Air Travel Etiquette

Here at VenueQuest, business is brisk.  Our clients are booking hotels for department meetings, managers meetings, board meetings, annual conferences and incentive trips.  And a new survey released this month indicates that 84% of Americans intend to take a vacation away from their home area this year.

That is way up from the usual 50-70% of people desiring to travel away from home.  These two facts tell me that the skies are more crowded than ever.  Here are some tips for flying and visiting airports.  I’m not saying these guidelines will make flying pleasant, but maybe, just maybe it could be a little better.

  1. While waiting in line at the security checkpoint, empty your pockets into a small zippered pocket in your carry-on or jacket.  This avoids the fumbling around at the beginning and end of the conveyor belt as you sift through keys, coins, chap stick, boarding pass, pens, receipts, cell phones, watches, and other small personal objects.
  2. Here in Atlanta, there is a Starbucks right next to the main security checkpoint.  No matter how early your flight is, resist the urge to grab a coffee or bottle of water in the terminal, because you WILL have to leave it behind at the security checkpoint and trying to talk your way through with your Grande Machiato will only slow down the line.
  3. Use the bathroom before you get on the plane.  This is especially true if you have a window seat or middle seat.
  4. As you enter the plane, hold your carry-on bags low and in front of you.  A pulled wheely suitcase is going to bang into peoples knees and a bag over your shoulder is definitely going to drag across the side of everyones face who is seated in an aisle seat.
  5. Be understanding of children.  Most travel writers would use this topic to advise parents to keep their children in check.  That is important, but it is also important to understand that even little kids in diapers pay full fare to get on a plane.  There is no such thing as a child fare in the airline industry.  Everyone has to learn, and everyone is entitled to their own fears.  So, however bad you think it is to sit near a crying child, keep in mind that the child is probably in actual physical pain from the pressure on their tiny ears, and their parent is likely on the verge of an anxiety attack by being being at the crossroads of humiliation, despair and helplessness.
If you are feeling a little despair when you look at your to-do list and see that you need to find a hotel for your company’s next off-site, board meeting, or quarterly conference, just give VenueQuest a call.  All we do is locate the perfect hotels and the perfect price for our customers.

Get started right here.