A New Survey Revealed What People Think Good Plane Etiquette Is & It's A Shockingly Low Bar
Canadians and Americans were brought together to share their takes on some of the most controversial airplane etiquette rules — and the verdicts were surprising.
Hot topics like wearing shoes to the bathroom, stretching on board, and closing the window shade have divided travellers for years, but now it looks like finally we have some answers.
Travel company KAYAK partnered with Brandwatch's Consumer Research Platform and Ask Your Target Market to dive into the do's and don'ts of air travel, and asked 1,000 Canadians and Americans a series of questions about what they think is appropriate (or not) during a flight.
There was a promising level of consensus reached on the most cringe-worthy habits, like going to the restroom without shoes (a big no), but the survey results do leave you wondering about the 21% that think that behaviour is okay. Are the standards so low for people on a plane that we can't expect everyone to slip on some shoes?
Here's a breakdown of what you can and can't do while travelling -- and get ready for a little bit of turbulence.
Exercise in the airport is a go, but standing still is not
A whopping 73% of travellers surveyed think it's okay for people to get their sweat on while waiting for their flight. To be fair, it's because they believe "it's better [in the airport] than in the air."
There are still some standards that remain in airports though, as 57% of travellers say "you are not allowed to stand still on the moving sidewalk," because they "don't think it's a joyride."
So, burpees are a go, but standing still is not.
Put your shoes on
A former flight attendant who now works at Narcity recently detailed her experience discovering that the water on the floor of airplane bathrooms is usually, in fact, not water.
Despite this gruesome realization, a shocking 21% of people still think it's okay to not wear shoes to the bathroom on a plane. While the majority of travellers agree it's a big no-no, you can't help but worry about the feet of the others (and the pee that is probably on them).
Don't get mad if people wake you up
While a travel expert told Narcity that people should avoid waking up fellow passengers unless they have a genuine bathroom emergency, many travellers think differently.
Apparently, it's okay to interrupt your neighbour's REM cycle if you need to relieve yourself whether it's an emergency or not, because "64% of travelers think the alternative is way more disgusting."
Be careful though, because not every situation calls for a wake-up. A whopping 76% of respondents agreed that waking someone up for food isn't cool.
Talking to your seatmate is risky
Chatting up a fellow traveller is okay, but only just. Of those surveyed, just 52% think it's okay to make small talk with the stranger sat beside you, making it a divisive issue.
Luckily when Narcity chatted to travel experts about airplane etiquette, they provided a solution. Shawn Kathleen of Passenger Shaming advised people to be honest with their seat-buddy.
"If they keep trying to talk to you, just say 'if you would excuse me, I'm going to take this opportunity to watch this movie I've been wanting to watch,' or 'I'm going to take this opportunity to get some work done,'" she advised.
Alternatively, put on an eye mask and earbuds and call it a day.
Seat swapping is a thing, but not everyone is happy about it
Another controversial one is a classic – seat swapping on flights. Of the people surveyed, 54% said that it's okay to ask to switch seats, as long as you do it nicely.
This matched up well with Kathleen's advice, which is that it's ok to ask, but accept it gracefully if the other passenger says no.
Other issues were less hot-button, with an overwhelming majority agreeing that popping pimples, doing yoga, and telling off other people's kids on the plane are not ok.
You should also avoid eating smelly food like tinned fish, chatting to someone with headphones on, and leaning on strangers' shoulders.
What you can do though is wear flip-flops, turn on the reading light, close the window shade if you're in the window seat, and ask someone to quit kicking your seat.
@cookie_v Yes my hair did get pulled 😐
Happy travels, with your new rule book in hand!
