Majority of flights do not go bad due to a single big, dramatic mistake. They become gradually and subtly worse: a clogged aisle there, a ringing call bell there, a bag turned in the unintended direction in the overhead. In a place where hundreds of strangers are sharing air space, armrests and limited patience, small decisions can have a quick ripple effect.
The good part is that habits which annoy a whole cabin are easily corrected, and time in most cases economized as well.
1. Using the aisle to treat as a starting line post landing
When the plane arrives at the gate, getting in line right at the gate, crowding the aisle, and attempting to squeeze in front of the rows in front it makes deplaning gridlock. Flight attendants have their own term to describe it, they call it aisle lice, as it sticks to the aisle and is a pain to everyone. A flight attendant with 20 years of service in the four largest airline companies in the U.S., Cecily Anderson was blunt; she not only finds it annoying, but it also makes them even less willing to get what they want by slowing everything down.
In the situation where the non-rushing passengers rush into the aisle, the individuals that have a real tight connection miss the seconds which count. Row on row marching is not only courtesy, but the only system that makes a narrow passage run.
2. Whenever the plane is in motion, opening overhead bins
There can be no more tension builders of a cabin floor than the sound of a bin latch clicking as the plane is still on the taxiway. Bags move with turnings and halts and the aisle turns into a risky area in case anybody is standing below it. When something collapses, the act causes other to join the act, which increases the risk and causes a standoff that is enforced by the crew, which is holding everyone. Instead of wasting several seconds on the seat belt sign, one can avoid an avoidable mess.
3. Putting a bag in anyplace that it can fit, rather than in the seat
Sharing of overhead bin space does not make it random. Deplaning becomes a form of back and forward scavenger hunt when a bag is several rows away and the bag owner is forced to go against the flow in order to retrieve the bag. Angela McMurray, who is a flight attendant in an international carrier, observed the difficulty that this can pose when passengers are forced to struggle with traffic in order to retrieve items in bins that are not located in their seat.
At the closest proximity to the seat-space holds luggage, pace is preserved and awkward aisle choreography that transforms a relaxed arrival into a bottleneck is eliminated.
4. Placing two things in the overhead baggage when they should be placed under the seat
Placing a roller as well as a smaller personal item overhead is one of the minor decisions that have a significant boarding effect. In most airlines, it is just that, the bigger it is, the higher the carry-on, the smaller the item, the lower. When such a balance is lost, the bins are filled prematurely, boarding is delayed, and the occupants in the surrounding areas begin to compete to get the space that they absolutely did not deserve to occupy.
There are exceptions, such as bulkhead rows and certain emergency rows do restrict under-seat storage, however the fundamental practice of up-and-down has made boarding predictable to all those behind the aisle.
5. Poor packing of the overhead baggage
The modern bins are capable of holding a lot more than it appears they are supposed to hold- as long as one places the bags in the right positions. Flight attendants constantly indicate that it depends on the aircraft. The reasons given by Delta flight attendant Daniel Compton were that various planes had to be positioned differently; in one aircraft a suitcase had to lie flat, whereas in another it was to be on the side. The disobedience of onboard instructions or signage by travelers who then use a bag in the incorrect direction is a waste of space and leads to the all too common reshuffling of the middle boardings.
In general, the flight attendant Denise Margrét Yaghi has explained keeping the carry-ons in a wheels-first position and vertically positioned where the bin is designed to handle such. The root cause of the error, which is known as the tiny mistake, is the unwillingness to make changes after the logic of storage in the cabin is obviously different.
6. Bending into the beverage cart or self-service
The beverage cart is not a convenience shelf. Tania M. who is the flight attendant with almost 20 years of experience told the reasons why passengers picking up things causes trouble: it only causes chaos and confusion. The cart usually gets to a row earlier than the attendant and hands fumbling on it destroy the sequence of service and create hygiene issues to all sharing the contents of the cart.
Even with good intentions, so-called helpfulness will slow down the entire cabin when it causes a member of the crew to recheck, reset, and re-sort.
7. Stepping into the galley unsolicited
The galley looks like an open space particularly during the time of flight because it is long but it is still working area of the crew. Going in to get cups, drinks, or snacks, even in the pretext of not wanting to disturb anyone, disrupts the flow of service and places the passengers in the midst of a safety-sensitive area. Other airlines would rather their passengers seek assistance through their seats; others might welcome brief visits at the quiet time of the day. In any case, walking in and stealing supplies without permission transforms an otherwise good flight into a progression of small battles nobody would care about.
8. Abuse of the call button (particularly with the seat belt sign on)
The call button is there to be applied, however, time and place are important. When flying in turbulence, when landing or taking off, the crew might be required to be seated hence non urgent demands are disruptive. Joyce Van Ocken, a flight attendant with a European airline, pointed out the boundary in a nutshell; during this period, the flight attendants should only use the call button when there is a real emergency, not to request a pillow or a glass of coke.
The call bell is also a problem of noise on most of the routes: a single ring can resonate in a dark cabin with other passengers who are attempting to sleep. The button is suitable to those travelers who are in window seats and cannot easily exit the plane, or any other individual who faces a genuine necessity. The very small error is that it is being treated as a convenience shortcut when it compels the whole cabin to hear and the crew to screen.
Cabin etiquette does not deal with perfection at all, it deals with taking friction away. A flight is enhanced fast when aisles are kept clear, bins are kept tidy and crew workflow is in place.
