{"id":17481,"date":"2013-12-18T14:40:04","date_gmt":"2013-12-18T14:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17481"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:41:42","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:41:42","slug":"top-travel-etiquette-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/top-travel-etiquette-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Top travel etiquette tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Be nice.<\/p>\n

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Above all else, this was the No. 1 piece of advice that travel experts shared during Expedia’s most recent\u00a0Google+ Hangout on Air last week about travel etiquette<\/a>. The hangout, hosted by yours truly on behalf of Expedia<\/a>, was in conjunction with a study Expedia recently developed with Northstar<\/a>. The study, which pulled data from 1,001 respondents, spotlighted the specific subject of passenger etiquette when traveling by air.<\/span><\/p>\n

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During the hangout, travel experts Rachel Rudwall<\/a>\u00a0and Robert Reid<\/a>\u00a0sounded off about a variety of topics concerning good behavior on planes. Most of their input was in the context of a busy period of travel between now and the end of the 2013 holiday season. In no particular order, here are some of the top travel etiquette tips that were discussed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tip 1: Remember that an airplane is neither private nor public space.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Because we all pay to sit in the plane, it\u2019s not exactly a place where anything goes. Reid, a writer and former editor\/spokesperson for Lonely Planet, suggested that it\u2019s always a good idea to warn the people in the row behind you if you plan to recline your chair. Rudwall, an on-camera host, EMMY-nominated TV producer, photographer, and writer, noted that you probably don\u2019t want to parade around barefoot (since you wouldn\u2019t do that in, say, a hotel lobby or another quasi-public space). My advice on the subject is similar: When in doubt, do onto others as you would have them do onto you.
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Tip 2: Lock the lavatory door.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Whether you\u2019re using the loo for its intended purposes, or you\u2019re using it to join the \u201cMile High Club,\u201d both experts reminded travelers to be sure and lock the door. Those lavatories exist for everyone, and walking in on someone in any sort of compromising position can be uncomfortable for everyone involved. (Also, it\u2019s proper etiquette to leave the lavatory as clean – if not cleaner – than it was when you found it. One of my major<\/em> pet peeves is walking into an airplane lavatory with water on the counter.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tip 3: Speak softly.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Sound carries, especially when you\u2019re in a flying metal tube. Rudwall said that if you\u2019re sitting and chatting with friends, be mindful of volume so as not to disrupt others who might be trying to a) work, b) sleep, or c) just zone out. Reid added that if the Federal Aviation Administration decides to allow in-flight cell phone use, apply the same philosophy then, too. \u201cI like the idea of people being connected while they fly, but if you\u2019re all cramped and someone next to you is talking for two or three hours straight, that could be really uncomfortable,\u201d he said. Because I travel frequently with my two daughters (ages 4 and 2), I’ve become a maniac about making sure members of my family use their “inside voices” in-flight. All passengers can benefit from this approach.
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Tip 4: Practice good behavior on the ground.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Proper etiquette should extend to boarding and disembarking from the plane. Before take-off, this means obeying boarding-zone rules and being mindful of using only the overhead bin space above your seat. After landing, it means waiting your turn to get out of your seat and retrieve your belongings, then moving quickly and not dawdling – as you head for the exit of the plane. Reid suggested during the hangout that, upon landing, most passengers should remain seated until those passengers with connecting flights have disembarked. I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly; why shouldn’t they have first dibs at getting off?
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Viewfinder Tip: Especially at holiday season, a little good behavior on the part of air travelers can go a long way.
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Tip 5: Use social media thoughtfully.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Many travel companies – including Expedia<\/a> – pride themselves on interacting with customers over Facebook and Twitter. Still, it\u2019s important that passengers don\u2019t abuse this access. Rudwall suggested only Tweeting with an airline when a) you\u2019ve got something positive to share or b) you can make constructive criticism about something the airline actually can change. \u201cIf you\u2019re at a restaurant and someone next to you has an obnoxious laugh, that\u2019s not the restaurant\u2019s fault,\u201d she said. \u201cBut if there\u2019s a mouse in your salad, that\u2019s definitely something they should know about.\u201d Reid added that it\u2019s also acceptable to turn to Twitter as a means of communicating with an airline when you can\u2019t get through on the phone. One thing that’s never okay: Badmouthing a company for poor customer service in a forum that does not provide the opportunity to respond. We’re all guilty of it (I know I am); let’s make it one of our resolutions for 2014 to change our ways.
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Tip 6: Do your part to speed up security lines.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Finally, Reid and Rudwall agreed that all passengers need to be more thoughtful on security lines to help move the process along quickly and efficiently. Reid\u2019s suggestion: undress and organize items while you\u2019re waiting in line. Rudwall\u2019s: don\u2019t wear jewelry to the airport; instead, pack it and put it on once you\u2019ve gotten through security. Both experts suggested placing shoes soles-down directly on the conveyor belt, so as to prevent inadvertently soiling the bins that TSA provides.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Of course the most important tips that came out of this week\u2019s Google+ Hangout on Air<\/a>: Be nice. Be patient. Treat others the way you\u2019d have them treat you. With an estimated 90 million people flying between now and New Year\u2019s, airports and airplanes are likely to get crazy at this time of year. A little good behavior always goes a long way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What’s your best travel etiquette tip?<\/strong><\/div>\n

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Following a ground-breaking study, Expedia tabbed travel gurus for advice on etiquette<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1786,1777,1778,1780,1787,1774,1802,1776,1807],"tags":[43,1991,15],"authors":[2227],"class_list":["post-17481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-company","category-family","category-features","category-inspiration","category-news","category-occasions-and-seasons","category-top-lists","category-type-of-vacation","category-winter","tag-adults-only","tag-new-years","tag-winter-break","authors-matt-villano","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTop travel etiquette tips | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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