Air Travel: Oh, Dear, What Can the "Manner" Be?

Yesterday's Daily Camera "Balance" section contained two articles on air travel -- and the deterioration of manners and just plain (just plane?) good sense. One called "Mind Your Manners--Especially at 35,000 Feet" was reprinted from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Reporter Marylynne Pitz wrote of two unpleasant incidents: one in which a Continental Express captain turned the plane around and taxied back to the gate when a mother couldn't quiet her one-year-old, and another in which "American Idol" finalist Clay Aiken fell asleep on a Continental flight with his foot on the armrest of the passenger in front of him. What is it with Continental? When Denver was one its major hubs, I flew so much that I was a Silver Elite member of its OnePass program. My delight at being upgraded to first class turned to dismay when the male half of a couple in the bulkhead seat across the aisle from me took of his shoes and socks and flew for hundreds of miles with his bare feet against the wall. Neither his lady friend nor the flight attendant said anything to him. I was tempted -- and in hindsight, perhaps I should have.

To remind us all to be better inflight neighbors, the reporter included a sidebar called "Tips for Being a Polite Seatmate":

Introduce yourself to your seatmate and excuse yourself politely if you need to get up and use the restroom.

If you wish to put your seat back, turn around and give the person behind you a polite warning so that you do not crunch his or her laptop.

If you sneeze or cough, cover your mouth with the inside of your elbow (the best spot) or your hand to cut down on the spread of germs.

If you're bothered by babies crying, come prepared with iPods or DVDs and headphones to drown out the noise.

If you're wearing open-toed shoes, try to keep your feet -- no matter how clean -- out of the breathing space of the passenger next to you or in front of you.

Try to keep your seat area clean -- throw out the cups and napkins when the attendant collects them -- as a courtesy not only to your seat mates but also to the passengers sitting there on later flights.

If you're trying to fit your carry-on in the upper bin and it doesn't fit, don't try to jam it in by crushing someone else's bag.

If you need to stretch your legs, walk back and forth but do not stand and hover over other passengers because you are invading their personal space.

To reduce potential crankiness, prepare for delays. Pack an inflatable pillow, granola bar, almonds, banana and a good book.

While talking on the plane, speak softly so as not to disturb fellow passengers who may be sleeping. Avoid asking personal questions.

Pay attention to body language. If your seat mate pulls out a book while you continue to chat, pay attention to that cue and end the conversation.

A companion piece by the Associated Press's Elizabeth White called "Time to Change Family Boarding?" It questioned the practice of permitting families with young children to preboard, "along with other special needs passengers." The article used Southwest as an example -- but I thought it was a rather poor one, since that economy carrier does not assign seats but rather assigns boarding groups according to the order in which passengers obtain their boarding passes.

I took my now-grown son on his first plane ride at age four-and-a-half months, and by the time he was five, he was already a veteran of several dozen flights, including two transatlantic roundtrips. Frankly, while pre-boarding with an infant makes sense, because parents have so much to juggle, I always thought that doing so with a toddler or energetic pre-schooler was just plain silly. I believed then, and still do, that permitting children to run around the airport and let of steam is better than loading them onto the plane first, strapping them in and making them sit down until everyone else is settled and hoping for no delayed take-off. IMHO, parents and small children with assigned seats should board at the very last minute.