Travel etiquette

[sydunipete]

Stand back from the carousel when collecting luggage. It is most annoying having to elbow other pax standing right up against the carousel waiting for their bags to appear. If everyone would stand back and only approach when their bags appear it would make things easier for all.

+1. This is my pet hate. From memory at ARN there is a yellow line about 1m back from the carousel - but of course people still ignore it, crowd the carousel and thus prevent people from seeing their bags in advance and preparing to pick them up thus making he whole process more difficult than is necessary.

 

[Scott Brown]

This. Very much this. I now have it down to an art. In winter, everything I would be carrying or have in my pants pockets goes straight into my jacket. Other times of the year, the outside pocket of my laptop bag. I'm in the queue, laptop in hand, LAGS bag in hand, empty pockets, and have slip on shoes so when I get to the plastic bins, it's laptop and LAGS into tray, slip off shoes, and go through.

Also makes the queueing at the other side of the x-ray *much* quicker as you grab your stuff, put laptop away, slip shoes back on, and walk off.

A little planning makes it so much faster (but of course for the infrequent traveller or those with small children/large families, this is near impossible to do for them).

Never ceases to amaze me watching the look of disbelief on the infrequent flyers when the security guards ask them to take off the 30 kilos of jewellery around their necks. It's a "Surely that doesn't apply to me?" look.

I always quickly scan the 4 queues at SYD and move to the one with the least old people rather than the shortest queue.

 

[h15t0r1an]

I vividly recall watching a Jetstar boarding queue (while I was waiting to roll onto a VA flight) at OOL who were weighing and measuring carry-on for everyone! I suspect that was more for revenue chasing than pax comfort, but I've never seen it so rigorously enforced like that before (here or elsewhere).

Hmmm wait till you see Ryanair's enforcement if you ever fly them in Europe.

 

[Bad Seed]

And then there's the total randomness of travelling with children who despite having had their packing done for them, manage to slip the Swiss army knife that they just absolutely have to take with them into their pocket at the last minute and then look absolutely innocent when the alarms go off and their parents and everyone else in the queue looks daggers at them -yes, its happened to us, and we travel often with kids and are good at moving quickly through queues with babies, then toddlers and now teens but kids can still do their own thing. I find it odd that I have a gold bangle that I am wary of removing because its light and I don't want to lose it but through trial and error I have found that it sets off some machines and not others.

 

[drewbles]

+1. This is my pet hate. From memory at ARN there is a yellow line about 1m back from the carousel - but of course people still ignore it, crowd the carousel and thus prevent people from seeing their bags in advance and preparing to pick them up thus making he whole process more difficult than is necessary.

I concur. Several times i've been waiting at a carousel for it to start, around a meter or so back, along with others next to me on either side. Pretty much every time, i've had someone barge through and stand directly in front of me. I don't get some people...

I can't remember what airport, but there was a line as you mention (wasn't ARN for me) and there was an actual audio message on repeat advising people to wait behind the line until their bag appeared, and staff were enforcing it. It made things so much easier!

 

[Lynnelanne]

It bothers me that 'don't touch the seat in front of you' is becoming accepted etiquette. I simply can not get out of my seat without leverage, and no, you can't just do it from the armrests of your seat. If the seat in front of you is reclined the pitch will not allow you to do so if you have one 'bad leg' as I do. I apologise to the person in front if they seem bothered, but I have no choice other than to stay in the seat the whole flight (DVT, toilet, not happening).

 

[drewbles]

It bothers me that 'don't touch the seat in front of you' is becoming accepted etiquette. I simply can not get out of my seat without leverage, and no, you can't just do it from the armrests of your seat. If the seat in front of you is reclined the pitch will not allow you to do so if you have one 'bad leg' as I do. I apologise to the person in front if they seem bothered, but I have no choice other than to stay in the seat the whole flight (DVT, toilet, not happening).

How about an aisle seat? On just about every airline, the arm rest on the aisle does actually lift up, you just need to know where the catch under the arm rest is. Then, you can just turn and stand?

I understand those who are less dextrous for various reasons having issues getting out of the seat without assistance, but the seats in front are not designed to be used as a lever, and in the middle of the night of a long haul flight, you're likely to make an enemy of the person in front of you if they're asleep and you're up and down all the time.

It's a tricky situation for sure.

 

[shbap]

Great thread...couple of things to share...

On occasion, if and only if the queues are very light, I have tried to "test" the scanners during security checks, eg by not removing my belt, watch and even my phone once! The belt has been the most surprising success story - in most places, I tend to get straight through without the scanner going off at all. It's a fun game! I have done this a couple of times when I have arrived very early for a connecting flight. Typically though, I will try to dump as much as possible in to the carry-on bag when queuing up, well and truly before reaching the trays.

Navigating through security checks in India is always interesting, especially if you show up at the boarding gate with the bag tag on your carry on missing the stamp!!

I was a major offender recently at Boston (Logan International) - I was bringing a watch for a friend which happened to come with a swiss army knife. As the watch was in an unopened box, I was completely unaware of this. My bag went through the scanner three times (each time with a lighter load) as they couldn't figure out what the offending item was in my otherwise innocent bag! :-/
When it eventually clicked, the security officer dealing with me was very understanding, even suggesting that if not for the heightened security (I was travelling 2 hours after the curfew in Boston was lifted following the capture of Boston marathon bombing suspect), he would have let me through with the knife. I was quite surprised by that comment. The best part (given that I was carrying it for a friend and should have checked it) was they let me go back and use the USPS mailbox to mail the knife to myself (at a fairly reasonable cost I thought). Much better than previous experiences where the only option offered was confiscation!

And lastly, when will we in Australia get scanners that do no require the laptop to be removed from the bag? (I'm assuming it's the scanners that impose this requirement?).

 

[suze2000]

How about an aisle seat? On just about every airline, the arm rest on the aisle does actually lift up, you just need to know where the catch under the arm rest is. Then, you can just turn and stand?

This. I don't like the aisle, but if I had mobility issues, it would be where I would be sitting. Pulling on the seat in front is NOT cool and very annoying. And when you are in a tiny tin tube with 200 other people it's pretty important that people are not aggravated.

This goes double for kids kicking the seat in front. (also an honourable mention should go to people banging their feet on the floor to the beat of their music - that floor is thin!)

 

[suze2000]

On occasion, if and only if the queues are very light, I have tried to "test" the scanners during security checks, eg by not removing my belt, watch and even my phone once! The belt has been the most surprising success story - in most places, I tend to get straight through without the scanner going off at all.
...
And lastly, when will we in Australia get scanners that do no require the laptop to be removed from the bag? (I'm assuming it's the scanners that impose this requirement?).

This is probably going to be a double post, but hey...

I have a belt that I've flown in probably 15-20 times in. It has never set off the scanner. Until a recent trip from PER on VA. Clearly their metal detector is way over sensitive.

And does anyone know why VA wants your iPad out of the bag, while QF is fine with it in at MEL?

 

[drewbles]

This is probably going to be a double post, but hey...

I have a belt that I've flown in probably 15-20 times in. It has never set off the scanner. Until a recent trip from PER on VA. Clearly their metal detector is way over sensitive.

And does anyone know why VA wants your iPad out of the bag, while QF is fine with it in at MEL?

My iPad remains in my bag at all times when going through VA security in MEL (and PER for that matter). I just take out laptop, and the rest goes through the x-ray.

 

[Lynnelanne]

How about an aisle seat? On just about every airline, the arm rest on the aisle does actually lift up, you just need to know where the catch under the arm rest is. Then, you can just turn and stand?

I understand those who are less dextrous for various reasons having issues getting out of the seat without assistance, but the seats in front are not designed to be used as a lever, and in the middle of the night of a long haul flight, you're likely to make an enemy of the person in front of you if they're asleep and you're up and down all the time.

It's a tricky situation for sure.

I absolutely always get an aisle seat, and pay extra, do anything I can possibly do to have one. But no - actually not all of the aisle seat handles can come up. Sadly we possibly all reach the stage where we realise that anything is designed to be used as a leaver if you can't actually become vertical without one, and perhaps people ought not to judge before they are forced to re-evaluate the situation. I am very often on overnight flights and I know it irritates people, but I also have to put up with all the other irritants that people mention (kids/babies regularly irritate me, but I accept that can't do anything about it). If people want to be in an isolated cocoon without contact from other people then I would observe that the economy class cabin of an airplane is not the place that they are going to achieve this aim: if you want no contact, don't fly economy. As for it not 'being cool' as someone else said, well I'm sorry but I'm also at an age where being cool is just silly. DVT's, now they are worthy of consideration: my partner had one so I speak with some knowledge of those. By the way, I am not particularly old and still travel frequently for work; so this is also an occupational health issue for me.

 

[amp-qld]

I would also add "Don't have wheeled carry-on luggage." These things are the bane of my life and I think passengers should require a doctor's certificate to be allowed to use them. Also, I thought this was an Australian website. When did we change from queue to line?

 

[h15t0r1an]

If people want to be in an isolated cocoon without contact from other people then I would observe that the economy class cabin of an airplane is not the place that they are going to achieve this aim: if you want no contact, don't fly economy.

I lost count of the number of times I was literally shaken awake by pax in the seat to the rear of me overnight on several longhaul flights recently. Yup, this happens in Business Class too.

If someone is old enough to potentially have mobility issues then of course it's decent to be more tolerant however I have often observed that by day and night the perpetrators are often young apparently fit people. The most that could be said about some of them is that perhaps they are larger than some others.

 

[justin23]

My main gripe is the baggage collection carousel. Everyone gets sooo close you haven't got a chance to see when your bag comes out to walk up and collect the bag. Surely airports could put a line down saying please stay behind the line unless collecting baggage. I do get satisfaction pushing past people to get my bag though

Also don't assume someone young and not overweight are fit. Just like don't assume I'm unfit even though i'm tall/solid build. If you can't for example do squats properly you will have trouble getting in and out of seats. I see people needing to leverage to get out of a normal chair so an airline seat would be harder for them. Yes its often younger people who seem to have this issue.

I guess the rule i violate most is getting into queue earlier so that i can actually store my camera/laptop bag in the locker above me. But the number of times i then get hit by wheelie bags is at least 2-3 times every boarding. If you can't carry it, you should have to check it in.

 

[Scott Brown]

The most that could be said about some of them is that perhaps they are larger than some others.

I was wondering how to put that nicely as that's been my experience as well - those that pull on seats tend to be less mobile due to weight issues.

 

[Lynnelanne]

I was wondering how to put that nicely as that's been my experience as well - those that pull on seats tend to be less mobile due to weight issues.

And we judge this because? Is it the person's fault that they have weight issues (perhaps it is, but do they also have the corresponding right to judge every aspect of your life?....perhaps it is not their 'fault', who knows), or is the problem that airlines arrange economy seating in a way that is concerned only with profit and not health let alone comfort, whilst at the same time showing videos about health exercises that are completely unachievable in the space they provide?

Before people assume and judge me, I am a relatively normal sized middle aged woman, my partner is a large man - an ex rugby player who is huge across the shoulders as well as in body size - you should see that man's calves!! Not everyone who is big is large because they are sloths or gourmands or other lifestyle for which some might see fit to judge.

I frequently travel for work without him, but the same issues apply to him as to me.

 

[Lynnelanne]

I lost count of the number of times I was literally shaken awake by pax in the seat to the rear of me overnight on several longhaul flights recently. Yup, this happens in Business Class too.

If someone is old enough to potentially have mobility issues then of course it's decent to be more tolerant however I have often observed that by day and night the perpetrators are often young apparently fit people. The most that could be said about some of them is that perhaps they are larger than some others.

Or the young are simply inexperienced flyers. Doesn't make inconsiderate behaviour acceptable, but then we don't know for sure whether a young person has a mobility issue either. Even for a fit person, the pitch still causes issues for getting up and moving around with a reclined seat. When it's so bad that it is compulsory to put seats in the upright position for meals, clearly airlines are accepting that there is no room to even eat a meal, let alone get into a vertical position and move outwards.

 

[Kieran2274]

My iPad remains in my bag at all times when going through VA security in MEL (and PER for that matter). I just take out laptop, and the rest goes through the x-ray.

Same drewbles I've not been asked to pull out my iPad at either a VA or QF terminal security screening point. I'd say it was probably some security guy going a bit OTT.

 

[drewbles]

I absolutely always get an aisle seat, and pay extra, do anything I can possibly do to have one. But no - actually not all of the aisle seat handles can come up. Sadly we possibly all reach the stage where we realise that anything is designed to be used as a leaver if you can't actually become vertical without one, and perhaps people ought not to judge before they are forced to re-evaluate the situation. I am very often on overnight flights and I know it irritates people, but I also have to put up with all the other irritants that people mention (kids/babies regularly irritate me, but I accept that can't do anything about it). If people want to be in an isolated cocoon without contact from other people then I would observe that the economy class cabin of an airplane is not the place that they are going to achieve this aim: if you want no contact, don't fly economy. As for it not 'being cool' as someone else said, well I'm sorry but I'm also at an age where being cool is just silly. DVT's, now they are worthy of consideration: my partner had one so I speak with some knowledge of those. By the way, I am not particularly old and still travel frequently for work; so this is also an occupational health issue for me.

Sorry if my post offended you (it certainly was not meant to in any way!). I don't know anyone's particular mobility situation when they post, so my response was only more as a 'what if you try this' and definitely not a 'don't be so slack make an effort'.

*Most* Airline aisle arms do actually raise, if you know how to raise them. Perhaps a kind word to an FA to ask, but I know VA's and QF's do, as i've often just unclipped them and raised it slightly to make it a little more comfortable.