Catman,

I really can't say what is appropriate attire...it would certainly be less than what the airlines require of non-revs, but somewhere, I think there is a limit..I guess if you clothes are clean and they cover a respectable part of the body, that would maybe be a basic minimum...but other than that...don't know.

Flying is rather unique to many other public interactions...with flying on a full flight, you have little power to escape from someone...I think of the movie "Planes, trains, & automobiles" *L*.
In almost any other public place, you have the power to move or leave...maybe we should carry parachutes??

Maybe if I get too uncomfortable on a flight, I will say(while putting on my parachute)"I don't like this flight, so I am outa here.... gggeeeerrrrroooooonnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo". *s*

On the issue of attire, I am a polo shirt type of guy when I fly (unless it's straight to a meeting with no time to change), but was sneered at recently becasue I was wearing khaki shorts and a t-shirt by an elderly couple across the aisle from me in 1st class. The exact comment was: "I believe that genleman must have snuck up here from steerage" (yes, Merry, he was speaking "English.") It got me thinking about this whole issue and what is appropriate. In the end, though, comfort must rule.

I also noticed a distinct difference in dress (more tank tops, t-shirts, etc) when I met my assistant off of an Airtran flight. I guess they don't call it the Greyhound of the sky for nothing.

BTW, *nothing* in this string (or anywhere else for that matter) will dissuade me from wearing my Goofy hat (WITH teeth and ears attached) on my 1st class flight to Orlando w/ the kids this year (so if you dont like to sit near strangely dressed folks or little kids in 1st class, you better rebook your orlando flight if you see me coming ;-)...

Merry - Wales might do (oh, ****, it's taken), a Scottish isle would be okay, if slightly chilly, but I don't think a title really cuts the mustard any more, particularly as there are moves to dispose of the House of Lords. No, you really need to travel to warmer climes: the former empire is a good starting point. In my experience the respect, pomp & ceremony afforded to important personages is inversely proportional to the geopolitical importance of the place they rule.

On the topic of pet peeves aboard aircraft:
* people who lean heavily on my chairback every time they get up/sit down, usually trapping my hair & pulling it very painfully. This is a good way to wake me up on a long trip: I am guaranteed to be unable to fall asleep again. It's usually people with weak bladders who do this.
* on long flights - the people (often women, middle-aged or otherwise) who vanish into the toilets & have a complete bath, change of clothes, application of make-up and waaaay too much perfume while fifty others are waiting to use the facilities.
* asking for non-smoking and being put one row in front of the smoking section - as if that makes a difference!
* people who pass judgement on others in business/first based on their appearance (this one's for you, Catman) Wearing a suit doesn't mean that you're not an obnoxious person under it. Being young doesn't mean that you've been upgraded/daddy owns the company. Being a woman doesn't mean that you slept with someone to get there.
* people who are convinced that the wheels on their carry-on will work on the plane
* people who talk on those horrible phones FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT
* people who are rude to busy flight attendants

Incidentally, Justin, BA do make an effort to make certain that their elite ffs have more space in economy if there is any room to spare. On the HRE-LGW flight where club & first were full (see 'Upgrade tales'), I ended up sharing a 3 seat row with a lady who was also supposed to be in the front of the plane - and I didn't see any other empty seats. The problem that airlines sometimes face with economy is that most ffs like to be near the front in aisle/window, but the middle seats usually fill up from the front backwards, so any empty seats are often found in the very last row.

TropicalFlyer - one more thing you could do, if (as for you) the plane is completely full - if you have the window seat, switch with the sick person next to you, so that they 'have the wall to lean against', but the real aim is that you get to breath the healthier air in the aisle. It's not much, but it's the best you can do.

What are airline policies on allowing ill people to fly, anyway?

Flyertalk is really on the ball with bad language. I used a very mild word, not one I would consider a real curse (along the lines of 'bloody', which I hope they won't censor, but even milder), and there's that string of stars.

Most impressive: definitely a family forum!

Baobab... I'm glad this is a family forum.
As I said, we are a more mature (most of the
time) and educated and sophisticated bunch
to resort to garbage humour.

Justin: If they offer us Parachutes then they should train us how to use them first so we
don't go crashing into the local 7-eleven and end up on CNN Headline News. But happy flying free of annoying passengers to you.
(And I prefer flying to NYC subways... now that's a couldrin (SP?) of the sick and the rude and the wild!)

Tropical Flyer: I should give YOU credit as well for this thought provoking topic. It's worth an article. And may you and all of us be free of sick passengers.

Merry FLyer: a Scottish Isle would be nice,
but I'm invisioning a tropical one off Cairns Australia to set up my own country where the members of FLyerTalk can escape and get quadraple miles and triple points for their hotel program!

Matt Wald: normally I wear polos or go suit/ tie-less and simply put the tie on in the
restroom before landing. But I ignore the
fashion critics. And I tip my various cat hats, my Stetson & my Akuba Aussie hat to your Goofy Hat. I hope you and your family enjoy Disney world (The airline should give you 500 miles for wearing that hat -- it's a
great one! Will get one when I get to Disneyworld -- 26 years and counting since last visit!)

I will be wearing my Red Green Show ball cap
on the Air Canada flight to Toronto Friday.
They'll just have to deal with it! CATMAN

(*For those who must know who RED GREEN is,
E-mail and I'll answer off-line!)

... and those speaking so LOOOUUUUD (with their headsets on) ....

While we are on the subject of pet-peeves...

I recently took a red-eye flight from SEA to DTW and fortunatle was upgraded to F class on the 757. All attempts to get any sleep by anyone in the small first class cabin were futile because one jerk was banging away at his laptop keyboard as hard as he could for the entire duration of the flight. Ocassionally he would start humming as well.

I wanted to pour coffee on his laptop...

Formerly known as Justin...decided to assume the identity of my cat....I'm a catposter.

Sorry...I think it was my post that messed up the margins. Mr. or Mrs. Miles...if you can, delete the last line of the 10/7/98 05:48 post.

Ok, we all have our complaints and nightmare flight stories but I doubt any of you can top this one I gleaned from another website:

1. Rangoon - Bangkok, Burma Air.

When I first tried to get on this flight I was told it was full. I should have immediately sussed then that something was amiss when a few minutes later some seats
miraculously appeared ... for fifteen of us!

Aboard the Fokker it soon became apparent how this miracle occurred. Burma Air had simply bolted in a few extra rows of seats, each with broken fold down tables covered in graffiti. As we taxied onto the runway, our knees under our chins, the unsmiling air
hostess kicked broken armrests under our seats and tossed us a cardboard box with
a complimentary sandwich. As we took off swarms of tiny German cockroaches crawled from between the window and made a jump for the runway. I was tempted to join them.

Sick is really the subject. What about those "sick" people that recline their seat into the open screen of a laptop(in coach or
1st class) and look at you in a torked(that's
Texan for torqued or twisted) way when you attempt to stop the recline. And then explain what you are doing by stopping their effort to make a bed out of a seat in coach or regular 1st class. They should be made to sit in the "loo".

Yeah, the people who recline their seats five seconds after takeoff (whether or not you have a laptop/drink/tray of food in front of you), especially when it's a short daytime flight & no one will be falling asleep anyway... I'm with you Jaws43

Welcome Aubie, the cat formerly known as Justin. (This means my name should be "Murphy-the-black")

MA - did you ask for earplugs on your redeye? The flight attendants should be able to provide some. Perhaps your tormentor belongs in the "loo" too (see Jaws' post)

Let me add to the pet peeves list:

Jaws43's experience reminds me of my first
flight ever on Continental, trapped between
a bunch of hungover college men in coach who
stretched out snored and flirted with the
flight attendants. The big lug in front of me reclined his seat 2 minutes into the flight right on my foot.

One flight attendant responded to my complaints with the remark "Well, if you wanted first class you should have paid for it."

Luckily I did not have any chatty people
on my flights, though the lady with the light
(See below for info) kept talking to her
husband for almost all of the 5 hour SFO to
EWR flight.

I'm leary of most third world airlines. The
Burma Air experience makes me think of UPS's
plan to have weekend charter flights for
passengers (Did that plan ever get off the
ground? I'm curious like my cats!)

Mileage Addict -- what airline were you on
with mr. Keyboard? I had the same guy behind
me on the UA red-eye from SFO to EWR tapping
away and humming. (almost as bad as the woman
in front who kept the light on almost the
whole time of the flight!)

I rarely complain unless all my buttons are
pushed so I had two beers and eventally passed out.

The Flyer formerly known as Justin: A Big
ME-0W for Aubie and let the CAT'S rule!
CATMAN

Justin/Aubie - Just read your post from 10/6 - 5:48 re: pet peeves. Will you marry me???
;)

baobob - Luckily, I was in the aisle seat and I'll tell you it was difficult trying to keep my head facing towards the aisle as much as possible. Try eating a meal this way!

Catman - well, I'll forfeit my book rights on this topic to Rudi when he writes his travel book.