Some flyers believe that the best thing to do when your plane lands is to remain seated until it’s their turn to get off of the aircraft. They shake their heads, wondering why people stand up when they can’t really go anywhere until the doors of the aircraft open, and everyone ahead of them gets off first. This view is sometimes expressed in harsh terms, mocking those who stand immediately. But it’s also 100% wrong.
You may not get anywhere (much) more quickly, but you might be more comfortable and crucially by using all the available space in the aircraft you’re helping other passengers be more comfortable, too.
There’s a rant attracting a lot of attention online about passengers standing up “like their lives depended on it” at the end of a 40 minute flight. They’re incredulous that someone would do this on such a short flight (or at all).
Of course speeding up deplaning just a little bit is far more significant on a short flight than a long one. Two minutes is 5% of a 40 minute flight, and just one fifth of one percent of Singapore – Newark.
Long haul flight? Sitting for several hours? Near the front of the plane? Sure. I can understand why.
My first leg of my journey was literally 40 minutes wheels up to wheels down, and they still stood up like their lives depend on it.
But do these idiots really think that standing in the aisle like a moron will allow them to get off the plane faster?
If you’re a person who does this and doesn’t have leg pain, why do you do this?
Just completed a literal 40 minute flight. People STILL stood up as soon as we arrived at the gate. I’m sick of it.
byu/craigcraig420 inmildlyinfuriating
The overwhelming majority of commenters express frustration and annoyance towards passengers who stand up immediately after landing, especially on short flights. They perceive this behavior as inconsiderate and disruptive to the deboarding process.
Mostly they think it’s selfish, and doesn’t help speed up the deplaning process. They want people to follow their (imagined) rules. They’re also very wrong.
To be sure, you should be polite when you get up. Don’t try to run past everyone else in the aisles or climb over other passengers. But also, don’t react this way to passengers trying to make progress when the plane comes to a complete stop and the seat belt sign is turned off. This video is very much not safe for work (or work from home):
It wasn’t the message, it was the delivery of the message
byu/TheManager_1 inKarenGoBrrr
There are three reasons to get up right away – why it benefits you and most importantly benefits your fellow passengers.
- Getting ready to deplane, including getting things out of the overhead bin, speeds up the process. That means getting everyone off the aircraft a couple of minutes faster. And that means more people make tight connections (which is polite to your fellow travelers). It also means allowing those couple of minutes for cleaners to get on board and clean the aircraft (polite to the cleaners, letting them do their job, and polite to the next passengers on the plane). It helps with the airline’s operation, too, which makes them more efficient and holds down costs and ultimately fares.
- It’s polite to the middle seat passenger who’s been stuck in place for hours when the person in the aisle seat gets up into the aisle. When you no longer have to have seat belts fastened, you want to take advantage of all of the space in the aircraft. The aisle seat passenger gets into the aisle, the middle seat passenger now has the space of the aisle seat to spread into, and the window seat passenger has a bit more elbow room as well. Why wouldn’t you use all of the space in the aircraft for comfort?
- You’ve been stuck in an uncomfortable seat for hours, why not stand as soon as you can? Especially in an era of less-padded slimline seats, it’s time to give your back a rest.
There’s really little benefit to remaining seated until it’s your row’s turn to deplane. While there’s no real obligation to cram into the aisles immediately (except perhaps an obligation to make a little room for the passenger in the middle seat to stretch out), it’s certainly not reasonable to criticize passengers for getting up to stretch, and to get their carry on bags down in order to deplane efficiently.
You should stand as soon as your plane lands and arrives at the gate. You shouldn’t wait until everyone in the rows ahead of you has had their turn to get off the plane. This helps everyone stretch out a little bit, and move faster off the plane, which benefits other passengers, the airline, and ultimately you too. It’s the sort of forward-leaning behavior that’s the hallmark of high performers.
I agree, however, the aisle is only wide enough for one person. There are two aisle seats. So who gets to stand? It’s basically whoever stands up first.
Nah, the forward leaning behavior of peak performers is grabbing your bag from the overhead bin in a fluid motion and promptly making your way off the plane.
Most of the early stander uppers look like they’re auditioning for America’s Funniest Home Videos as they’re retrieving their bags (“you bring it, you sling it”), then they typically extend the handle onba four-wheeler/spinner bag, and clumsily *push* it up the aisle, bonking most of the armrests on the way by, all this while the real peak performers wait patiently behind them.
Why I like being in the first row. Not waiting for someone that seems to think that no one else needs to get anywhere.
Better to stand too soon than an aisle passenger who refuses to stand until the row in front is already deplaning. Worse is when I’m standing in window seat crouching over and they aren’t getting the hint.
Thanks for sharing your opinion, but it seems factually incorrect to me. Here’s why:
1. Since everyone insists on deboarding by row, nobody is really leaving the plane faster.
2. Aisle congestion leads to slower bag retrieval.
Now, I totally agree you need to prepare to deboard fast, e.g. by taking your overbin bag and put your stuff inside, but once that’s done you can take a seat back.
I’d love to be shown wrong with a model simulation or some other evidence.
The problem with standing too early is when passengers in the back grab their bags and walk ahead to the front of the aisle where people are waiting. Then others get upset and purposely delay or block others. It’s not an easily solved issue on a narrow body aircraft. I like some of the ULCC in Europe who solve this issue by deplaning from the front and back. I have seen a 100% full plane deboard in about 5 minutes with stairs in the front and back.
On a longer flight I will stand just to stretch and get out of the seat. As far as getting off quicker, I can actually wait, spending an extra 4 minutes in the cabin is not a deal breaker for anybody.
Gary is right. Unless there is a prior announcement of an emergency by the crew (like EMS is boarding to help a passenger, so remain seated), things usually go like this:
*aircraft stops at gate*
*fasten seatbelt sign turned off*
*boop*
Next, get up if you want (like most do); many of us have connections, care about preparing our bags, and want to stretch our legs. This is rational.
Then there are the crazies. Fine. Stay seated if you want; but, please, get out of others way, if you wish to stay for the cleaning crew or take glamour shots with an empty cabin. Whatever you do, stop worrying about the rest of us.
I usually book the aisle and ask my seat mates if they have tight connections. This includes across the aisle as well.
I will wait a few moments after the bell and see what is going on around me, then decide to stand or remain seated. Awareness and courtesy goes a long way and after 45 years of this, I’ve had few issues.
Gary, there is also a medical reason to stand up as soon as possible- Pulmonary Embolism’s (PE). In 2015 I had two large ones in my chest, and they can be fatal. I have been instructed, if possible, not to sit for more than two continuous hours, ANYWHERE. Hence my seat choice now is aisle or lie flat.
Standing at your seat, if possible, is not an issue. It is the entrance into the isle that is the problem.
The main problem are all the idiots who stand up before the seatbelt light had been turned off. Plane has stopped. But seatbelt light still on. These morons the standing up getting their bags. Airlines frequently do nothing about this. It’s infuriating.
Well, if I am reading this correctly, this topic was brought up at least five or six times this past year. Here we are on January 1, 2025, and we have started this cycle all over again. Fewer, fresher items would be appreciated.
Happy New Year to all.
I need to stand up so I can get off the plane. I book 25 minute connections in Phoenix.
I think standing up as soon as the plane lands is a waste of time and energy FOR ME but, that said, doing so helps the greater good (the whole plane gets off faster if people do it) … so… I leave it to others to do it until it’s my actual my turn to get off. . . I of course do what I can ensure I’m prepared and quick.
I’m even more impressed with the self important morons that are immediately on their cell phones while standing up in the aisle and trying to get their bag from the overhead with one hand. They invariably drop it on some poor loser still sitting in their seat. They must be really important consultants negotiating trillion dollar deals even tho they are in coach
I always have a window seat and wait until the plane is almost empty. Keeps my blood pressure and nerves ok. Already thinking of the prime rib Madeira ahead.
If I stand up as soon as the seat belt sign goes off, it is not your business. You do you.
The original poster complaining about pax standing after a 40-minute flight is an idiot. (Well, there goes my first New Year’s resolution down the drain.) It makes no difference whether it’s a 40-minute flight, or a 4-hour flight —> people do what people do: if you are the type of person that stands up the moment the Fasten Seat Belt light goes off, you’re going to stand up; if you’re the type that sits until it’s your row’s turn to deplane, you’re going to sit. It doesn’t matter how long the flight itself is.
I live in Mexico and here we don’t stand until the flight attendant tells us too. They release five or six rows at a time. I’ve never deplaned in a more orderly and rapid manner. I get really frustrated at the process when I visit the States. Just my experience…
The Basic Economy narcissist from row 32 will run up the aisle to deplane with First Class if other aisle pax don’t stand up immediately. And the Premium Economy narcissist from row 8 will race back to row 21, get their rollerboard, and demand to be allowed back to row 8 to deplane with fellow royalty if the aisle is empty. I fly weekly (Key West today) and see the above toxic behavior when aisle passengers don’t stand up quickly.
Couldn’t agree more, stand up and prepare for your departure. Gets everyone on the move quicker.
I prefer that those in the aisle seats stand in the aisle as soon as possible after the seatbelts sign has been turned off because it often gives me a bit more room in the window seat. The best people in my row get out and allow me to get my carry-on luggage down so I can deplane (deplane is a word in many if not most dictionaries) as fast as possible when my row can go. The aisle seaters who make everyone sit until the last minute are the problem. If that happens, it will always delay those further back. When I have to get out from my window seat and pull my carry-on out of the overhead bin at that time, it takes longer. It takes even longer for those passengers who have a hard time reaching their bag or struggle with the weight. People getting in the aisles can get those bags down for the people who need help but it is less likely to happen when others are intent on rushing to the door.
There are too many people now who are Performatively Patient. Some sort of weird complex where they imagine they’re the hero of their own story because in this world of other people In a Hurry, they are the only ones with the courage to be Patient.
So you’ve got nerds policing speeders by camping in the full left lane dead on at the speed limit because Why Are They In Such a Hurry?
Why are all of these people in Such a Hurry to get off the plane?! We’re all going to the same place, the Patient Performers declare! Ignoring some have checked bags, others can be on their way; some are at their final destination, some need to make tight connections. None of that matters to the Patient Performers because they are Better Than You simply by virtue of being so Patient.
Really the best people simply decide not to give a single s—t about others’ behavior that doesn’t impose negative externalities. Standing up with the ding imposes zero negative externalities, so, ergo, the Patient Performers need to give it a rest and simply shut the f—k up.
My last flight, seat 3C (all 3-3 seating), and what did I do? I stood up right away, moving my only carryon from under the seat in front to on my seat. I queried 3A and 3B what bags was theirs in the overhead bin. I handed them their bags. There was a bag still in the bin. It turns out it’s from 2B, and I hand him his bag. I depart after rows 1 and 2, but before 3D, who wasn’t ready. What idiot thinks I have done anything to hurt them by getting up at the beep?
Someone should examine why it is that Air Europa seems to have the slowest passengers to deplane at European airports when it comes to the airlines which are part of one of the big three global airline alliances.
Aisle seat stands up (me), gets bag down, puts it in footwell of their aisle seat and puts their underseat bag on top, that way the other aisle seat person can get their bag down and stand ahead of them or just behind them. In other words, there IS enough room for both aisle seat passengers to stand up and get their stuff down and be ready to roll. It also leaves the aisle seat cushion available for the middle seat person to get THEIR under the seat bag out and onto so when it is their turn they aren’t fumbling for it. As they slide out the window person puts their bag on the middle seat and scoots past it to get into aisle and get their bag down and put their underseat bag on it and go. You can see how that is a little bit faster and more pleasant for everyone. Plus- what is the down side aka how does it change your situation negatively? So why complain??
Now what really chaps my hide is when the next row starts to barge past before the middle/window seat passengers in the row in front of them can finish getting out. Rude and confusing to the other passengers, and leads to anarchy.
Somewhat analogous to this is the ridiculous P/A on late arriving flights to “stay seated while those with close connections pass.” It makes zero sense unless seated in an aisle seat. Chances are 70% of the other passengers are in the same situations and those in the middle/window seats cannot get out into the already crowed aside.
Aisle people- help everyone boarding and deplaning by lifting your arm rest if possible. There’s a button under the armrest usually.