Etiquette In The Sky: What Does And Doesn’t Fly

As Canadians prepare to take off for their summer travels, KAYAK has released the Unspoken Rules of Air Travel manual so that everyone knows what does and doesn’t fly.

These comprehensive rules address a wide array of topics, ranging from whether it is acceptable to put your feet on the chair in front of you (68% agree it’s not), to the food you should never bring on a flight (spoiler alert: it’s hard-boiled eggs, according to 74% of travellers).

As for what KAYAK uncovered, well, here are a few of the highlights:

• Sit back and Relax. 88% of people say it’s OK to recline your seat. But timing is important to some with 1 in 3 saying it’s only okay to recline your seat on a long or overnight flight.
• Arm rests are up for grabs. 57% say the middle seat is not entitled to both arm rests
• Socks stay ON. 76% say you’re NOT allowed to take your socks off.
• Stinky foods stay at home. 92% of people agree that you should not bring any food with strong smells on a plane. That includes the biggest offenders: tinned fish (89%), hard boiled eggs (74%) and a rack of ribs (84%).
• Keep your feet on the floor. 68% say you are NOT allowed to put your feet up against the back of the seat in front of you.
• Noise control. 70% say you are not allowed to watch something without headphones. And, headphones on is the equivalent to do not disturb according to 94% of people.
• Sleeping is not a valid excuse… for just about anything. Leaning on a stranger’s shoulder (77%), snoring loudly (66%) and refusing to wake up to let the passenger next to you get up (66%) are not welcome.
• Hold the phone…call. 69% agree you are NOT allowed to call someone before you get off the plane.
• Nail care is a no-no. 92% say you are NOT allowed to clip or paint your nails at your seat. Filing your nails is also a ‘no no,’ according to 81%of people.
• Storage wars (overhead bin edition). 73% say you are allowed to store small items or jackets in the overhead bin.

Leon Mulder, senior country manager at KAYAK Canada, observed that: “Despite the stereotype that Canadians are extremely polite people, travel etiquette is still a frequently debated topic, even here at KAYAK we couldn’t all agree. Launching these rules as summer travel picks up is a way to make flying this season a more enjoyable experience for everyone.”

The rules will be running on digital displays in major airports throughout summer and are now available via a modernized seatback manual downloadable at www.kayak.com/rules . Simply scroll through the rules or type in your most questioned travel behaviour into the search bar for an answer, defined by everyone, once and for all.