You Might Not Even Realize That You're Breaking These Crucial Airport Etiquette Rules

The average person takes somewhere between one to three flights every year. While most of these individuals would probably like to think of themselves as perfectly considerate travelers, there's a good chance that they're still breaking an unspoken airport etiquette rule or two by accident. Considering that thousands of other passengers wander the airport at any given time, there are actually a bunch of important common courtesies that should be kept in mind. 

Some of these expectations are quite obvious, but other ones are much less well-known. Committing one of these airport faux pas can make everyone else in the terminal give you the side eye or even end up with you being turned away from boarding the plane in extreme situations. To save yourself from one of those undesirable fates, carefully go through these important etiquette rules before your next trip to the airport. 

A super busy airport like LAX services around 241,000 passengers every single day. When you're moving through a tight space with that many other people in it, being spatially aware is more important than ever. Particularly when every single one of these individuals is rushing to reach their flight in time. 

If you find yourself running into other people or standing a bit too close to them when you don't mean to, you might need to improve your spatial awareness. Luckily, all it takes is a bit of practice and mindfulness to better your skills in this area. When you're making your way through a crowded airport, consciously think about the people around you and the route you're planning on taking to get through them. While this seems like a small pivot, it can make you a much more likable traveler at the airport. 

There is nothing as jarring as walking into a public space like an airport and being assaulted by the sound of a stranger's loud music or video. It is one of the few slip-ups that can cause every head in the room to turn and stare with disapproval. Something you need to keep in mind the whole time you're at the airport is that you are sharing the space with many other people. Everyone is trapped there together until they get on their flight. 

Blasting media from your phone out into the ether burdens every other traveler around you. As one Reddit user posted in r/unitedairlines, "It's today's equivalent of a boom box on the bus." Thankfully, this mistake is easily remedied by just wearing headphones and keeping all your sounds to yourself. One of the best headphone options for travelers is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds because they're compact enough to carry around during a trip but provide world-class noise cancellation to keep the sounds of the airport out. 

The security line is the most high-pressure portion of getting through the airport. There are usually tons of other people there all eager to get past this point and tensions can rise fast. At heavily trafficked airports with long security line wait times, it can take over 22 minutes to get through security on an average day and nobody wants to wait even an extra minute if they don't have to. 

Since it can cause a lot of stress for travelers and airport staff alike, it's expected that everyone tries to get through security as fast as possible. Taking your sweet time to take items out of your carry-on or untie your shoes at the last minute will likely be met with a collective groan from everybody around you. Be aware of common mistakes that could slow you down at the security line, such as failing to have your travel documents ready and keeping prohibited items in your bag like full water bottles. 

On every trip to the airport, you're practically guaranteed to hear an announcement or see a sign that instructs you to never leave your bags unattended. The TSA even asks passengers to help them out by reporting any suspicious, unattended bags they come across at the airport. They take these matters very seriously because a bag left on its own could be a major security issue — you never know what could be left inside. 

Save the airport personnel a huge hassle by always staying close to your bag while you're at the airport. Once you're through security, it's okay to walk away to grab some food or water, but your belongings should always remain in sight. If you're traveling alone and must leave your stuff to go to the bathroom or for any other reason, ask for someone nearby to keep an eye on your things while you're away. 

Even if you're stuck in the middle of a crazy long travel day with layovers and delays, you should still try to keep up with your hygiene even at the airport. This includes things like brushing your teeth and washing your hands throughout the day. One Reddit user shared in r/hygiene, "I also brush my teeth before and after flights. helps me feel fresher."

Not only will going through a hygiene routine make your fellow travelers at the airport more fond of you, but it will also seriously lower your chances of getting sick at especially crowded airports. According to the Centers for Disease Control, properly washing your hands can lower your risk of getting a respiratory-related illness like a cold by up to 21%. You can also use this as a chance to pamper yourself during an otherwise stressful day by removing old makeup with cleansing water, throwing on a sheet mask, or lathering on a nourishing moisturizer. 

It's a good idea to eat a little something at the airport while you're waiting for your flight to board, but you should be very careful about what food item you pick. Even if you're flying out of one of the best airports for food, certain delicacies are a major no-go at the airport because they can be bothersome to the people around you. A good rule of thumb is that you shouldn't be eating anything that smells too powerful or leaves a giant mess behind. 

A few dishes that are bound to leave crumbs or worse behind at the airport include things like burritos, overly stuffed sandwiches, chicken wings, juicy fruits, or noodles. There is a high chance that the next person who sits at your table will discover remnants of your feast if you're munching on items like these. On the smelly end of things, foods like eggs, tuna, or strong cheese should be avoided at the airport because the scent can quickly overtake the whole space. If you decide you can't live without a messy or odorous meal before your flight, make sure you fully clean up your area when you're finished at the very least. 

The airport is often believed to be an overly stressful place to be, but many of them are trying to break this stereotype by implementing quiet spaces. Airport quiet zones are a part of the terminal where the noise is kept as low as possible and travelers can relish in a mellow moment before boarding their flight. Several of the most stressful airports in Europe and across the United States have begun opening up quiet zones for their passengers, including the Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

These spaces can be extremely helpful for travelers with specific sensory needs, which is why it is so important to respect the rules of these areas. Don't take advantage of these quiet zones by using the silence as an opportunity to take a business call or chat on the phone with your friend. Spending time in these parts of the airport requires you to be very respectful of the conditions and not to ruin the ambiance for everyone else. 

On any given day there are around 2.9 million travelers taking flights around the world. As you can imagine, this means that most airports are absolutely flooded with people all the time and most of them are desperate to find a seat at the gate while they're waiting for their flight. Oftentimes, there are simply not enough seats to accommodate the number of travelers at the airport. 

This can lead to some major tension if you're the person who is taking up four extra seats with all your belongings. Spreading out like this is often done in an attempt to keep strangers from sitting next to you, but it's guaranteed to bother the folks around you who are left standing. One Reddit user in r/mildlyinfuriating described this airport behavior as "The absolute worst." Even if you're carrying a bunch of bags, try your best to only take up a single seat near the gates and leave plenty of room for other travelers to sit. 

Even in the modern age when practically everybody has a device glued to their hand, it's still a major struggle to find power outlets at an airport. As frustrating as this may be, there is actually a pretty good reason for this inconvenience. A Reddit user in r/explainlikeimfive broke it down by saying, "Adding an outlet isn't exactly trivial – wiring needs to be run behind the walls, circuit breakers might need to be upgraded to handle the extra load, etc. Think about what it would take to add extra power outlets to a room in your house, then consider that would have to be done at every gate in the terminal – all without disrupting normal operations at the airport."

The reality is that many airports were designed a very long time ago before every passenger had phones, laptops, and tablets to charge. Many airports have gotten on board with the changing times and added new outlets for travelers to use.For instance, at London Heathrow International there is even one plug available for every two passengers. 

However, outlets are still often in short supply at most airports. That's why it's expected that no single individual monopolizes all the outlets available. If you're hogging all the outlets, charging three or more devices at once before a flight, it's a safe bet that everyone around you is getting increasingly agitated. 

One of the key rules of getting through a big travel day is to always be kind and courteous to the airport staff. During the chaos of trying to get on a flight, many people often overlook this crucial principle and it can actually have devastating consequences for everyone involved. After all, their job is to help everyone get through the airport successfully, and giving them an attitude will only slow or even halt the whole process. Insubordinate travelers being aggressive toward airport staff is way more common than you might think. 

The Independent reported in 2023 that an intoxicated man was even sentenced to eight months in jail after he started hurling abuse at an airport employee who wouldn't let him board his flight. Even if being rude to people working at the airport doesn't land you in jail with a record, it still won't do anything positive for you. As one Reddit user put it in r/pettyrevenge "Think about if you were in their shoes – who would you be more willing to go out of your way for? The person who is abusing you or the person who is being polite and respectful to you? And from experience, the problems you experience are very rarely the fault of the person who is trying to help you. They just have to deal with the fallout." An easy way to be a pleasant passenger in this situation is to simply put yourself in the shoes of the people working at the airport and act the way you would want to be treated. 

Practically every airport in the world has a bar where travelers can get a drink to take the edge off traveling. While this option exists, you should never indulge too much or you run the risk of being the most hated person at the airport. This is one of the few offenses that can actually ruin your entire trip because airline staff are fully within their rights to refuse you boarding if you're too heavily intoxicated. American Airlines states on its website that if you appear under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they will not let you take your flight that day and potentially even ban you from flying with their airline altogether under severe enough circumstances. 

Hundreds of passengers get arrested every single year for getting too drunk at the airport and the ramifications can be devastating. Being refused entry onto your flight is the least of your worries if you get too belligerent. Depending on the severity of the behavior, you could be sentenced to up to two years in prison and face hefty fees that will definitely increase your travel costs by a huge margin. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration reported that they were planning to charge fees of $161,823 to eight drunken passengers who got out of hand at the airport. 

You've gotten through the entire airport process and now you're only a few minutes from finally getting on the plane. Before you can comfortably slide into your seat, pop in headphones, and drift off to sleep, there is just one more thing to do — the boarding process. It sounds like it should be fairly simple, but there are quite a few common mistakes that travelers make while boarding the plane. One of the worst annoyances is confusion around boarding groups. 

Every passenger is assigned a boarding group and this determines when you'll get on the plane. Usually, boarding group 1 is all the first-class passengers and these travelers get on the aircraft early, whereas group 5 boards last. The problem arises when passengers try to squeeze themselves into an earlier boarding group because they don't want to wait around or are desperate for a spot on the plane to put their carry-on in the overhead compartment. When this happens it delays the boarding process for everyone and you'll typically just be sent to wait for your assigned group number, so it isn't even worth trying. 

Many passengers seem to let their politeness fall to the wayside once their flight lands and they arrive at their destination. However, travelers still need to be considerate of airport etiquette rules even after enduring a long, tiring flight. Particularly when you're waiting at the baggage carousel trying to pick up your checked baggage among crowds of exhausted passengers. The baggage carousel has its own set of unspoken rules to follow. 

First and foremost, you should avoid crowding around it and blocking other people from picking up their luggage. Since many bags can look very similar, thoroughly check everything over until you're positive that you're grabbing the right one. Once you do spot your bag, make sure you put it down out of the way to ensure you're not making it difficult for other travelers to get through. People who are traveling with little ones should also keep them away from the carousel as this can be a dangerous and irritating mistake that parents make while flying with kids.