by Angela Mccullough

Created on: October 03, 2008

For those that love travel there is nothing better than the thrill of a new destinationand nothing worse than the thought of the flight to get there. No one really enjoys being stuck in the flying tin can but it's the fastest and, at times, the only way of getting to that fabulous beach or pristine mountain for that well deserved break.

So keeping in mind that no one wants to be on that plane in the first place, here are a few basic courtesies that everyone should abide by:

- When boarding the plane, remember that there is a queue of people behind you. If you are taking everything but the kitchen sink out of your hand luggage to arrange in front of you, try to do this in your seat area not blocking everyone else.

- If you're planning on sleeping then do NOT take an aisle seat. Firstly it is rude to make your seat buddy wake you up, and worse case scenario is you will wake up to someone who was too polite to do so and has a pained look on their face as they bolt to the restroom. Likewise if you know you always get up on a flight, don't take the window seat.

- Now this will be controversial, but it must be said. We understand if you have children then you may need to travel with them. Do not make the mistake, however, of thinking that everyone else on the plane thinks little Johnny or Cindy is as cute as you do as they run screaming up and down the aisle, or sit kicking the seat in front of them. Take toys / books to keep them entertained and try to keep them as quiet as possible. And do NOT fall asleep and leave them to their own devices, it is not up to the airline stewards or other passengers to babysit your children.

- If getting something from the overhead compartment during the flight, pay attention to the signs that say "caution, items may move during the flight" it's there for a reason! More often than not that bag is going to come flying out and hit someone else, not you.

- One of the biggest frustrations is the reclining seats. Sure, you want to be comfortable, but at the expense of the poor guy in the seat behind you? Remember that space is limited to start with so every inch you recline is one less inch of space that they have. Only put it as far back as YOU would be comfortable with in their position. If you know you MUST put it all the way back during a flight, then request the seats right in front of the toilets. Yes they aren't great if smells start to happen but consider it a trade off for not having someone directly behind you.

- Deodorant. Enough said.

These are just a few of the many things you can do when flying to make the experience more pleasant for everyone. Just think, if everyone made an effort then maybe flights would be more enjoyable..maybe.

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