Long Haul: Avoiding Air Rage And Keeping Your Cool

Avoiding Air Rage And Keeping Your Cool On Long Haul Flights

EATING your dinner on your lap; crossing your legs for eight hours as you don’t fancy climbing over the grumpy person next to you to go to the loo and having to wash someone else’s saliva out of the sink before washing your hands, are just some of the things we all put up when travelling long haul by plane.

For most people, long distance flying is tiring and at times uncomfortable, but while the majority of travellers manage to keep composed on even the longest flights, there are some for whom the frustration of their close quarters can get too much, leading to anything from irritability to all-out air rage.

Area leader for Flight Centre, Carlee McCaw, said for most people air travel is a means to an end and most people don’t particularly enjoy it, particularly frequent travellers or those on very long flights.

“As plane travel gets more sophisticated and aircraft are able to travel longer without stopping, passenger irritability and even air rage could potentially become more of an issue,” she said.

“Currently the world’s longest non-stop route is New York to Singapore at 18 hours and 32 minutes. Although overall journey time is reduced, this length of time in the air in one go will take its toll on even the most patient person.”

“However, there is a lot that travellers can do to make the journey more pleasant for both themselves and their fellow passengers around them.”

Flight Centre travel consultants from all over New Zealand have compiled their own guide to ‘plane etiquette’, designed to make travelling by air a more comfortable and pleasant experience for everyone:

FLIGHT CENTRE GUIDE TO PLANE ETIQUETTE
• Remember to rinse the sink after washing your hands/brushing your teeth
• Put your seat in the upright position when eating
• Don’t hog the armrests. Airlines generally have 3 seats in a row before the aisle. If you hog both armrests the poor traveller in the middle will be very uncomfortable.
• Be careful not to splash water in the bathroom – most people take their shoes off on planes and wet socks can make the rest of the journey unpleasant. • Request an aisle seat if you’re a frequent loo visitor. Also watch your alcohol intake – drinking acts as a diuretic, making you visit even more often.
• Don’t be grumpy if someone has to clamber past you to go to the loo – we all need to go!
• Don’t get drunk. Obnoxious, loud and disruptive behaviour on an aircraft is viewed in a very dim light. You may find yourself in handcuffs, spending the night in jail instead of enjoying your well-earned holiday
• Remember the space in overhead lockers is limited, so try not to take loads of bags that take up more than your share. Airlines generally have limits on how much hand luggage you can take on the plane anyway (generally one small bag – excluding your handbag)
• When travelling with children be considerate of others. Sceraming or chair kicking children has been known to set some people off!
• Don’t obstruct the passage – the air hostesses will not be able to serve meals and drinks and passengers will be frustrated in their attempt to pass.

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