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13 Airplane Etiquette Rules Everyone Should Follow (Please?)

Save your karaoke renditions of famous hair metal hits for your local dive bar, and keep quiet on the airplane.

By Lindsay Frankel

Edited by Amanda Machado

Updated March 17, 2026

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One of the longest periods you'll find yourself pressed between two strangers is on an airplane. And, if you think about it, the level of comfort we experience on a flight can have a lot to do with the behavior of the other passengers.

Most of us want to save money on travel costs and avoid the extremely expensive business class tickets. But that might mean being very close to a rowdy neighbor who keeps you from your beauty sleep, or maybe getting your seat kicked by the kid behind you, or even that you don't have any space left in the overhead bin.

While we can't be responsible for turbulence or departure delays, we can follow these basic etiquette rules to avoid making the experience miserable for everyone else.

Go directly to your seat

Boarding is a time-consuming process, so don't make it even more annoying for other passengers by stopping to rummage through your bag before you sit down.

Have everything you need prepared before getting on the plane, quickly place your carry-on luggage in the overhead bin above your seat, and make space for other passengers in the aisle.

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Never remove your shoes and socks

You can't always smell your foot odor, but this can stink up a plane quickly. Plus, unless you've just had a pedicure, your bare feet could be pretty gross to look at. And some foot conditions are contagious.

On long flights, it might be OK to take off your shoes if you're wearing socks, but exercise discretion. If your feet need to be free, you might want to invest in a pair of packable slippers.

Place your backpack under your front seat

Backpacks are meant to be placed on the floor under the seat in front of you. You should still have space for your feet that way, and this practice guarantees everyone will have enough space for the carry-on luggage that can't be placed anywhere else other than the overhead bin.

You may not want your backpack on the floor, but taking over that overhead bin space with it is just rude. If everyone did it, there would be no space for all.

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Place all your items in the overhead bin when sitting in a bulkhead seat

Here's an exception. If you're sitting directly behind a wall separating two cabins, you must put your bags in the overhead compartment. The space under your seat is meant for the person behind you to store their belongings, and it's against the rules to keep items loose on the floor under or in front of your feet.

Share the armrests

The debate over which armrest belongs to each traveler is certainly heated. Some people say the person in the middle seat should get both armrests, but the most popular opinion, according to a British Airways survey on flight etiquette, is that each person should take just one armrest.

When in doubt, ask your neighbor politely which armrest they'd like to use.

Keep your conversations short

Sometimes, you might meet someone on the airplane with shared interests and strike up a conversation. But even if both of you are enjoying the conversation, other passengers might not want to listen to it.

And most people would prefer to keep to themselves on an airplane. According to the same British Airways survey, 83% of travelers reported that conversation should be limited to a greeting and a smile.

At the very least, avoid discussing religion or politics, and only share pictures of your dog or cat upon request.

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Never eat smelly foods

Tuna salad might be a convenient airplane snack, but most people would prefer that the stuffy airplane air not smell like fish for the whole flight. Bring dry snacks like crackers or cookies, and if you need a protein, pick one that doesn't have an odor.

Avoid personal grooming activities

It's a good idea to apply hand lotion or put drops in your eyes to combat the dry cabin air. But whatever you do, don't trim your nails, clean your ears, or pick your nose.

If you have any doubts about whether a grooming task is appropriate, head to the airplane bathroom or wait until you arrive at your hotel.

Stand up to let other passengers into the aisle

Don't force other passengers to crawl over you or stick their rear end in your face as they try to squeeze past. It's awkward for everyone involved. Just unbuckle your seatbelt and step into the aisle if someone needs to get up to stretch their legs or use the bathroom.

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Keep your kids under control as much as possible

While you can do your best to calm a crying infant, no one can blame you if your baby makes noise on the airplane. But you can talk to your older kids about airplane etiquette and explain how their actions affect other passengers.

Also, bring plenty of quiet distractions to keep your kids busy during long flights.

Silence your electronics

Keep your phone and tablet on silent, and make sure you have a good pair of headphones for listening to music or watching movies. Also, don't turn up your device so loud that your fellow passengers can still hear what you're listening to, even with your headphones on.

Clean up after yourself

Make sure the spaces you use on the airplane stay clean for other passengers. Don't make a mess in the lavatory; wipe down the toilet seat and sink before exiting. Use antibacterial wipes to clean off your tray table after eating, and don't just push the crumbs onto the cabin floor.

Finally, be sure to throw away your trash when the flight attendants stop by to collect it.

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Wait for your turn

Everyone's anxious to get off the plane at the end of a long flight, but that doesn't mean you should somersault down the aisle before anyone else gets a chance to stand up.

Allow passengers seated ahead of you to grab their bags and exit one row at a time. That means if you're sitting toward the back of the plane, you might have to wait a while, but that's proper airplane etiquette.

Bottom Line

While thinking about travelers breaking these commandments might be comical, it's in no way fun for other passengers when someone is disrespectful on a plane.

If you want to be the worst airline passenger in travel history, clip your toenails while singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" or peel the shells off your hard-boiled eggs while asking total strangers for personal advice.

You may be excited to start traveling more, but unless you want to be responsible for a rough start to someone else's vacation, let's all be kind and thoughtful about our behavior each time we fly.

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