How to exit a packed airplane without making a fool of yourself

• A recent column in the Boston Globe took rude flyers to task
• It points out that exiting an airplane is nowhere near as orderly as boarding one
• Absent guidelines for leaving a plane, its incumbent on passengers to be polite 

Getting on a commercial plane is a strict, regimented process that prevents people from rushing onto the aircraft all at once.

Yet when it comes time for passengers to disembark after their flight has landed, it’s often a free-for-all (unless, of course, you’ve scored business or first class seats).

Baffled by this glaring double standard, the Boston Globe’s Christopher Muther wrote a column advising people how to exit and airplane politely because, well, airlines are unlikely to institute an orderly system for deplaning like the one that’s already in place for boarding.

The first rule for his fellow passengers is not to immediately spring from your seat as soon as the plane lands.

He points out the utter futility of getting out of your seat so soon because even if the seat belt sign is turned off, it usually takes 20 minutes or longer for the plane to taxi off the runway and link up to the boarding bridge.

Muther says there’s absolutely no need to clog the aisle right when the wheels hit the runway

If you have a connecting flight right after your plane lands, Muther suggests you talk to the flight attendant to see if they can let you off ahead of everyone else

He also anticipates the argument that people are often itching to get out of their seats because they’ve been sitting for hours in what are often tight, uncomfortable seats.

Acknowledging that, Muther advises getting up, stretching and then sitting back down – but says there’s absolutely no need to clog the aisle right when the wheels hit the runway.

He adds that it’s best practice to wait your turn – and wishes others wouldn’t cut in front of other people who are seated in rows ahead.

The only exception Muther allows is when you have a connecting flight that you’re afraid you’ll miss if you don’t get off as soon as humanly possible.

But even then, you can avoid the hassle of climbing over and pushing through others in the aisle by simply letting your flight attendant know that you have a tight connection.

The flight crew is not guaranteed to give you priority when exiting the plane, but theoretically, they’re there to ensure you have a pleasant experience flying.

Muther says you should ‘assert dominance’ by rushing to the aisle and getting your bag out from the overhead compartment

Airports, as most people know, are stressful and uncomfortable, which makes being polite all the more important, according to Muther

Muther pointed to a 2014 study in the Journal of Air Transport Management that disproved the notion that making a mad dash to the exit is the fastest way to get off a plane.

The study instead says it would be the most efficient to prompt the passengers in aisle seats to exit first, then people in the middle and then the window seats.

But since friends and family try to sit next to each other for the expressed purpose of staying together in bustling airports, its unlikely that a system like this would ever get implemented.

For a smooth process, Muther says it’s not ideal to assert aisle dominance by prematurely flinging your luggage out from the overhead compartments and risk your belongings clocking someone in the head.

To avoid being an annoyance to others, he suggests abstaining from taking your phone out and screaming into it when the plane lands, a rule that could ideally be applied to all cramped public places.

Muther says texting your loved ones that you’ve landed is much preferred over screaming into the phone the moment the plane touches down

Since airlines most likely aren’t going to institute an orderly exit process, it comes down to each individual person to abstain from rude behavior and be a little patient

Muther says a text letting your loved ones know that you’ve landed should suffice.

To be a team player, he proposes being generally friendly and polite – but most of all, patient with your fellow passengers.

With a common goal in mind, for each passenger to get where they are going, Muther says that if you’re understanding and considerate to others, your experience will become that much more painless.

Read more