A pilot based in Los Angeles who has worked for three different airlines and who has 17 years of experience flying planes (and is still flying today) is offering some solutions for the many air travel frustrations and snags that Americans are experiencing.
Especially during spring travel and with summer travel coming up quickly, these suggestions could aid in smoother and more civil airline travel.
“Flight rage incidents,” he shared in an email with Fox News Digital, “could be mitigated if people learned the reasoning behind them.”
The pilot said that there are “so many things people don’t know about airline operations” that are causing unnecessary frustration today.
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The pilot revealed advice and common-sense tips for better air travel experiences.
Here are his smart and common-sense tips.
Regarding the use of seatbelts and seat-backs, the pilot said, “Please wear your seatbelt and put your seat-back upright when told. This is not a form of torture by the flight crew,” he added.
The seat is actually “engineered (multiple G loading in various directions),” he said, “to save your life during an accident (if upright and belted).”
So when those flight attendants give frequent reminders to apply seatbelts and put the seats upright at various times during the flight — they’re doing so for travelers’ safety, he suggested.
The pilot said, “You should have your shade open for takeoff and landing.”
There’s a good reason for this, he said.
“In the event of an accident, you can rapidly determine which side to evacuate to,” he said.
He said, for example, that in the unlikely event of a fire on the right side of the aircraft, then “evacuate” to the left.
But travelers won’t know about such an event if they keep the shade down and stay in the dark about any such occurrence.
The pilot advised travelers, “Consider your attire when flying.”
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He said that sure, “flip-flops and pajamas might be comfy.”
But what if, at some point in your airplane travels, “you have to walk over sharp debris?”
Get out of the way of others while making your way through the terminal, he said.
“If for any reason you have to stop [walking] in the terminal — step aside,” he advised.
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“Leave the main walkway open for people trying to make connections or are in a hurry.”
Once the plane lands at your destination and you’re able to remove your seatbelt, get out of your seat and stand up, the pilot said, “If you’re already standing in the aisle, please open the bins around you.”
He said that this action “helps people remember their bag location and speeds deplaning.”
He noted pointedly, “Please don’t open a bin, take your bag and then close the bin again — I see this frequently.”
The pilot suggested that many travelers — once their plane lands and their gate is occupied — often say about a nearby empty gate, “Why can’t we just park there?”
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He said there are “multiple layers of infrastructure with that gate” that people should realize.
“If operations parks you there, then another plane might have wait,” he said.
“Down in the terminal underground, people are loading bags for another flight leaving at that gate. If they park you there, they’ll have to redirect that.”
Also, he said, “the fuel truck will be confused.”
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He added, “Maybe your aircraft is too big for that [empty] gate. There are lots of reasons” why a particular plane may not be able to use an empty gate.
Added the pilot, “I always thought that educating people would help give them a better understanding.”
One commenter on an earlier airline etiquette article shared this additional advice for air travelers.
“Be polite to everyone you encounter. Be patient,” the commenter wrote.
Also, “dress with dignity. Don’t talk back to airline personnel. Sit quietly and keep yourself occupied.”
