After 21 years as a flight attendant, I’ve seen it all. The pandemic heightened tensions on board, with the most extreme incidents of bad passenger behavior escalating to violence. More commonly, though, I see discourteous behavior lead to verbal disagreements, or a general unpleasantness.
当了21年的空乘，我也算什么都见识过了。疫情加剧了飞机上的紧张气氛，最极端的乘客不良行为升级为暴力事件。不过，更常见的是，我看到无礼的行为会引发争执或者不愉快。

As we enter the busy summer season, it’s worth discussing some of the common courtesies that could make flying, dare I say, pleasant.
随着我们进入繁忙的夏季，有必要讨论一下日常礼节，我敢说，它们可以让飞行变得愉快一些。

Here are my airline etiquette rules, which aim to strike a balance between your own reasonable comforts and thoughtfulness to those around you.
以下是我的飞行礼仪规则，目的是既能保证你自己合理舒适，同时也为周围的人着想。

Everyone has the right to recline — but there’s a polite way to do it.
每个人都有把椅背向后放的权利——但要以一种礼貌的方式。

The wrong way is slamming back the seat as hard and fast as you can. That has broken laptops, spilled drinks and caused fistfights that have caused flights to be diverted. Be aware of your surroundings. Before reclining, peek behind you and see what the situation is, and nicely ask if that person minds.
错误的做法是用力、快速地向后放椅背。这可能弄后排的坏笔记本电脑，导致饮料洒出，甚至可能引发殴斗，导致航班备降。要留意周遭的情况。向后靠之前，看看你身后是什么情况，并礼貌地询问对方是否介意。

Clean up after your kids.
在你的小孩弄乱环境后，你要收拾干净。

We are not maids. Flight attendants do not have access to vacuums, brooms or cleaning supplies that go beyond hand soap, wet wipes and air freshener. You are not required to clean up, but it’s courteous. There are knock-on effects, too: Messes in the aisle can be a safety hazard, and a big cleaning job can even delay the next flight. Proactive thinking helps. Can a small child handle a large bag of snacks? If not, put them in a smaller, more manageable container ahead of time.
我们空乘不是仆人。空乘人员只能使用洗手液、湿纸巾和空气清新剂，无法使用吸尘器、扫帚或清洁用品。这并非你必须要做的事情，但出于礼貌，你应该做。脏乱不收拾的话，会产生连锁反应：过道弄得乱七八糟可能会带来安全隐患；而大规模的清洁工作甚至会导致下一班航班延误。积极主动的思考是有帮助的。小孩子能拿得住一大袋零食吗？如果不能，可以提前分装在更小、更容易管理的容器里。

The overhead bins aren’t your personal Tetris game.
头顶的行李舱不是你的俄罗斯方块游戏。

The bins are first-come, first-serve in economy class. You don’t own the spot directly above your seat, and it’s not acceptable to take out someone else’s bag to make yours fit. Sliding bags to maximize space is fine, but save the complex puzzle solving for the flight attendant. And remember, small bags belong at your feet, keeping room for large bags in the overhead bins.
经济舱的行李舱先到先得。座位正上方的位置不是属于你的，你不能把别人的包拿出来，把自己的包放进去。移动行李，让空间最大化是可以的，但把复杂的难题留给空乘人员吧。记住，小包应该放在椅子下面，头顶的行李舱留给大件行李。

No one wants to hear your FaceTime conversation.
没人想听你视频聊天。

We don’t need to hear both sides of that conversation; plus, boarding an airplane is not the time for your goodbyes. It’s time for you to concentrate on finding your seat and stowing your bags as fast as possible so the people behind you can do the same thing. While we are on the topic, no one wants to hear your movies, video games or TikToks, so bring headphones. Even for children.
我们不需要听到双方的对话；另外，登机不是你忙着道别的时候。这时候你应该集中精力，尽快找到座位、放好行李，这样你后面的人也能做同样的事情。说起这个，没有人想听你的电影、电子游戏或TikTok，所以带上耳机。即使孩子也是如此。

The middle seat gets both armrests.
中间的座位可以使用两侧的扶手。

It’s the consolation prize for being squished between two people with nowhere to lean. Case closed.
被挤在两人中间的乘客无处可靠，这是对他们的安慰奖。就是这样。

Headphones are a perfectly acceptable conversation ender.
耳机是一个完全可以接受的谈话结束工具。

Overly chatty seatmate? Headphones are a great way to keep from being the sounding board for your neighbor who can’t take a hint. It’s my go-to move: After a long day of being a flight attendant, my noise-canceling headphones are my haven. I want peace on my commute home.
邻座过于健谈？耳机是避免邻座听不懂暗示的好方法，让你不至于被迫聊天。这是我常用的办法：当了一整天空乘后，降噪耳机就是我的避风港。我想在回家路上保持平静。

Keep your socks on.
别脱袜子。

If it’s a long flight, by all means relax and take off your shoes, but there is never a reason to take off your socks. Foot smell is inescapable. Also, keep your feet to yourself. It is not acceptable to rest your feet on the armrest of the person in front. And I highly recommend putting your footwear back on to use the lavatory.
如果是长途飞行，一定要放松，脱掉鞋子，但绝对没有理由脱掉袜子。脚臭是不可避免的。还有，要管住自己的脚。把脚搁在前面座椅的扶手上是不可接受的。而且我强烈建议你在上厕所的时候把鞋穿上。

Use the call button wisely.
明智地使用呼叫按钮。

If you need something — a coffee refill, assistance with a medical issue or help with a disruptive passenger — please use it. It is preferable to poking or tapping the flight attendant, which is not OK. Before you press it, though, make sure we aren’t already in the aisle with a beverage cart or a trash bag — that means we’re already coming! If you are having a true emergency, please hit it several times so we know it’s important.
如果你需要什么——续杯咖啡、身体不舒服或帮忙协调打扰你的乘客——请使用它。这比戳一下或者拍一下空乘人员要好，因为这两种动作是不合适的。在你按下按钮之前，确保你没有看到我们在走道上推着饮料车或垃圾袋——那意味着我们已经来了！如果你有真正的紧急情况，请多点几次，这样我们就知道事情很重要。

Don’t discipline other people’s kids.
不要管教别人家的孩子。

Nothing makes a flight more miserable than the back of your seat becoming a punching bag. However, if a child behind you is being disruptive, address the parents. You don’t have the right to yell at someone else’s child. A nice way to approach this is to ask the parents calmly, and with a smile, if they realize their child is kicking your seat. Then say it’s bothersome; is there any way you can you make the child stop? This way you are not accusing in your tone, and are asking instead of being bossy.
没有什么比你的椅背变成出气筒更让人难受的了。然而，如果一个孩子在你后面捣乱，告诉他的父母。你没有权利对别人的孩子大吼大叫。一个很好的方法是平静地、面带微笑地去问父母，他们是否意识到孩子在踢你的椅背。然后说这让人很困扰；你们有什么办法能让孩子停下来吗？这样你的语气中就没有指责的意思，而是在提出请求，不是在颐指气使。

Deal with your seating issues before you get on the plane.
在上飞机之前先解决好座位问题。

If your family is split up on the flight, the chaotic rush of boarding is not when flight attendants can solve it for you. The gate agents have access to the seating chart and family reservations, so please ask them first if it is possible to change your seats. Some airlines even have a policy that families with children under 13 must sit together, so the gate agent is the best place. Or even better: Call the airline before coming to the airport.
如果你一家人没能坐在一起，在混乱的登机高峰期，空乘人员也无法帮你协调。登机口的工作人员可以看到座位表和家庭预订，所以请先询问他们是否可以更换座位。一些航司甚至有规定，有13岁以下儿童的家庭必须坐在一起，所以登机口是最好的地方。或者更好的办法是在去机场之前就给航空公司打电话。

You don’t have to switch seats if someone asks you.
如果有人要求你换座位，你不是非换不可。

I’m going to be unpopular here. No, you do not have to switch with someone who asks you. If you have paid extra for your seat, or even if it is just an inconvenience, you can kindly say no. If it is advantageous, like trading a middle seat for a window seat, or you are happy to help, please go ahead and swap.
我要说点不受人欢迎的话。不，如果有人问你能否换座位，你不是必须要答应的。如果你为座位付了额外的钱，哪怕只是觉得不方便，你都可以友好地拒绝。如果换座位对你有利，比如把中间的座位换成靠窗的座位，或者你很乐意帮忙，那就换吧。

Flush. Please.
请冲马桶。

This should be common sense, but somehow it isn’t. I deal with this all day, every day. I do not want to flush your deposit, and neither does the passenger after you. If you can’t find the button, please look for it: I guarantee it’s there. On every airplane.
这应该是常识，但不知为何，它并没有成为常识。我每天都在处理这件事。我不想冲掉你的排泄物，在你后面用卫生间的乘客也不想。如果你找不到按钮，请自己找一下：我保证它就在那里。每架飞机上都有。

翻译：晋其角