Travelling? Here’s your pre-flight check list to make the sharing of such confined spaces means we need to be considerate – and we want our fellow-travellers to be respectful too.
It starts at home – before you left home or hotel you put comfortable clothes on and soft socks to wear during the flight and then, items you will need during the flight have been put in a little bag (for inside your carry –on) for at your seat – notebook, pen, e-reader/ paperback, moisturiser, lip balm for instance.
Of course before you approach the check-in desk you will have your passport/photo ID, and tickets handy and, of course, you will only have the number of bags you are allowed on the flight and they will be the weight permitted.
Once you have your boarding pass, now is the time for a pre-boarding check and some reminders about how to be a considerate passenger. I’m sure you follow these ideas, so pass this blog on so the people you have to travel with are pleasant to sit beside too!
Head to the lounge in plenty of time – you don’t want to start your flight flustered by racing against the clock.
And, before you get to the security check – step aside, let others go past and . . .
- Take your laptop out of your carry-on bag
- Coat off
- Everything out of your pockets
- No prohibited items (depends on airline/country) but no knives, scissors, inflammable items
- No ‘funny’ jokes about terrorism, bombs, hi-jacking, or explosives
Once in the lounge:
- Board in the sequence you’re called: they do that for a reason!
- Have your in-flight needs handy so you don’t hold up others in the aisle as you rummage for your e-reader or MP3 player before you put your bag in the overhead locker and finally take your seat.
Now, sit back and enjoy your flight – and I hope you sit next to someone as considerate as you are!
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