I remember back in the day, when another arrivals gate adjacent would open and everyone coming out would put there cellphones on, and they would all ring. They'd put them to their ear and then rip them away again.

Last week I had a man behind me who loudly talked about every airline crash in history. He started prior to takeoff and then commented during each interval of our flight about which point during our flying time that the crash had occured. How many seconds the plane had flown before going down, which plane part had gone bad, etc. He could not stop talking for 2 hours. I said a prayer for him because I decided he did this due to nerves.
PS, he was well dressed!

In total agreement. I don't expect anyone to wear their finest duds on board, but please don't complain that we no longer carve gourmet meats seat-side/etc when you show up in a wrinkled velour jumpsuit!

I would LOVE to not ever bump your seat. Believe me! Ask any FA about the mysterious and ever-present bruises on her legs and hips.

Before getting too upset about this, I suggest you give it a whirl sometime. Walk backward up a narrow aisle full of feet and bags and squirmy children while pulling a 200lb barcart or carrying a tray of hot coffee, adjusting for turbulence and aircraft maneuvering. And do be sure to do this at the end of a 14 hour day in which you've had little time for food - you'll be nice and woozy for the challenge.

As for ice breaking and door slamming and all that...well some FA's are more obnoxious here than others, that's for sure. But some of it is unavoidable. Some doors just won't close without a swift kick - and they have to be closed. And with the ice, having been kept chilled by dry ice, it's often a solid block by the time it gets to us. So here you have a choice: endure less than a whole minute of noise while we break it up, or go without ice in your gin and tonic. Someone else in the thread mentioned wrapping the ice in towels first, but unfortunately I have no spare linens (domestically). If anyone has better suggestions, I'm all ears.

I'm back with you on the screaming mimi's on the cell phones. Proper etiquette hasn't kept up with the technology. It is entirely possible to have a conversation in a normal voice, and almost always possible to step into a quiet corner to accept a call. We have a tendancy to speak more loudly when we can't hear well, or when the signal is bad...I suppose that's human nature, but it's rarely necessary.

It all boils down to this:

The world would be a wonderful place, if it weren't for all the damn people!

Unfortunately airl travel nowadays unless you are maybe in first is seen as not very different to catching a train or even a bus..esp as fares can be very cheap.

I dont care if someone is dressed casualy , esp on longhaul. I WOULD PREFER a casually dressed decent person to a drunk or smelly in a suit!

When you look at old movies from the 50's or so, air travel did seem more civilised and luxurious but we are now in 2005 and it is as it is......wonder what it will be like in the future!

I don't think one has to read FT to realize that most people don't like it when you smash a heavy bag into their face - on an airplane or on the ground.
It's certainly possible to not bump into other people and their seats. Sure, it may take some effort, but that's part of living in a society - exerting a tiny, tiny amount of effort to not smash into people or their seats.

this is my biggest pet peeve. That or when people try and play the - "Let's see how close I can get to you without actually touching you" game. Seems like it happens more often on Metro than planes, but it still drives me nuts.

I think that it is quite possible not to bump people if that is what you decide not to do. I think that generally passengers in Y are not seen as important as Business or First Class , so its not really just to do with room, its also attitude.

Having travelled in all sections, the difference can be trully amazing!

But I expect that one gets what one pays for ! Although I would have thought all passengers would be seen as important and treated accordingly!

I have friends who are FAs and some of teh stories they tell me are horrendous! It really does not pay to be rude to your FA!!

Well, yes and no. When it's just me and my bag, any bumping would be inadvertent and should be avoided.

When it's me and my two bags, I still strive to avoid, but more inadvertent bumping will occur.

When it's me and I'm carrying my baby and her car seat and my wife's bag and my bag, I must warn you that though I will still strive to avoid it, bumping will occur in coach. I apologize to you in advance, and will do so again on-site.

But to say it's always avoidable, is incorrect.