Airplane Etiquette Rules Every 20-Something Should Know

We have a love-hate relationship with air travel. After all, it allows us to traverse long distances in a short period of time, making weekend trips across the country, or week-long vacations out of the country, totally plausible. But that doesn't mean flying is all that fun. Getting packed into a space that just gets more and more cramped every day, with no privacy and limited access to things like food and drinks, it doesn't take much to become irritable or even downright hostile to your fellow travelers.

But what if we told you there is another way?

We spoke to Lizzie Post (etiquette expert and the great-great granddaughter of Emily Post) and Jeremy Saum (executive editor of travel magazine AFAR) for some professional advice on how to confront an assortment of situations that can arise on a plane. Ahead, their tips for dealing with six common scenarios — from a child kicking the back of your seat to your seatmate becoming ill — with poise and grace.