Airplane Etiquette: 5 Things That Can Get You Offloaded From a Flight in India
As an airline attendant is not just physically draining but can be mentally exhausting. One has to deal with cranky children, furious and sometimes drunk passengers, and do all this with a smile. But these polite and smiles demeanours will be on display up to a limit as the cabin crew/attendant has the right to ask a passenger to deboard for many reasons, say an aviation training institute in Kolkata.
This article lists eight reasons why a passenger can be denied boarding or be asked to deplane anytime before taking off.
1) Personal space
Plane seats are the worst; you are practically sitting on someone’s lap. Understandably, there is not much wiggle room, but do not invade someone else’s personal space, for God’s sake, with the room you have. Do not stretch out and touch them. If you’re wearing poofy clothes, don’t sit in the middle. Make yourself as small as possible. Be comfortable but don’t ruin it for everyone else.
2) Too sick to travel
A few months ago, my family and I returned from a trip abroad. My younger son developed an allergic cough, which seemed to have been triggered by something in the aeroplane. The senior cabin crew made it a point to note down his details — name, seat number, and symptoms on that flight. When asked why he was doing that, he said it was protocol, and the crew on our connecting flight back to Delhi would also be informed of this.
Airlines have the right to refuse to board persons demonstrating conditions that may worsen or have grave consequences during the flight. If an unwell passenger’s health deteriorates on a flight, there might be an emergency landing. To avoid such unscheduled landings, which may cause a lot of inconvenience to other passengers, airlines, from time to time, refuse to allow passengers whom they feel to be too sick to travel.
3) Hygiene
If you are on a plane, train, or car, please make sure you brush your teeth, shower, and use deodorant. If you have stinky feet, please bring a non-scented spray with you. Remember how small these spaces are, and if you’re stuck with a bunch of other people, it will not be comfortable for anyone if you reek. Also, please don’t floss your teeth when sitting next to someone or blow your nose, for that matter.
If you are on a plane or train, go to the restroom and take care of the grooming there.
While you’re in the bathroom, please leave it as nice as you would like to find it. It’s so gross to have a dirty bathroom, especially when it’s communal and it is the only one for a while.
4) Advanced stages of pregnancy
While each airline follows its protocol, the rules remain the same. A pregnant woman will be permitted to fly till the 27th week of pregnancy if she carries a medical certificate from a doctor. Those travelling between their 28th and 36th week must hold a valid medical certificate issued by a doctor stating that they are fit to fly. Note that such a certificate must be issued 72 hours before travel. After the 36th week, the airline is at liberty to deny boarding to an expecting mother.
5) Intoxicated state
Who wants to travel with obnoxious and drunk passengers, right? The flight attendant, trained by a professional training institute in Kolkata, is at liberty to ask a drunk passenger to deplane if they feel that they could cause harm to themselves or endanger the lives of other passengers on board. While the airline crew is trained to handle intoxicated passengers, controlling them is not always possible. The staff is also at liberty to deny a drink to a passenger if they feel that they have already consumed too much. If you happen to be seated beside someone you think is intoxicated, bring it to the attention of the cabin crew immediately.
6) Inappropriate attire
While there is no definition of appropriate attire, there is enough debate about it on the internet. Less than a week ago, a lady doctor travelling with her 8-year-old son from Jamaica to Miami was denied boarding because she was not dressed appropriately, according to the cabin crew. While the lady took to Twitter to express her frustration and disgust at the situation, many other such cases came to light.
7) Not following rules
If a passenger is not adhering to the rules — smokes on board when it is explicitly prohibited or continues to use the mobile phone even after being warned about switching it off, being unruly, getting into a fight with co-passengers and cabin crew, then he can be asked to deboard. This has happened several times in India as well. Last December, a passenger onboard Vistara Airlines was asked to leave the craft as he insisted on smoking despite being given several warnings to refrain from it.
8) Be aware
When travelling, make sure you know the customs of wherever you are going. The worst thing you can do is to insist that things have to be the same way it is where you are from because it isn’t going to be.
Awareness is key in managing your items. Always keep your documents in the same secure place so you won’t lose them. Label any medications that you need and keep them in their proper bottles. Make sure you keep a first aid kit with you for emergencies.
Have fun on travel, remember that respect is the single most important thing for yourself and others when you travel.
