We frequent flyers have stories to tell. Even though we never board the flight thinking we’ll drink the overpriced bar dry, sometimes no amount of plastic cup rosés can get us through our on-board suffering. Passengers, if you do any of the following, stop now – we beg you!

Aisle Loitering

How many times have you seen that one person who holds up the line on the airplane, whether boarding or deplaning? Often they have an enormous bag with a few items here and there that they forgot they’ll need on the trip. Or they’re busy talking with another member of their party and don’t realize that others are trying to pass (while the rest of the line sighs loudly).

How to avoid being that person: Organize a flight bag. Take a small pouch with your carry-on that has everything you’ll need on your flight – a great book, your earphones, a sleep mask if necessary. Make it easily accessible from your carry-on so that you can pull it out when it’s time to board and drop it into your seat as you put the rest of your luggage in the overhead. It’s much more convenient for you, and much less stressful for everyone else behind you!

Noisy Passengers

Have you ever sat next to that person who plays music out loud off their phones or other devices? Oftentimes if they have earbuds on then they don’t even realize the buds aren’t connected. Other times, they could care less and are just being annoying. Either way, it’s an uncomfortable situation to be the person next to them. The same goes for a gaggle of people loudly having conversations across aisles. Could you keep it down, please?

How to avoid being that person: Have some respect for other passengers. If you think you’re quietly sitting with your headphones on, double-check to make sure that’s true. Take them out and listen for a moment. If you’re with friends or family, try to keep the yelling to a minimum. Others are there to have a quiet flight and likely don’t care about your exciting trip coming up, as fabulous as it may be.

Be Kind with Your Seat

It’s easy to forget that there is another person in the seat behind you. But with the way flights are filled these days, there usually is. The passenger behind you gets up, using your seat as leverage. A child behind you kicks the whole flight through. The person in front of you reclines before the flight staff says it’s safe to do so, making your flight just that much more cramped.

How to avoid being that person: Remember the people around you – both behind and in front. Take care when getting up from your own seat, and be courteous when you lean back. And when in doubt, ask!

Annoying Parents

Forget the children – sometimes it’s the parents who can be insufferable on a long trip. We all expect babies to cry and kids to get a little restless, but we hope that their parents won’t just sit there indifferently while it happens!

How to avoid being that person: Kids are kids and they’ll act out whenever they know it’s the worst moment to do it. That’s why it makes all the difference to have understanding parents around. Parents, if your children aren’t behaving, attempt to fix the problem. If you can’t, apologizing to your neighbors, even when there is little else that can be done, really helps. And passengers, if you find yourself with an unhappy child, try not to get tied up in a knot. You may find yourself in a similar situation one day…

Editor’s note: Ava Watkins has generously provided this article and compensation on behalf of knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk in order to help continue spreading the voice of women around the world. We are proud of the content we publish and stand by it! Click here to read our full disclosure statement.