Over the past decade, travelers have come to expect the worst from their airport experience.
From airport parking all the way to the moment your plane takes off and then lands at your destination, there are rules and regulations, crowds and kids, headaches and harassment.
What's a frequent flyer to do? Rather than lose your cool, how about taking a cue from a kinder, gentler time in history when traveling wasn't quite so stressful? Yes, that means practicing your manners and minding your P's and Q's.
1.
Be Prepared The number one way you can be polite to your fellow travelers is by being prepared.
That means arriving at the airport parking lot in plenty of time for your flight, getting yourself checked into your flight online, and having everything you're taking onboard prepared per regulations and ready for inspection by the TSA.
If you're traveling with children, that also means you need to have them prepared, too, by having snacks, games and necessities handy.
2.
Move If You Must One of the most frustrating things is when a party of several travelers are seated apart from each other on the airplane.
If you see this happening - especially if it involves a family with young children - please offer to switch seats.
And maybe, just maybe, if you make this gesture, other passengers will do the same.
3.
Pack Well Okay, sometimes it's just not possible to be as prepared as you'd like for your flight.
Maybe you couldn't get check in online ahead of time and perhaps you have a change to make to your flight plans.
But the last thing the people in a long line at the airline counter want to see is you struggling to put a large piece of luggage on the scale only to find out it exceeds the airline's weight or size limits.
Find out beforehand what restrictions apply to your luggage so you don't hold up everyone else in the airport.
4.
Respect Your Seatmate When it comes to travelers, it takes all kinds.
Some of us are outgoing and gregarious, others are shy and quiet.
If you're the outgoing type and you get seated next to a shy person on your flight, please respect the other person's preferences.
Many passengers will stick their nose in a book, work a crossword puzzle, or plug into their iPod to indicate they don't want to talk.
Take the hint.
5.
Patience Is a Virtue If you are a seasoned traveler, you've probably seen it all, done it all, heard it all - but that family in the security line ahead of you probably doesn't have the same experience.
Rather than making disgusted noises, rolling your eyes, and glancing at your watch every few seconds, remember that you weren't always so seasoned.
Put yourself in the place of that frazzled mom or distracted dad and if you must say something, make it something helpful.
Don't ruin the start of someone else's vacation by being impatient.
There are undoubtedly additional rules of thumb when it comes to travel etiquette but these are a good start.
Air travel is stressful enough as is without the additional onus of putting up with rude or uncaring fellow travelers.
Try your best to be nice and patient and everyone's travel experience will be a whole lot better.