Rules of conduct on the plane: important nuances and subtleties of communication

Decades ago, flying was a pleasant experience. People boarded the plane in a good mood and knew that on board they would receive good service and good nutrition. The flight attendants smiled as if they had invited you to a party, not just a vehicle.

But times have changed. The flight rules became much more complicated due to safety requirements, and additional seats began to be added to aircraft. Long queues for check-in, baggage check and pre-flight inspection in itself cause a feeling of discomfort, which only intensifies during a long flight in a cramped space. To make your trip more enjoyable, learn some rules of conduct on the plane.

They are as follows:

• Respect others. Nobody will like the person who occupies both armrests, maximally throws the chair back, whose bag for hand luggage does not fit on the top shelf. The things that you take with you on board the aircraft should fit in a small bag that must be put on the top shelf or put under the seat of the chair located in front of you.

• Don't be a talker. Many people like to fly in silence, so say a greeting or introduce yourself before talking to a neighbor. If your neighbor, answering the greeting, immediately opens a book or puts on headphones, then you better stop trying to start a conversation.

• Limit interior movements. Constantly going to the toilet can annoy your neighbors, especially if you touch their legs. Visit the toilet before flying, and try not to drink plenty of fluids during the trip.If you know that you will visit the toilet often, choose a place at the aisle and do not take up space at the window.

• Do not abuse alcohol. Do not be one of those people who immediately drink the maximum of what is allowed. If you are lucky enough to sit next to one of these people and it annoys you, do not enter into a discussion with a drunkard. Instead, ask the stewardess to change your seat. If there is no free space, do everything possible so as not to communicate with a drunk person.

• Be polite with airline staff. He has a great responsibility to ensure that you reach your destination safely and on time. Do not take too much time with them by talking. Other people also need their attention. If someone from the staff asks you a question, try to answer accurately and politely. Remember to say thank you.
• Limit smells and sounds. Avoid the temptation to pamper yourself with perfumes, because you can cause allergies to others. If you brought any food on the plane, make sure that it does not have a strong smell. If you are listening to music, adjust the volume so that it does not interfere with other people who may have different musical tastes. Do not be one of those people who chat on a cell phone while boarding.

• If you are sick, give up flight. The limited space of the aircraft almost guarantees the rapid spread of germs. Do not sneeze or cough in the presence of neighbors.

When flying with a child, you need to follow slightly different rules:

• If you fly with children, then get on the plane last. Ignore airline tips to skip passengers with children ahead. Otherwise, children will have to spend a lot of time in the cabin before take-off, they will be very bored and naughty.
• Take games and other activities with you. Arm yourself with goodies and snacks, fully charged gadgets and many new (and silent) toys. If there are two parents, it is better that they look after the children in turn. One can rest at this time, and vice versa.

• Keep calm. Do not require increased attention from the staff just because you travel with children. Do not let the kids make noise or run around the cabin. Remember that no one is obliged to love your children, no matter how good they are.
• Remember that a stewardess is not a synonym for a nanny.. She can help you during the flight, but she has a lot of other work. She is not able to provide constant care and supervision for your children.

• Other passengers should be kind to parentswho are working hard to curb their children. Say a few kind words to both parents and those children who try to behave correctly. Never will a parent feel more reassured with a kind smile or an understanding nod than at an altitude of 10,000 m.

According to the International Air Transport Association, about 6.5% of the population have an aerophobia (fear of flying), and about 25% experience a certain feeling of anxiety during the flight. This is especially true for those who fly for the first time. Finding themselves on board for the first time, some people quench their fears with sedatives or alcohol. Some even fly out a day earlier so that they have time to recover from such self-medication before starting work. However, there are ways to cope with these fears without falling into a drunken stupor:

• Find out the facts. You probably know that driving a car is much more dangerous than air travel. Statistics say that there is only one chance for 11 million that a plane crash will happen, and even if it does, 96 percent of the passengers will survive. In addition, aircraft undergo extensive safety tests, from wing flexibility to extreme temperatures.

• Replace disturbing thoughts with positive ones. In addition to statistical facts, you must fight bad thoughts. If you say the same thing to yourself again and again, you can finally believe what causes your anxiety. To stop the cycle, it is recommended to use the technique of crowding out anxious thoughts. For example, the statement: “I am afraid to fly because I think the plane will crash” can be replaced by the following: “I know that the flight scares me, but I believe that everything will be fine.” Other positive expressions are: “I am safe”, “I am fine” and “I am in good hands”. Each time you start to feel fear, repeat these phrases in your mind over and over again.

• Get distracted. Even if your flight lasts only an hour, this is enough time to panic. Before you fly, create a list of tasks that you want to complete while in the air, and then make every effort to complete it. You may want to read the chapter of the book, develop ideas for celebrating a birthday, write thank-you letters for which there was no time before, work on a business project or organize images on your phone or computer. Another way to get distracted is to use a tool called visualization.

• Focus on your breath. If you start to feel panic, take care of your breath. Anxiety often makes us breathe often and superficially. Slow, deep breaths can help us relax. Breathe in through the nose in two counts, hold your breath in two counts, carefully exhale in four counts, and then hold your breath in one count. Repeat five to ten times. Measured deep breathing increases oxygen supply to the brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your peace of mind.

You can learn more about safety rules during flight by watching the following video.