Travel etiquette

[Foreigner]

Five tips which I fully agree with...

Top 5 Travel Etiquette Tips - Road Warriorette

I would add another one or two about boarding:

- keeping the boarding area at the gate clear until boarding is called.

- joining the queue rather than cutting in.

 

[Kieran2274]

Five tips which I fully agree with...

Top 5 Travel Etiquette Tips - Road Warriorette

I would add another one or two about boarding:

- keeping the boarding area at the gate clear until boarding is called.

- joining the queue rather than cutting in.

Good article Foreigner and agree with the postscript additions. It remains a mystery why people seem to go mad hurrying up to wait. When I was able to get around fine on my own legs, I was always one of the few to hang back to board (far more sensible, and nobody to trample you either) and the rush off the plane to only stand awaiting the a/c door to open (or the seatbelt sign to go off!) and then stand around for customs, baggage, etc always left me bemused.

 

[Grooba]

As a footnote to point 1 in that article - while you are in line for security, please prepare yourself and your possessions. I mean (where possible) you can already have your keys/phone/wallet/etc in your bag, laptop out under your arm, etc. Drives me nuts when people do all this on the belt itself, slowing down the screening process even further.

 

[Kieran2274]

As a footnote to point 1 in that article - while you are in line for security, please prepare yourself and your possessions. I mean (where possible) you can already have your keys/phone/wallet/etc in your bag, laptop out under your arm, etc. Drives me nuts when people do all this on the belt itself, slowing down the screening process even further.

This made the Qantas Priority Screening Lane at MEL the slowest moving queue one morning last week - which was rather strange as you'd think they are the ones who know the drill backwards (maybe the morning coffee had yet to kick in lol).

 

[Foreigner]

As a footnote to point 1 in that article - while you are in line for security, please prepare yourself and your possessions. I mean (where possible) you can already have your keys/phone/wallet/etc in your bag, laptop out under your arm, etc. Drives me nuts when people do all this on the belt itself, slowing down the screening process even further.

Reminds me of passengers who board busses. They wait for bus to come by but don't keep their tickets ready, holding back others wishing to board. Many don't have tickets or have expired ones, planning to sneak in for free ride. I see them every day, opening wallets, checking pockets, and on and on.

 

[DrA]

Good article Foreigner and agree with the postscript additions. It remains a mystery why people seem to go mad hurrying up to wait. When I was able to get around fine on my own legs, I was always one of the few to hang back to board (far more sensible, and nobody to trample you either) and the rush off the plane to only stand awaiting the a/c door to open (or the seatbelt sign to go off!) and then stand around for customs, baggage, etc always left me bemused.

I don't know how much travel you've done in the US, but there's a reason for the mad scramble to board. Overhead bin space. The way the US airlines have restructured their fees means people attempt to bring stupid amounts of carry-on on board and it isn't policed. Finding bin space if you're not amongst the first to board is a nightmare.

The issue is nowhere near as pronounced in Australia, so I agree that there is no hurry to board here.

 

[get me outta here]

I'm not very good at sitting down esp in Y so I prefer to stand up and get out of there as soon as decently possible. I also like the window seat, so it's not a fast exit for me.

 

[Kieran2274]

I don't know how much travel you've done in the US, but there's a reason for the mad scramble to board. Overhead bin space. The way the US airlines have restructured their fees means people attempt to bring stupid amounts of carry-on on board and it isn't policed. Finding bin space if you're not amongst the first to board is a nightmare. The issue is nowhere near as pronounced in Australia, so I agree that there is no hurry to board here.

Given the reasonable prices I always fly First (aka Business) in the USA so I haven't been hampered by that (especially since I only take a small satchel onboard), but I know what you mean (it's not helped by the larger overhead bins used on USA carriers that encourage people to go to the max).

There is policing here, to some extent (especially if you are an Economy pax trying to fill Business - more than a few times I've heard the FAs pull people up), more so on the LCCs. I vividly recall watching a Jetstar boarding queue (while I was waiting to roll onto a VA flight) at OOL who were weighing and measuring carry-on for everyone! I suspect that was more for revenue chasing than pax comfort, but I've never seen it so rigorously enforced like that before (here or elsewhere).

 

[Kieran2274]

I'm not very good at sitting down esp in Y so I prefer to stand up and get out of there as soon as decently possible. I also like the window seat, so it's not a fast exit for me.

This is where not having airbridges can really help - rear stair deplaning is win-win for everyone.

 

[DrA]

Given the reasonable prices I always fly First (aka Business) in the USA so I haven't been hampered by that (especially since I only take a small satchel onboard), but I know what you mean (it's not helped by the larger overhead bins used on USA carriers that encourage people to go to the max).

There is policing here, to some extent (especially if you are an Economy pax trying to fill Business - more than a few times I've heard the FAs pull people up), more so on the LCCs. I vividly recall watching a Jetstar boarding queue (while I was waiting to roll onto a VA flight) at OOL who were weighing and measuring carry-on for everyone! I suspect that was more for revenue chasing than pax comfort, but I've never seen it so rigorously enforced like that before (here or elsewhere).

I also only ever fly business/first on US domestic flights. But I have still had AA weigh my carry-on in First at MIA several times.

 

[Foreigner]

(it's not helped by the larger overhead bins used on USA carriers that encourage people to go to the max).

Maybe there's logic behind those larger bins: let passengers bring onboard their luggage and take them, too. Would save on labor costs in transferring checked luggage, from airplane to carousel.

 

[OATEK]

As a footnote to point 1 in that article - while you are in line for security, please prepare yourself and your possessions. I mean (where possible) you can already have your keys/phone/wallet/etc in your bag, laptop out under your arm, etc. Drives me nuts when people do all this on the belt itself, slowing down the screening process even further.

Damn amateurs!

 

[RooFlyer]

Damn amateurs!

Meh. Amateur amateurs! The lady in front of me at MEL who at security had to surrender eight - yep, count 'em, eight - shampoo bottle sized containers of cosmetics, lotions & potions. Now she was a pro at being an amateur traveler!

 

[Kieran2274]

I also only ever fly business/first on US domestic flights. But I have still had AA weigh my carry-on in First at MIA several times.

Oh, I was referring to that Economy pax aren't allowed to use the First overhead storage - meaning it's not quite so competitive upfront because you don't have as many seats under the bins in First as you would in an equivalent space in Ecomony (and as I take minimal hand luggage I can usually store under the seat ahead and avoid the bins altogether).

As to bin sizes, it seems that bigger bins always fill anyway (rather than ending up creating more room).

 

[bryanjones]

Five tips which I fully agree with...

Top 5 Travel Etiquette Tips - Road Warriorette

I would add another one or two about boarding:

- keeping the boarding area at the gate clear until boarding is called.

- joining the queue rather than cutting in.

I am constantly amazed by our natural inclination to join a line. On my first work trip I jumped up to join the line as soon as boarding was called - it was just natural - but my colleague called me to sit back down. He said "relax, you have your seat waiting for you. Wouldn't you prefer to stay here and have a beer rather than stand in line and be frustrated by it not moving". Stayed with me ever since - as long as you dont have a lot of carry on to store, your much better being one of the last to board IMHO

 

[get me outta here]

... As to bin sizes, it seems that bigger bins always fill anyway (rather than ending up creating more room).[/QUOTE]

I think that's the 'build it and they will come', or maybe'.

 

[Hvr]

Two from today:

1) Don't let your 10-12 year old son vomit profusely in the SYD QP (or any of them for that matter!). The conversation went along the lines of, I'm going to vomit. No you're not, yes I am, no you're not. Spew....
Father took child to toilet, mother took others away and left it all there.

2) Teenage sport club entering MEL AP door en masse, refused to stay to the left. Indeed they took up the whole doorway and intimidated others from even coming near. So I literally had to force my way out to a pile of abuse from said team.

 

[drewbles]

As a footnote to point 1 in that article - while you are in line for security, please prepare yourself and your possessions. I mean (where possible) you can already have your keys/phone/wallet/etc in your bag, laptop out under your arm, etc. Drives me nuts when people do all this on the belt itself, slowing down the screening process even further.

This. Very much this. I now have it down to an art. In winter, everything I would be carrying or have in my pants pockets goes straight into my jacket. Other times of the year, the outside pocket of my laptop bag. I'm in the queue, laptop in hand, LAGS bag in hand, empty pockets, and have slip on shoes so when I get to the plastic bins, it's laptop and LAGS into tray, slip off shoes, and go through.

Also makes the queueing at the other side of the x-ray *much* quicker as you grab your stuff, put laptop away, slip shoes back on, and walk off.

A little planning makes it so much faster (but of course for the infrequent traveller or those with small children/large families, this is near impossible to do for them).

 

[Foreigner]

A little planning makes it so much faster (but of course for the infrequent traveller or those with small children/large families, this is near impossible to do for them).

A little alertness helps too...usually one has choice where multiple scanning is done...I try to avoid the queue where there would likely be a delay. But at some airports you are directed to a specific line, like with immigration. To transgress could likely get a stern look or worse.

 

[Ewing]

Also makes the queueing at the other side of the x-ray *much* quicker as you grab your stuff, put laptop away, slip shoes back on, and walk off.

Having everything in your bag also gives you two choices at the other side.

1) Grab your bag and walk off quickly if the explosives check person is occupied.
2) Casually grab your wallet/keys/etc out of your bag and put them back in your pocket if they're not.