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.
The prevailing view is expressed in this shirt making the rounds in social media: “Standing up as soon as the airplane stops won’t help you get off sooner.”
It turns out that versions of this shirt are for sale all over the internet.
The overwhelming majority of people seem to get frustrated and annoyed with 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.
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 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 not reasonable to criticize passengers for getting up to stretch, and to get their carry on bags down in order to deplane efficiently.
So go ahead and stand as soon as your plane lands and arrives at the gate. Don’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 separates expert travelers from the masses who are doing it wrong.
Window seats 4 eva! No stress levels at landing
The only annoying thing is the person who clearly had everything ready at landing, who runs up the aisle a few rows and now is standing in front of the people who should be standing and unloading.
@Shannon the Slow — Respect. I’d imagine those Jetway, Jesus folks take away already strained and limited resources from folks such as yourself who actually need the assistance. I’m glad you still ‘get around’ as I know that must not be easy. Take care out there!
This article is completely on point. We need to make an opposite shirt. “Stand up and get your junk out of the overhead AND the seat back AND under the seat and ready to get off so you don’t block everyone behind you”
Totally agree here. As a regular aisle seat holder with longer legs and feeling my 40s, having the chance to stretch my legs a bit while waiting also helps avoid an embarrassing cramp and possible delay for those behind me versus having to get up and start walking immediately. Plus I do tend to travel with a seat cushion and tablet, so it’s nice to have those safely stored in my bags before my row starts moving and everyone’s waiting for me. If anything the rude ones are those who know they have a dozen small items removed from their carryon and wait to cram it all in on the spot.
I have flown many, many times throughout my career and I agre with Gary totally. I get up and get my bags ready to deplane. So many times, those who sit and wait for rows in front of them to deplane are totally unready and delay everyone behind them I can immediately get out of everyone else’s way when the line moves in front of me. It is those wo get up last minute when the aisle clears and start looking around for their things that cause unnecessary delays. That is discourteous.
There are those of us who, while an EXP for the last 8 years, have to fly the least logical fare presented in Concur due to company or government policy, no exceptions.
Many of my flights are booked at only 5-7 days before the flight. Closer aisle seats are rarely available, and when I mentioned 32 minutes in an earlier post, my bad, I meant 36 minutes in CLT.
I find it funny that those who don’t want to get up are critical of those who do, as if it was a sign of being superior in some way. They seem to be trying to control others (through criticism) when it’s absolutely the majority that do get up – and do so with good reason.
The slowpokes who like to keep everyone behind them waiting as they get their stuff together last minute are not doing anyone any favours and they are the inconsiderate ones. Avoiding the delays & obstructions caused by several passengers doing this throughout the plane is one of the reasons I always try to sit close to the front of the plane. But you do you and just leave the rest of us alone. We’re not obliging anyone to get up who doesn’t want to.
Yet another tempest in a teapot. If these people have a boring life and need drama they get a t shirt and holler at people. I for 1 can make my own decisions and want to stretch my legs.
the problem isn’t people getting up etc, the problem is people are inconsiderate and pushing their way up a bit which in turn does not allow you to get up etc….this article is written w/1 way of thinking and that is not the way it is on most flights