Travel guide: 10 Things you should never do at the airport

Travel News Blitz writer Jesse-Ann Baron breaks down the unspoken airport rules everyone breaks and why it’s time we all did better.

An airport is a pressure cooker of sleep deprivation, stress and very questionable fashion choices.

Somewhere between the check-in and landing, people forget their basic manners, and that's why some say the airport brings the worst out of everyone.

Here’s a list of 10 things everybody should stop or never do at the airport.

1. Camping out at the gate hours before boarding 

Everyone knows that family or person who gets to the gate 4 hours early with bags across three seats.

They treat the boarding area like a personal waiting room - which is acceptable if it's in an hour or two, but it gets ridiculous at any longer period.

There is a whole airport to explore, so go sit in a lounge chair or a restaurant; you do not need to guard the gate like it's about to close without warning.

2. Ignoring queue order at security check-in

There is no other word for it than “rude” when you are in a queue and someone who thinks they are the second coming cuts in.

It’s so common yet so illogical because nobody is going to leave sooner just because they skipped.

All this person has done is annoy everyone in the line… and maybe even their seating partner in the airport.

3. Reclining before takeoff (or in general)

If you are in economy, the space is already tight, but if the plane has not even left and you are rushing to recline your seat before everyone settles, it is pretty inconsiderate.

You should also be mindful to never recline your seat so far back that you are crushing the person behind you and you should let them know.

This is objectively inconsiderate; if you got an economy ticket, you did not buy it for comfort but to get from A to B, so don’t make those around you hate their 16-hour flight too.

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4. Removing shoes/socks

The airport and the airplane are not your living room, so please keep your shoes and socks on.

If you really need your feet to breathe, especially in hot regions like Dubai, just wear open sandals, but don’t condemn the Airport to smell-then-see your feet in the airport or up in the air.

5. Hogging both armrests

Whether you are sitting in the lounge chairs in the airport or in the plane, the number one unspoken rule is not claiming both armrests.

It's a pretty straightforward rule that is just basic etiquette that some people need to be reminded of.

6. No headphones for videos

This is a special item for the older travellers and really young children who either don’t use their headphones or don’t know how to when watching videos on their phones.

A new most-hated airport habit is people scrolling on TikTok with sound on full blast.

Self-awareness is thrown out the window when people play loud reels over and over again in the airport, annoying everyone, so avoid being asked awkwardly to turn it down.

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7. Clapping when you land

There's not a lot to say about this other than it's harmless but extremely cringey.

It must be exhausting for someone who is taking multiple flights with stops to hear claps constantly.

8. Not having your boarding pass/ID ready

When you are standing in a queue for a while to get checked in, do not make everyone wait longer than it has to be.

In order to make things run smoothly everyone should be prepared before they get to the front of the line.

Do not be the person who gets to the front of the line and has to hastily search when they get to the front.

9. Letting your kid kick the seat in front of them

We all know an enclosed environment with no activities besides movies and music on a screen is extremely boring for a child but parents need to not make it a nightmare for everyone.

There are always the same horror stories of parents not reprimanding their children when they disrupt other people’s flight experience.

Parents need to actually prepare their kids for the airport and teach them proper manners and respect for other passengers.

10. Walking dead slow in the middle of a busy walkway

Sometimes, life happens, which is when you will see people running to boarding or check-in like the end of the world is at stake.

But when there are actual snails in the walkway, it totally hinders the airport's flow.

If you are strolling through a garden, take a slow pace, but when you are in the airport you should walk at a normal pace or move out of the way for people to pass you.

When you are on a call or checking a text, move out the way and use the many lounging airport seats to take your time but don’t make people passively aggressively huff when passing you.

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