Where's the Elbow Room?

Dear Sky Steward,

In coach (shudder at the thought), does either passenger have proprietary rights over the arm rest that divides two seats? I recall writing to you previously about this and you told me that you were always very sensitive to this issue with others, but what about others who have no sensitivity to the issue at all? Is it a shared facility (first come, first served?) or is there some code (such as) you get to claim the one on your right?

Signed,
Crowded in Coach

Dear Crowded,

The Sky Steward's first thought about armrests is that passengers must have an understanding that armrests are for their ‘occasional’ use when another passenger is seated in the adjacent seat. Fortunately, in cases when a passenger is seated in an aisle or window seat, they have an armrest to themselves with only the other being shared with a neighbor. As a courtesy, in a row with 3 seats, the passenger in the center should be given use of both armrests as much as possible.

The Sky Steward's suggests travelers position themselves in a way to not use the armrests very often (they are very hard and uncomfortable anyway) since there are better ways to find comfort.

Here are the best ways to avoid using the armrest AND be discover more comfort:
1. Put the tray table down and rest forearms on tray table (surprisingly comfortable)
2. Use a blanket, pillow, or jacket to cushion elbows as they press against the inside of the armrest, just below the top ‘resting’ surface. This is not only easier on the elbows, it is kind gesture towards the neighboring passenger.

The Sky Steward sends his wishes for pleasant travel and first class upgrades!

Is Being Big Impolite?

Dear Sky Steward,

I flew into Dallas today for meetings and although my flight landed this morning, I am still suffering with back pain this evening. It all started when I boarded my flight from Los Angeles and discovered that the person sitting next to me was extremely overweight. I tried to approach it with an understanding attitude, but this wore thin as this large person invaded my space. It caused me to have to practically twist myself as my torso and shoulders were practically pushed out into the aisle.

This person's obliques were literally on my lap. Well, I am exaggerating, but it was so absolutely miserable. What should I do the next time? I promised myself this would be the last flight in which I pay for a seat only to have someone else spill over into it.

Signed, Aching in Anaheim

Dear Aching,

The Sky Steward understands your position and agrees that it is not acceptable for you to be miserable as you travel. He has seen passengers leave the plane because they refuse to sit next to someone that is encroaching on their space. The truth is that people that are too large for one seat, must purchase two. Next time, you have to make the decision to discreetly advise a flight attendant or agent about the situation.

The Sky Steward knows that the last thing you want to do is to humiliate someone and that is why you did your best to endure the situation you had on your flight. Next time, enlist the help of those whose responsibility it is to enforce policies in place to protect the comfort of all.

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I found a cruise that left out of Civitavecchia (near Rome) and we were able to spend a couple of days in Rome before boarding a train to the port city. If I had it to do over again, I would schedule a car service from Rome to the ship.

I knew the cruise would be wonderful not only because of the reputation SeaDream has built (with top awards from Berlitz, Conde Nast, and Travel Leisure), but also because of the vessels themselves. SeaDream has only two small ships or yachts. These were formally with Cunard as the Countess I and II. SeaDream took them and completely rebuilt the ships. There is a wealth of information on their website, but I will tell you the ships are delightful. My favorite part was the sundeck and the Balinese sun lounges that you could actually sleep on under the stars if you wished.

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Some Unbelievable Customer Complaints!

The Sky Steward found this hilarious post on Flyertalk.com, one of his favorite websites! The Sky Steward also makes a 'tongue-in-cheek' suggestion for responding to such ridiculousness:

Dear Sirs,
I was a passenger on your flight XXX from XXX to London last night. On arrival at the airport, I had expected to find your flight cancelled due to the inclement weather in the UK, but to my surprise was advised that the flight was operating on time. This came as a shock since I had seen numerous news reports that airports in London had closed, and had accordingly rescheduled my meetings for the next day.The flight departed on time and arrived in London 30 minutes ahead of schedule. As a result of this, I have been forced to incur costs of £80 in taxi fares due to non-operation of trains, plus lost productivity for my rescheduled meetings. Under EU regulations, your company is liable for these damages and expenses.I also note that British Airways took the prudent step of cancelling their flight on the same route and were courteous enough to place all their passengers in hotel accomodation and not risk their lives on the icy roads in London. I have always flown British Airways in the past and had been reccomended to your airline, but after this incident I can assure you that I would never travel with you again and also ensure that none of my friends and family consider traveling with you.

Yours sincerely,
Lee XXXXX
0790XXXXXXXX

The Sky Steward believes in providing the best possible service to customers. However, he does take delight in offering a suggested form letter (repurposed content) for silly complaints such as this.

Dear Sir,

We at XXX airlines are extremely sorry about the inconvenience our service has caused you. We understand that you would like some sort of compensation.

I am Nancy Yaya Kouaku, besides being a customer service representative at XXX Airlines, I am the only daughter of late Mr. and Mrs. Yaya Kouaku. My father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan; the economic capital of Ivory Coast, my father was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outings on a business trip.My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father took me so special. Before the death of my father on 12 February 2008 in a private hospital here in Abidjan he secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has the sum of Four million ,five hundred thousand United State Dollars.USD($4.500,000) left in a suspense account in one of the prime bank here in Abidjan ,that he used my name as his only Daughter for the next of Kin in depositing of the fund. He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates.

As you know, times are tough in the airline business. The only way for me to compensate you will be to give you a portion of this money being held in the bank account. Help me, help you! Please, provide us a bank account into which this money would be transferred to so that I may compensate you ASAP!After the successful transfer of this fund into your nominated account overseas, and once you have deducted your compensation (considering the severity of your inconvenience, please deduct up to $500,000), you must send us the rest within 24 hours, or we will have to rescind our offer and bill you for our time in dealing with your particular situation.

We look forward to serving you in the future.

Regards,
XXXXX XXXXXX
XXX Airlines
Customer Service

What About Crew Jetiquette?

Dear Sky Steward,

There are so many posts on your blog about things that passengers

do to annoy other passengers. I want to make mention of the fact that I have experienced crew members that happen to be a little low on "Jetiquette". Am I the only one?

Signed,

Perplexed in Pittsburgh

Dear Perplexed,

The Sky Steward thanks you for asking. He does hear from airline passengers quite often regarding crew conduct. Here are some things that passengers have mentioned regarding flight crews:

• Flight attendants need to be available after the meal service in order to take care of follow on requests by passengers. Customers have said they feel uncomfortable having to ring t he call button in order to request another beverage since it is usually accompanied by a dirty look.

• Customers like to be treated like the special people that they are. All it takes is some eye contact and use of their name if possible.

• Passengers notice when "certain" other customers receive more attention. The Sky Steward has received information that 'hot' customers are receiving a higher level of service even though they've paid the same price for their ticket as the passengers the crew does not find as attractive (he only reports what he hears)

• Discreet flight attendant conversation also gets high marks from passengers. They do not enjoy listening to flight crew bashing their employer or complaining about their jobs. They also like the voice level from the galley to be low enough that they cannot hear it at their seats.

• Making announcements that are too loud and with a disciplinary tone are high on the list of airline annoyances. Overzealous electronic device policing is seen as unnecessary.

• Customers appreciate it when flight crew avoids using safety and security as an excuse for things that obviously have nothing to do with safety or security. For example, when a passengers wants to stretch their legs for a minute and they're asked to take their seat due to safety even when the seat belt sign is off.

The Sky Steward will share more passenger feedback with you in the near future. Stay tuned for a new, redesigned Dear Sky Steward Blog later this month!

The ‘Getting to Know You Period’ on the Plane

Dear Sky Steward,

You address the subject of children kicking the back of your seat on the plane, but what about adults? I flew recently from Denver to New York and had to have my seat kicked, shifted, and pulled-on the entire flight. What should I do the next time?

Signed,
Uncomfortable from Aurora

Dear U from A,

The Sky Steward dealt with this situation recently when flying from Los Angeles to Miami. The best way to handle this situation is on the second time it occurs. In this case, when the person in the row behind was seated, they immediately started kneeing his seat every 10 to 15 seconds. He very politely turned around, with a smile, “Excuse me, is my seat pushing against your knees?” When questioned, the other passenger said that the seat was not hitting his knees. The Sky Steward then let him know that for some reason he kept feeling something against his back, as if it were a strange mystery how this was occurring. The ‘kneeing’ stopped immediately. So, The Sky Steward was not the most popular person on the plane to this passenger; however, it was worth it for him to escape 5 hours of discomfort.

Tip: It is best to these types of things soon after they start occurring. Although we never want to be rude, we must sometimes remind people that the only seat that is theirs is the one their bottoms are touching. This also applies to people putting their carry-on luggage under their seat and on your feet. We’ll talk more about that next time.

Whose Space Is It Anyway?

Dear Sky Steward,

It infuriates me when the passenger in front of me slams his or her seat into the fully reclined position the moment the seat-belt sign is switched off, cutting into what I believe is “my” space. I am not talking about late night flights and overnight sleeping, I am talking about short to medium haul day-time flights. I am less and less polite about this situation as time goes by. Could you please explain what personal “space” a passenger is and is not entitled to.

Signed,
Violated from Vancouver

Dear Violated,

The Sky Steward suffered during a situation like this himself when a couple seated in front of him at the bulkhead decided to put their seat back all the way. He was left with so little space, he could not use his laptop to get any work done on the 3 hour flight from Dallas to San Francisco. Turning the air vents on full blast and turning them in the direction of the couple (who had already complained to the flight attendant about the cold) did nothing to help the situation. Looking back on it, he wishes he had practiced what he preaches and politely asked the the husband to bring his seat up just a bit.

That is the only thing to do since it is the right of everyone on the plane to recline their seat and the "no-recline device" has been banned by most carriers. The Sky Steward does not feel that it is always necessary to recline the seat and when it is possible to keep it upright, it is a very generous act of kindness that is greatly appreciated. It seams like a game of dominos; when one seat goes back, so do all the others behind it.

Top 10 Jetiquette Infractions

The Sky Steward asked his frequent flier friends on FlyerTalk and Linkedin to share their opinions regarding the most irritating in-flight behavior, lack of travel manners, and deficiencies of airborne etiquette and here is our list of the Top 10 (for now) Jetiquette Pet-Peeves:

Here is what travelers have said:

"It is so annoying when people..."

1. Bring so many items on board that they hit everyone in the aisle on their way to their seat
   
2. Pull down the seat in front of them to climb over and get to the aisle
   
3. Talk to me the whole flight while I am trying to read, sleep, or watch the movie
   
4. Bring smelly food on the plane that I have to smell. Worst? A can of tuna or chicken!
   
5. Allow their children to kick my seat or scream. I now bring my noise canceling headset :) Oh, and no diaper changing outside of the lavatory please
   
6. Take an overhead bin in the front when they are seated in 52K!
   
7. Use games or DVD players without headphone so the sound heard by all
   
8. Blow their nose incessantly or cough and sneeze without covering their nose/mouth.
   
9. Spread trash all over the plane affecting the entire onboard environment
   
10. Move into the space of their neighbor's seat...You know, that unwelcome elbow?!

There are quite a bit more and there is plenty of time to cover them. Of course we want your comments and questions!

Disruptive Inflight Behavior The Subject of Conference

Poor Jetiquette is one thing, but this is ridiculous! DISPAX World, an international conference on disruptive airline passenger behaviour (ie. addressing the subject of Air Rage and Unruly Passengers). It takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, 6-7 May 2009.

From the DISPAXWORLD.COM Website:

"Disruptive Passenger incidents are a daily occurrence onboard commercial flights. With an ever increasing number of travellers taking to the skies, seemingly trivial issues can transform themselves into explosive situations that endanger aircraft safety, expose aircrew to the possibility of assault and can turn the joy of flying into a nightmare for all. DISPAX World aims to indentify the causes of such behaviour, the responses available and the legal implications for carriers and states. This forum provides airline management, aircrew trainers, academics and the security services the opportunity to share experiences, consider solutions and forge global relationships to counter the scourge of air rage."

Well, while we focus on the most civilized behavior as we travel, such as being careful not to hit people with your luggage as we pass down the aisle; we'll let this conference address assault, in-flight intoxication, security issues and the like.

This Just In: Air India Says No to 9 Overweight Hostesses

Anywhere from 24 to 70 pounds over the weight limit was enough to put nine Air India hostesses in the New Dehli unemployment lines after they were let go by Air India. The high court in India has ruled that Air India has a right to fire these flight attendants from the ground jobs they were given when they were labeled "too-fat-to fly" by the airline.

Check out additional articles:

BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7813180.stm