Airplane etiquette

[storrsroars]

That is a pity. So far, everyone I have met in Mexico during my two week vacation in 2014 and my two months currently (I arrived on July 10th and I have been here until today and will remain for at least another 9 or 10 months) have been super nice and accommodating and very polite. I like the co-workers I have gotten to know (at my new job) and find Mexicans to be considerate people. I would say that idiot was an outlier and I hope he did not leave a sour taste in other Americans mouths, so to speak or leave them with negative impressions of the typical Mexican person.

Granted that is "only" a total of 10 weeks direct experience with people of Mexico so far but it is more than likely 99.8% of Americans and I think it paints a good picture. Surely better than that a$$h@t.

Hope you're safe, wherever you are. It's a lot more dangerous there now than it was when I lived there in the early 90s. But you're right - I lived in the D.F. for a year+ and met pretty much only wonderful people. Most of the s I encountered there were non-Mexicans on business. The average (not working for a cartel) Mexican is very courteous, respectful of authority and family oriented. Will go out of their way to help you. Extremely hard working people and very industrious when faced with tasks that we in the US take for granted due to availability of specialized machinery.

I remember fearing for a guy's life when I was having a washer & dryer installed in utility room via the roof. There was no crane, just three guys and a rope. Guy at the bottom wrapped rope around the machine, guy at the far end pulled it up. Guy in the middle had the rope wrapped around him and belayed. If either end guy slipped up, guy in middle might've been cut in two... you won't see nortes doing that kind of thing!

Enjoy your time there. I loved it and still think fondly of the place even though it got really dicey the last few weeks I was there.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Hope you're safe, wherever you are. It's a lot more dangerous there now than it was when I lived there in the early 90s. But you're right - I lived in the D.F. for a year+ and met pretty much only wonderful people. Most of the s I encountered there were non-Mexicans on business. The average (not working for a cartel) Mexican is very courteous, respectful of authority and family oriented. Will go out of their way to help you. Extremely hard working people and very industrious when faced with tasks that we in the US take for granted due to availability of specialized machinery.

I remember fearing for a guy's life when I was having a washer & dryer installed in utility room via the roof. There was no crane, just three guys and a rope. Guy at the bottom wrapped rope around the machine, guy at the far end pulled it up. Guy in the middle had the rope wrapped around him and belayed. If either end guy slipped up, guy in middle might've been cut in two... you won't see nortes doing that kind of thing!

Enjoy your time there. I loved it and still think fondly of the place even though it got really dicey the last few weeks I was there.

I spent a year flying back and forth to Mexico City for work a while ago. Nearly all of the people I met were great and I learned about the country, people, culture, and most importantly food. That said, even the locals pointed out a certain sect of the population that thinks they are better than everyone else, especially during our day drive back and forth on Paseo de la Reforma going between the hotel (usually the JW Marriott) and the office in Palo Alto (not CA). Many countries have the same group.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Ah, flying, I travel a bit for work and have so many stories about both airlines and people who fly them

• A woman sneaked onto an American plane at BOS and plane technicians had to literally dismantle the bathroom to get her screaming arse off the plane.
• For work because the CEO of a former employer only allowed other C-Suite Executives to fly business, sitting int he last row in coach of a fully loaded United 777-ER for a 17 hour direct flight from BOM to EWR that featured 4 hours of strong turbulence due to effect of a Typhoon rolling into the Himalayas while flying over Afghanistan and Pakistan, which was apparently safer than flying a more westerly route over the Ukraine at the time

Strange one with the bathroom door. Via an outside slide lock located under a metal cover plate, commercial jet bathrooms are supposed to be easily accessed. Passengers aren't supposed to know.

BOM-EWR flight: Hopefully you quit working for the barstad CEO and company soon after, but how or why the heck did you ever accept a back-row steerage seat from the company's travel coordinators? Or failing that, individually move your seat online long prior to departure? Setting aside the lengthy flight and dearth of leg room in steerage and immovable last row seats, just sitting so close to the crapper on BOM-EWR must have been brutal. Yikes!

 

[CL82]

That is a pity. So far, everyone I have met in Mexico during my two week vacation in 2014 and my two months currently (I arrived on July 10th and I have been here until today and will remain for at least another 9 or 10 months) have been super nice and accommodating and very polite. I like the co-workers I have gotten to know (at my new job) and find Mexicans to be considerate people. I would say that idiot was an outlier and I hope he did not leave a sour taste in other Americans mouths, so to speak or leave them with negative impressions of the typical Mexican person.

Granted that is "only" a total of 10 weeks direct experience with people of Mexico so far but it is more than likely 99.8% of Americans and I think it paints a good picture. Surely better than that a$$h@t.

My experiences in Mexico have been much the same. More often that not though the way people treat you is a mirror. Courteous behavior is generally reciprocated.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Took Ryan Air with the family for flights ...

Ah, the luck of your Irish. Good on ya, youts on a budget, and droves of sh|t faced holidayers on those exceptions. I'll do my best to avoid the airline, its' disgruntled under compensated pilots, and way too many boozed up holidayers.

 

[storrsroars]

I spent a year flying back and forth to Mexico City for work a while ago. Nearly all of the people I met were great and I learned about the country, people, culture, and most importantly food. That said, even the locals pointed out a certain sect of the population that thinks they are better than everyone else, especially during our day drive back and forth on Paseo de la Reforma going between the hotel (usually the JW Marriot) and the office in Palo Alto (not CA). Many countries have the same group.

They're called "Chilangos", which basically means "Mexico City a-whole". And I have custom engraved desk plaque citing me as "un Chilango honorario"!

Or Argentinians, lol. Apparently Mexicans find Argentinians (at least those from BA) more snobbish than US folks find French to be.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

They're called "Chilangos", which basically means "Mexico City a-whole". And I have custom engraved desk plaque citing me as "un Chilango honorario"!

Or Argentinians, lol. Apparently Mexicans find Argentinians (at least those from BA) more snobbish than US folks find French to be.

I learn something new every day, thanks.

PS - I lived in France for a while and there is a distinct difference in culture and attitude between French folks and Parisian folks. Parisians given the French a bad name.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Strange one with the bathroom door. Via an outside slide lock located under a metal cover plate, commercial jet bathrooms are supposed to be easily accessed. Passengers aren't supposed to know.

BOM-EWR flight: Hopefully you quit working for the barstad CEO and company soon after, but how or why the heck did you ever accept a back-row steerage seat from the company's travel coordinators? Or failing that, individually move your seat online long prior to departure? Setting aside the lengthy flight and dearth of leg room in steerage and immovable last row seats, just sitting so close to the crapper on BOM-EWR must have been brutal. Yikes!

It was one of those regional (Brazilian or Canadian) jets, maybe that makes a difference? All I know is that it took power tools to get her out of the bathroom.

The CEO was a piece of work. Wanted to change the company; but, protect his people and his wallet. I was brought on board by the CHRO who I knew for a while back. Didn't work well as over Christmas dinner he told the CEO to F-off over some critical change management issues. He left a few weeks later. I was gone a few months after. As for travel, it was a huge issue internally. At one point, the travel 'leader,' the company's 3rd in less than a year, told me that too many people with bona fide disability were requesting to fly business class due to their medical issue and asked me to write a new policy that banned such exceptions. I had to carefully explain what ADA is and that its the freaking law.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

PS - I lived in France for a while and there is a distinct difference in culture and attitude between French folks and Parisian folks. Parisians given the French a bad name.

And, a few too many porteños (Buenos Aires residents) versus most other Argentinos, some New Yorkers versus many Yanks, some Londoners versus other Englishmen (and non-English residents of the UK), even and increasing # of many legitimate Shanghai and Beijing natives versus other Chinese, etc

 

[8893]

Ah, the luck of your Irish. Good on ya, youts on a budget, and droves of sh|t faced holidayers on those exceptions. I'll do my best to avoid the airline, its' disgruntled under compensated pilots, and way too many boozed up holidayers.

Perhaps our 7:00 a.m. flight time minimized that risk. Didn't have any of those issues at all.

 

[Chin Diesel]

We'll see how this plays out.

FAA is still basically a shill for major airlines when it comes to policy.

I'm about 6' tall and rarely have issues with leg room (seat pitch). You really need to go in to the small regional jets for me to be bumping knees on seats in front of me. And on those fights I do whatever I can for exit row seats or paying to move up to more leg room. Seat width is a bigger deal for me. Especially when they start putting trays or video screens in the arm rest.

Congress could make FAA boost size of seats, legroom on airplanes

 

[DarthGrumpy]

We'll see how this plays out.

FAA is still basically a shill for major airlines when it comes to policy.

I'm about 6' tall and rarely have issues with leg room (seat pitch). You really need to go in to the small regional jets for me to be bumping knees on seats in front of me. And on those fights I do whatever I can for exit row seats or paying to move up to more leg room. Seat width is a bigger deal for me. Especially when they start putting trays or video screens in the arm rest.

Congress could make FAA boost size of seats, legroom on airplanes

One question I have always been curious about is if the airplane manufactures and/or airlines have tested to see how much longer it takes a plan to be fully evacuated in an emergency with more passengers and narrower rows with the same number of exists as in the past. I was told by an engineer once in the '90's that this safety issues was a reason why more seats could not be crammed into a plane.

 

[Chin Diesel]

One question I have always been curious about is if the airplane manufactures and/or airlines have tested to see how much longer it takes a plan to be fully evacuated in an emergency with more passengers and narrower rows with the same number of exists as in the past. I was told by an engineer once in the '90's that this safety issues was a reason why more seats could not be crammed into a plane.

There are regulations in place regarding egress in an emergency. Airlines will tell you they are in compliance with all laws, which is true.

The idea of increasing standards for emergency exiting has been discussed as a back door regulation to make seats and aisles bigger.

 

[Deepster]

One question I have always been curious about is if the airplane manufactures and/or airlines have tested to see how much longer it takes a plan to be fully evacuated in an emergency with more passengers and narrower rows with the same number of exists as in the past. I was told by an engineer once in the '90's that this safety issues was a reason why more seats could not be crammed into a plane.

One of my biggest pet peeves is how we deboard a plane. It is the most inefficient process ever. There should be exits in the front and back, first and foremost. No reason there couldn't be.

 

[polycom]

One of my biggest pet peeves is how we deboard a plane. It is the most inefficient process ever. There should be exits in the front and back, first and foremost. No reason there couldn't be.

There are exits in the front and the back it's that airports only have 1 jet bridge that is the issue. Airports are cheap and only use 1 jet bridge...

 

[Deepster]

There are exits in the front and the back it's that airports only have 1 jet bridge that is the issue. Airports are cheap and only use 1 jet bridge...

That's fine. Throw a flight of stairs on wheels on the back one.

 

[polycom]

That's fine. Throw a flight of stairs on wheels on the back one.

So people have to carry their carry-on down the stairs...that isn't safe.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

That's fine. Throw a flight of stairs on wheels on the back one.

I remember pre 9/11 de-boarding the old Delta Shuttle 727's from the rear ramp at LaGuardia right onto the tarmac and then back into the terminal.

In recent times, I have only seen two jet bridges used on 747's (I believe all US airlines have stopped using them) and A-380's.

 

[polycom]

I remember pre 9/11 de-boarding the old Delta Shuttle 727's from the rear ramp at LaGuardia right onto the tarmac and then back into the terminal.

In recent timed, I have only seen two jet bridges used on 747's (I believe all US airlines have stopped using them) and A-380's.

This is correct they use 2 jet bridges for international boarding. Delta one cabin and then everyone else.

 

[Husky25]

In my experience, most issues deplaning begin and end with the passengers sitting midcabin who feel a need to be the first ones off the plane.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I think I've used a double entrance on an A-330 or 777 as well. I know I've used them and it wasn't a 747 or 380.

As for the back stairs, yes, they could do it with the rolling steps but that's another casualty of 9/11. Minimal passenger access to the tarmac. Only the smallest of commuter planes do that nowadays.

And yes, agree that deplaning is a clusterfoul.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

In my experience, most issues deplaning begin and end with the passengers sitting midcabin who feel a need to be the first ones off the plane.

Agree. Unless I have a very tight connection or a meeting that I need to get to right away (I usually fly out the day before for work nowadays due to all of the delays), I just catch-up on e-mails and the news and wait for everyone else to leave.

 

[pepband99]

In my experience, most issues deplaning begin and end with the passengers sitting midcabin who feel a need to be the first ones off the plane.

Deplaning got 100x worse when airlines started charging for checked baggage. You incentive people to carry on more, and taking bags out of overhead is the clog now.

 

[Husky25]

Deplaning got 100x worse when airlines started charging for checked baggage. You incentive people to carry on more, and taking bags out of overhead is the clog now.

That's a cop out. Nine times out of ten, there is an announcement that the plane is full, space in the bulkhead is limited, and gate check is available at no charge. The experienced traveler knows this. For the inexperienced traveler, there are 700 articles on airline secrets from why not to order airplane coffee to using the lavatories. This is never one of them.

Once the plane gets to the gate and the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign, 70% of the passengers stand up, as if they are Pavlov's dog at dinnertime. No one is even manning the jetway yet, and people are climbing over one another.

Let's say you do get your bag. There is no other choice than to sit back down, only now with a 45 linear inch suitcase on your lap that bothers the seatback in front of you, with the slightest shift. Then it takes that much more time for you to awkwardly stand back up, delaying the rest of the passengers in the process.

Stay seated, zipper into the isle like you learned in 1st grade, and get off the plane.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Deplaning got 100x worse when airlines started charging for checked baggage. You incentive people to carry on more, and taking bags out of overhead is the clog now.

Bingo. This is the culprit. I say, free checked bag, charge for any large carry-on. I just got back from New Orleans and it was absurd how much stuff people tried to carry on. Bags stashed far away from where people sit by necessity and it takes many people a long time to get those bags down from the overhead.

As for the dual exits, this was the norm at Bradley for years. It was one of the last airports to implement jet bridges. I remember having to go down the stairs and outside in the snow, rain, cold whatever. Miserable.

And @Husky25 I'm one of the people who stand. I don't ever bring a roll on bag, just a small backpack I then put on my seat. I don't see others pulling down larger bags mid-plane. One thing I do while standing in the middle is help distribute bags to people in front of me, when they are stored above my seat. That speeds things up.

 

[Husky25]

And @Husky25 I'm one of the people who stand. I don't ever bring a roll on bag, just a small backpack I then put on my seat. I don't see others pulling down larger bags mid-plane. One thing I do while standing in the middle is help distribute bags to people in front of me, when they are stored above my seat. That speeds things up.

All that this amounts to is 1) you are part of the 30% and/or 2) we've never been on the same flight.

 

[Ewekon]

This all brings flashbacks to my 28 years of a lot of flying that ended 3 years ago. It did change after 9/11 but I watched the second jet fly into wtc with my own 2 eyes and would have seen the first if my back wasn't to the window. So I gulp and accept the security measures however inefficient.

So for the frequents I will spin a little positivity. I and I bet you have flown free and stayed free in a lot of nice places if you play the points and card game. Took a family of 4 from Europe to Hawaii and sunny and ski destinations in between over the years, mostly on American and Hyatt but other programs too. So think about that in a "squeeze".

 

[Chin Diesel]

So, FAA will have to come up with seat pitch and width standards, which as of today are undefined. I fully expect this to be a hodge podge set of regulations for existing planes, newly built planes, commuter jets, prop planes, transcontinental and intercontinental flights. Never mind US flagged carriers vice overseas flagged carriers.

Senate approves bill that would regulate airline seat sizes

 

[DarthGrumpy]

And then there's this guy...

American Airlines CEO: More Crowded Planes are 'Much More Comfortable'

 

[huskymedic]

How ‘bout train etiquette?