There are so many issues that can occur when you are stuck in a tin tube in the sky. With so many people trapped in such a small space, we can all do better to improve our inflight etiquette. Here are 12 tips from flight attendants.

12 Boarding the aircraft

When you board the aircraft, please don't block the aisles trying to perfect your luggage. Just put it in the overhead locker and leave it until there is a quiet moment. There are a lot of people waiting behind you in the queue, and you are stopping boarding from being conducted efficiently. Or just wait until the seat belt signs are off.

11 Watch that backpack

If you are carrying a backpack on your back, please be aware of your movements. As flight attendants, we see this happen all the time. It is easy to forget your personal space (and others) during boarding and disembarking, and you may be totally unaware that your backpack has hit a seated passenger in the head or face. Just be careful.

cabin crew Wizz Air
If you pack it, you stack it. Photo: Wizz Air

10 Hand baggage

'If you packed it, you stack it' - please don't expect the flight attendant to lift your heavy baggage if you cannot lift it yourself.

9 Clothing

Please wear appropriate clothing during your flight. It's amazing the number of passengers we see dressed in flip-flops, shorts, and vests, and then forgetting it's 10 degrees at home and relatively cold on the aircraft. Be comfortable, be respectable and dress appropriately.

8 Middle seat

Whoever has the middle seat earns the use of the armrests. Seats on aircraft are uncomfortable enough without having to find extra space. It's just common courtesy.

7 Stand up

If a passenger wants to get out of the row to visit the lavatory or take a walk, please stand up. This prevents them struggling to get between your knees and seat and potentially getting hit in the face. The space just isn't big enough; it's just awkward.

Aircraft AA777 Main Cabin Interior
Keep arms and legs away from the aisle, to avoid injury. Photo: American Airlines

6 Aisle safety

Please try and keep arms and legs out of the aisle. You will get knocked by other passengers or trip another passenger up. Also, the meal cart is your enemy - it's extremely heavy and can cause damage to flailing arms and legs, which we cannot always see.

5 Don't be loud

Flying is stressful enough and crying children are not easy to deal with, but they can't help it. We can keep the noise levels down by not playing loud music through headphones. Be considerate to the person next to you and don't talk continuously, too loud, or invade their space. Can you imagine sitting next to someone for an entire flight, speaking loudly on their mobile phone? There's a good reason why phones should be switched off.

4 Self-catering

If you are providing your own inflight meal, please don't bring anything too strong smelling as, again, it can make the flight more stressful for others. No one wants to smell a tuna sandwich in a trapped, very public area.

3 Recline

Please be considerate when you are reclining your seat and follow the crew's instructions. The seats are placed upright for safety reasons during take-off and landing. During meals, it is polite to keep your seat upright - as soon as you put that seat back, you are restricting the person behind you from eating their meal as well as potentially upsetting their drinks.

2 Trolley dolly

It might seem funny to call your flight attendant a 'trolley dolly.' Well, we find it offensive. It devalues the hard work we put into our careers as flight attendants and the fact that we are safety professionals. We are not there to be a waiter/waitress.

1 Double bag

We often get handed sick bags with various types of waste in them at any given time. That's fine if it's just general paper material kind of waste. But, please, if the bag has been used for its intended purpose or to throw out a baby's diaper, double bag it. Just be nice!