next to me.

 

[Katie]

All the discussion of horror, unruly kids on this forum has me worred about our upcoming trip to DFW with Miss 3. I'm trying to think of strategies to keep her seated and occuppied. She's rather outgoing (which I don't mean euphemistically) and will want to meet everyone on the plane and tell them about her upcoming holiday.
I'm planning on reading her the riot act, having not-too-sugary snacks for her, a big stack of DVDs to go with the DVD player, sticker books, activity books, reading books, and perhaps some toys. I'm hoping this, and some phenergan appropriately timed (after checking it works nicely on her), will help get through QF11 in 5 weeks and 5 days. Not that I'm counting.

 

[medhead]

All the discussion of horror, unruly kids on this forum has me worred about our upcoming trip to DFW with Miss 3. I'm trying to think of strategies to keep her seated and occuppied. She's rather outgoing (which I don't mean euphemistically) and will want to meet everyone on the plane and tell them about her upcoming holiday.
I'm planning on reading her the riot act, having not-too-sugary snacks for her, a big stack of DVDs to go with the DVD player, sticker books, activity books, reading books, and perhaps some toys. I'm hoping this, and some phenergan appropriately timed (after checking it works nicely on her), will help get through QF11 in 5 weeks and 5 days. Not that I'm counting.

It sounds like you have a suitable range and variety of activities. Don't forget to order a kids meal.

Personally, I don't get the thing about drugging kids. So I'll just ask whether Miss 3 deserves a chance to actually do those activities, enjoy her meal and perhps go to sleep in her own time?

 

[JohnK]

She accpeted that, though seemed somewhat dejected. Before we took off, the lady remaining in the seat next to me ended up swapping with someone nearer to her friend, and some other bloke ended up sitting next to me.

Well done. If they want to sit together they will find a way and more than likely someone will be willing to move up the front of the cabin rather than someone wanting to move to the back of the cabin.

All the discussion of horror, unruly kids on this forum has me worred about our upcoming trip to DFW with Miss 3. I'm trying to think of strategies to keep her seated and occuppied. She's rather outgoing (which I don't mean euphemistically) and will want to meet everyone on the plane and tell them about her upcoming holiday.

I actually don't mind most children on flights. I had a great flight BNE-SYD a couple of weeks ago with a couple sitting in the middle row of 3 on a 767 with 2 kids. I had a ball with the ~12 month old (he loved shredding the Financial Review to pieces) and managed to keep him distracted long enough so his parents could enjoy the short flight.

I am usually great with kids....

 

[Katie]

It sounds like you have a suitable range and variety of activities. Don't forget to order a kids meal.

Personally, I don't get the thing about drugging kids. So I'll just ask whether Miss 3 deserves a chance to actually do those activities, enjoy her meal and perhps go to sleep in her own time?

Kid's meals ordered for all QF flights
(A relative travelled without ordering a kids meal for her 18mth old years ago, and complained bitterly that the airline should know that someone on a child's fare should get a child's meal. I've never made that assumption with Miss 3).

For the phenergan ... well, I may not actually go ahead with it; I will probably see how the flight goes. I didn't bother with our flights to HNL last year - night flight over, didn't need it; day flight back, wish she'd slept for more of that flight, but we all coped fine. There are some herbal sleep aids for kids I've seen in the past, I may try those. My biggest concern, which may not be an issue with dimmed cabin lights & most other pax sleeping/quietly watching IFE, is that if there's *anything* going on, she will want to be a part of it.

 

[Bang4Buck]

No, "Va te faire foutre" is incorrect. The conjugation for Aller (to go) in French for tu (which is the assumed pronoun) is Vas, not Va. Va is the conjugation for il/elle/qui/on (he/she/who/one).

I stand corrected. My apologies.

 

[medhead]

I'm prompted to share my most recent seat swap request. travelling SYD-ADL, I was given an exit row on a 737-400, 12D, the aricraft was swapped at the last minute due to mechanical fault to 738, I got moved into 13D so still exit row. Got on the aircraft to see a bloke in my seat and a FA standing in row 12. I showed my boarding pass to the bloke. He sat there and the FA asks me if I what to sit in row 12. I just laughed and muttered an incredulous "no". FA tried to say how it would be easier for me to just sit down. I just put my carry on into the locker above 13 and waited. Turns out that the people who had taken 13D and 13E were actually given 12D and 12E. Yes it would've be easier for me to sit down in 12D than move 2 pax, but I got an exit row and an empty middle seat.

For the phenergan ...

It sounds like you've got everything sorted out. On the sleeping aids - there is no need to explain as I fully accept that you know what is best. Just that I'm a strongly opiniated person and I can't help expressing my opinions. That doesn't meaan I expect anyone to actually pay attention to me.

Sounds like you'll have a good flight.

 

[JohnK]

Got on the aircraft to see a bloke in my seat and a FA standing in row 12. I showed my boarding pass to the bloke. He sat there and the FA asks me if I what to sit in row 12. I just laughed and muttered an incredulous "no". FA tried to say how it would be easier for me to just sit down. I just put my carry on into the locker above 13 and waited. Turns out that the people who had taken 13D and 13E were actually given 12D and 12E. Yes it would've be easier for me to sit down in 12D than move 2 pax, but I got an exit row and an empty middle seat.

Do people actually sit in the seat(s) they wanted (obviously not the seat on their boarding pass) on purpose hoping the other person will just give in? Very sad and extremely rude....

 

[tuapekastar]

I'm prompted to share my most recent seat swap request. travelling SYD-ADL, I was given an exit row on a 737-400, 12D, the aricraft was swapped at the last minute due to mechanical fault to 738, I got moved into 13D so still exit row. Got on the aircraft to see a bloke in my seat and a FA standing in row 12. I showed my boarding pass to the bloke. He sat there and the FA asks me if I what to sit in row 12. I just laughed and muttered an incredulous "no". FA tried to say how it would be easier for me to just sit down. I just put my carry on into the locker above 13 and waited. Turns out that the people who had taken 13D and 13E were actually given 12D and 12E. Yes it would've be easier for me to sit down in 12D than move 2 pax, but I got an exit row and an empty middle seat.

The dregs you sometimes encounter! I think the FA was way below par on this as well. Glad you stuck to yuor guns.

 

[thewinchester]

I'm prompted to share my most recent seat swap request. travelling SYD-ADL, I was given an exit row on a 737-400, 12D, the aricraft was swapped at the last minute due to mechanical fault to 738, I got moved into 13D so still exit row. Got on the aircraft to see a bloke in my seat and a FA standing in row 12. I showed my boarding pass to the bloke. He sat there and the FA asks me if I what to sit in row 12. I just laughed and muttered an incredulous "no". FA tried to say how it would be easier for me to just sit down. I just put my carry on into the locker above 13 and waited. Turns out that the people who had taken 13D and 13E were actually given 12D and 12E. Yes it would've be easier for me to sit down in 12D than move 2 pax, but I got an exit row and an empty middle seat.

I've lost count these days of the number of people who've been sitting in the wrong seat (AKA my seat) - and worse it's even happened on occasions when I've flown in J.

I frankly won't tolerate it, particularly if it's up the point end or the front of Y. Sit in your assigned seat and stop causing problems for other passengers.

 

[NYCguy]

I stand corrected. My apologies.

An apology is entirely unnecessary!

 

[flighty]

It anoys me when passengers are watching a comedy and laugh quite loudly
especially at night.
I dont like it when very overweight passengers recline their seats and almost end up in your lap.
ie. the seat reclines more than normal because of the weight.

 

[munitalP]

...
I dont like it when very overweight passengers recline their seats and almost end up in your lap.
ie. the seat reclines more than normal because of the weight.

Yeah?

That would mean the seat is broken rather than an overweight person makes it recline further...

 

[rhjames]

Love this one ....

Guilty! Anyone else? I always take my shoes off on longer flights and often on shorter flights, (at least once we are well into the climb) and on longer ones usually change my socks into airline provided socks (or old airline ones I have brought for the flight)

I take my shoes off at every polite opportunity. I never wear them driving, at home etc. As soon as the seat belt sign goes off, the shoes come off. Socks stay on, or on long haul, are replaced with the airline socks. I would expect everyone to do this. However,if I thought there was any risk of odour, I'd leave the shoes on.

The airline wouldn't supply travel socks if shoes were meant to be left on. Then perhaps there's the added risk of a DVT through tight shoes.