Etiquette

All the latest articles about Etiquette

How to avoid getting booted off an airplane

07/17/08

Earlier this month, Wendy Slaughter, her four young kids and her pregnant sister were scheduled to fly on Southwest Airlines from Detroit to Seattle via Phoenix. They got as far as Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. That’s where airport police met the flight and informed Slaughter that Southwest had deemed her family’s onboard behavior too →

Spitting, slurping, and other tips for traveling to Beijing

07/10/08

Unless the International Olympic Committee acts fast and makes heaving overweight carry-on bags into overhead airplane bins an official Olympic sport, my chances of visiting Beijing this summer are nil. But if committee members do finally come to their senses, I’m ready to go. I’ve been practicing my technique on plane trips with multiple connections. →

Beijing Summer Olympics

Why should you mind your manners on an airplane?

07/09/08

For starters, air travel is frustrating enough these days. So it just makes things worse if you insist on fully reclining your seat back when the person behind is already squished. Or if you walk down the airplane aisle letting your carry-on bag smack into the faces of folks already seated. And then there’s this: →

Summer refresher course for air travelers

06/26/08

Do higher fares, new baggage check fees, and the inevitable long lines at the security checkpoints have you dreading your next trip to the airport? Maybe I can help: here’s a link to the Well-Mannered Traveler summer refresher course posted today on MSNBC.com. There’s even a chance to earn extra credit. Column illustration by Duane →

Beware the ‘dreaded year-end nose pickers’

06/05/08

So you pay through the nose for an airline ticket, fly across country on an overstuffed airplane, and make your way into town hoping to spend a few hours viewing treasures in a quiet museum gallery. But when you arrive, the museum is filled with hordes of school kids on a year-end field trip. Find →

Cell phones on airplanes? Not for these folks

05/16/08

Would you put up with a seat mate who spends the entire flight on the phone? “No way,” was the response of most everyone who weighed in after reading my recent Well-Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com about an Air France plane that allows in-flight calls. See what they said and add your vote to the →

Cell-phones on airplanes: are you ready?

05/01/08

New European Union (EU) rules make it likely that travelers will be able to place cell phone calls on flights in EU airspace as soon as this summer. Air France is already testing such a service on one “cell-phones-allowed” plane that I got to fly on yesterday between Paris and Geneva. Technically, the service isn’t →

Europe

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day – the travel version

04/24/08

Today, April 24th, is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Started by the Ms. Foundation for Women back in 1993 as a career day for young girls, the program is now on its own and has broadened its focus to include boys. The goals for the day have expanded as well: parents and →

A “moment of tranquility” before the phone rings

04/07/08

Air France-KLM is currently testing in-flight mobile phone services on some European routes. Today the European Union (EU) announced that other airlines may offer the service as well – as long as they comply with licensing and equipment regulations and keep a lid on the cost of those high-flying calls. Still, uh, up in the →

Another reason to pack earplugs

04/02/08

Since December 2007 Air France has been testing a service that allows travelers to use their cell phones in-flight for communication services that include SMS and e-mail, but not for voice-calls. As of today, travelers can also use their cell-phones to make and receive voice calls – but only on one Airbus A318 that’s used →

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