Air travel etiquette debate explodes as experts call for cleaner, more respectful dress
Etiquette expert Alison Cheperdak joins 'Varney & Co.' to break down rising concerns over declining air travel manners and explain why dressing clean, staying courteous and respecting fellow travelers matters now more than ever.
Flight attendants are urging passengers to stop touching them to get their attention, saying the behavior is one of the most common frustrations they face on the job.
Several veteran flight attendants recently discussed the issue on the "Jumpseat Chronicles" podcast, encouraging travelers to use call buttons or simply speak up when they need assistance.
"We get poked and touched as flight attendants," co-host Joshua Boyd said — describing it as one of the most persistent issues crew members encounter.
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"It happens so often that if we got paid $1 for it, we would be millionaires," Boyd said.
Instead of physically touching crew members, the flight attendants said passengers should use the call button, make eye contact or politely wave if they need assistance.
Some flight attendants are asking travelers to avoid physically touching them for attention, noting that it is among the most frequent and frustrating behaviors they encounter while working. (iStock)
Diane Gottsman, a national etiquette expert based in Texas and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, told Fox News Digital that touching a flight attendant violates both personal and professional boundaries.
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"Just as you would not touch the passenger sitting next to you, you do not reach out and touch a flight attendant to get their attention," Gottsman said.
She said passengers should instead make eye contact, offer a friendly wave or use the call button instead of touching or snapping at flight attendants to get their attention.
Etiquette experts suggest that passengers make eye contact, give a polite wave or use the call button to get a flight attendant’s attention if they need it. (iStock)
"A polite and louder than usual ‘excuse me’ may feel a bit bold, but it's definitely more appropriate than tapping someone on their arm, shoulder, waist or any other part of their body," she said.
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Gottsman noted that passengers are not always aware of what a flight attendant may be dealing with at a given moment.
"Their main focus is the safety of the passengers on the plane," she said. "Basic etiquette calls for respecting another person‘s job and their personal space."
"Please use the call button or your voice, but please do not touch us."
The issue also sparked debate on Reddit, where some travelers agreed passengers should avoid physical contact and rely on call buttons or verbal requests instead.
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"I’d love for this to be in an announcement," one user wrote. "If you need our attention, please use the call button or your voice, but please do not touch us."
The discussion spread across social media, prompting a wave of responses from flight attendants who shared similar experiences and called for greater respect of personal boundaries. (iStock)
Yet others argued that a light tap on the shoulder is often viewed as a socially acceptable way to get someone's attention, particularly in a noisy airplane cabin.
"A gentle tap on the shoulder is a pretty common way of getting someone’s attention," one commenter wrote.
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Several travelers also said they worry flight attendants may not hear them when they say "excuse me," especially on crowded flights.
"My ‘excuse me’s’ definitely fail much more often than they succeed," one user wrote.
