We’ve all been there.

You’re minding your own business on your flight, headphones in, a movie or podcast playing in your ears. You’ve got your drink of choice on the tray table in front of you (a ginger ale, perhaps?) and you’re ready to get to your destination. And then, BAM! Your nostrils are suddenly hit by a tsunami of strong odors coming from behind you. You look down and are greeted with the sight of some unruly toes ON YOUR ARMREST. Okay, maybe we haven’t all been there – but chances are we’ve all had some unpleasant flights and don’t want to be “that person” just adding to the chaos. So, here are a few things you should NEVER do on a plane!

Flying can be stressful, and sometimes humans just add to that stress. But, we can all work together to try and make things just a bit easier on each other…

…and we can do that by NEVER doing these things on a plane.

Play Media Out Loud

One of the most important rules of flying is to just be respectful of others — and that also applies to playing media out loud. Whether it’s music or podcast, a movie or the latest show, or even a game, the best thing you can do is to use headphones or earbuds. The people around you are most likely just trying to relax and do their own thing, and hearing someone else’s phone blasting the latest Harry Styles song probably doesn’t help (though, tbh, we probably wouldn’t mind that…)!

This is also true for most kids with tablets or other similar devices — no one (and we mean no one) wants to hear Cocomelon playing incessantly before or during a flight. If your kiddo is old enough to use a tablet, they’re old enough for headphones in most cases.

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Argue with Airline Staff

Quite possibly the most important thing to remember when you’re on a flight is to listen to flight attendants and the pilots. They’re trained in various situations and know how to help keep you safe. This also applies to the airline staff at the airport as well!

So, please, whatever you do when you’re flying — do your best NOT argue with flight attendants or airline staff. Airlines are private businesses, meaning they can keep you from flying for pretty much any reason they want. You wouldn’t want to miss your chance to meet Mickey and Minnie in Disney World, would you?!

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Get Mad at Kids for Being Kids

Sometimes parents have to fly places and bring their kids. In most cases, they don’t love the situation any more than you do. But, planes are uncomfortable for everyone, let alone kids who haven’t totally developed situational awareness or might even be flying for the very first time. 

Kids are kids, and chances are their parents are having just as rough of a time getting them to behave in a giant metal box in the sky as you are listening to it. So, try to just put your headphones on and tune them out — or maybe even order yourself a Bloody Mary. Cut everyone a little bit of slack and remember that you’re all in this together (at least until you land).

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Put Your Bare Feet on the Armrest in Front of You

Well, here we are folks. We’ve reached the point of no return. Never did we think we’d actually need to say this particular piece of advice out loud, but…PLEASE, no matter what — do NOT but your bare feet on the armrest in front of you. Honestly, if you can help it, maybe don’t take your shoes of at all? Just a thought.

And WHATEVER you do, please don’t go to the bathroom barefoot on an airplane, ever. People don’t have great aim (whether accidentally or on purpose) and the chances that you’re stepping in dried or wet urine are probably pretty high. It’s straight up gross.

Do Us All a Favor and Don’t Do THIS at Disney world

Bring Stinky Foods

The “don’t microwave fish in the breakroom” rule applies to planes as well. We’d recommend shying away from anything with tuna or broccoli, or anything else that others might consider to be a “strong odor.” Also, maybe don’t order an entire lasagna before you board and bring it with you on the plane like this person did.

At the end of the day, though, the most important thing to remember when you’re on a plane or traveling is to just be respectful and mindful of everyone else around you! Everyone is just trying to get to where they’re going and that can happen a lot faster if there aren’t kerfuffles on the plane. Just sit back, try to relax, and remember that you’re not the only one on that plane!

If you want to do some planning before your flight (or even on the plane!), check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining. We’ve compiled all of our BEST tips and tricks from years of Disney World travel into one eBook that you can download to your tablet or smartphone and take with you! We’re offering our readers 25% off with code WDW2022.

Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest travel tips and more!

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What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do on an airplane? Let us know in the comments!