11 Unwritten Rules at the Airport (that you’re probably breaking)

People having their phones on speaker is a huge pet peeve for me. It’s not just in airports, it’s everywhere. I’ve had to listen to both sides of very personal conversations more than once.

One you forgot is TAKE A BATH BEFORE HEADING TO THE AIRPORT! It's a horrible situation to be stuck on the plane next to someone that STINKS!

I can't stand people who talk on their phones at full vocal volume while they are seated at the gate or on the plane. They act as if they are either unaware anyone else in the world exists or as if they simply don't care if anyone else exists.

Great points here! Being a frequent traveler, my largest gripe is people sitting in the bathroom stalls on their phones. This is getting out of hand! I have actually knocked on stall doors just to get people to “sh*t or get off the pot”!

On a moving walkway, if I choose to stand, I put my bag in front of me as you say but I also stand with my back to the right-side handrail. This allows me to see people coming up behind me and it allows more space for people to pass. This trick also works on escalators where there is less space.

Tipping has basically been used by companies to justify not paying their employees properly. We should get rid of it.

Another thing you can do after going through security is that when retrieving your stuff from the X-ray belt, move it all the way down to the end (as far away from the X-ray machine as possible). That gives you more time to gather everything, it’s calmer at that end, and it frees up space for others waiting for their belongings.

Face scanning is creepy, BUT after being on a 12-hour flight, I like how fast the line moves. Tipping the skycap and wheelchair assistance—airports are ripping us off. We've already paid an arm and a leg to the airport, and now they want us to subsidize their not paying proper wages.

Thanks Megan and Ollie. Always great information from an obviously well-traveled person. I'll add one more unwritten rule: No rolling roadblocks! These are two or more people walking together side-by-side. It seems like these rolling roadblocks walk far slower than everyone else and are oblivious to everyone else around them.

I have heard the term "miracle flight" to describe when 20 people get on the plane in wheelchairs and two people get off the plane in wheelchairs.

People who camp in the passing lane are the worst. It’s more of a problem on roads but it’s still really annoying when it happens on moving walkways (and in narrow corridors).

Sadly, the people that really need this will not care at all. Thank you for your advice.

If the cost is $5-$10 dollars for wheelchair assistance it not assistance- it's payment. Let's start calling it what it really is.

Accessibility wheelchairs. We fly from Calgary to Sacramento. At Calgary, it is easily 1/2 mile or more from vehicle airport parking to gate. We cannot walk that far. At Sacramento arrival, it is about 200 feet from gate to luggage carousel. We can walk that far, and that is the "miracle" you find with some senior travelers like is - no wheelchair required. Flying into Calgary it is even worse. Gate to customs to luggage to vehicle is incredibly long, with no people movers. My iPhone recorded two miles from gate to vehicle on a trip last year. Yea, I am gonna ask for a wheelchair.

Yeah.... having to tip 5 people on my last 24-hour saga on a sprained ankle got EXPENSIVE. And not having cash was a problem. This should not be expected. People with (actual) mobility issues already have enough challenges with travel. Now they have to subsidize the horrendously low wages of airport wheelchair assist and skycap employees?

Tipping those that assist is something I haven't ever heard of. I don't carry cash through airports anymore after someone removed all of my cash ($150 USD) from my wallet when going through security at YYZ. Then again, Delta asked another passenger to take me to my connecting flight at DTW even though I had requested assistance due to being legally blind. Levels of assistance vary. I have had American request a wheelchair for me when I only need an escort. None of the airlines seem to understand that.

a note about the "miracle flights" and disparaging comments from jerks who don't understand mobility needs. just because someone doesn't ask for a wheelchair when they get off the airplane, does not mean they didn't need it to get on. People fail to understand because they have never been there. You have to think about all the steps it takes to get to the airport, offload luggage, check in line if you need something special (like getting a proper tag for your own wheelchair if you brought one), then get in line for security, go through all that crap, then get all the way to the gate. and if you want to eat or go to the bathroom, you have to add all that on. By the time you get to the gate, you have long passed your ability to stand or walk easily. But then you get on a plane and sit for hours and recuperate properly. So, then, when you get off the plane, you have basically recharged yourself, and can sometimes manage to get to the luggage and exit. far fewer steps than on the way in. Far less energy spent, far less pain felt. Also note, that if a person comes in a wheelchair, but can stand or walk, it doesn't mean they are faking. it just means they are still ambulatory. Yes, some people abuse the system, but most do not. So, stop being jerks to people when you know absolutely nothing about their situations. Stop thinking you know everything and can judge anyone you see as lesser and treat them poorly. do better.

I always travel in my pajamas in case I need to go to Walmart when I get there.

Thank you for the great video, Megan. Your content, and the way that you present it, is very good.

Your dog is so cute!