The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson 57: How to Behave on a Plane Without Driving People Insane
It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States; a time of year when a lot of people plan to travel through airports on their way to visit family and friends for the holiday. This is the episode to help you, and everyone around you, travel with ease in the air.
Everyone holiday, you can almost bet on someone picking up their phone to snap a photo or film a video of not-so-good behavior on the plane. After all, when people are on edge or in a hurry - chances are they are not at their best. So let’s all do our part to make this travel experience more enjoyable, shall we? As most of you know I travel a LOT for my work, so in this podcast, you’ll hear my top 10 air travel behavior tips that I’ve gathered based on personal experience.
[3:05] I know it’s tempting because you’ve been planning this trip for months, or there’s an important meeting you don’t think you can miss, but no one wants to sit next to a sick person. My experience with traveling while sick goes all the way back to my days working for the cruise industry when the norovirus made its debut. So trust me when I tell you it’s much better for everyone to just stay home - or at the very least travel with a mask and extra hand sanitizer.
[7:07] Don’t rush to the front of the plane right when you land and cut in front of everyone sitting in front of you. Not only is it rude, but your actions are telling people that you are simply more important than everyone else. Not to mention the traffic jam you’re causing. Guess what? We all want to get off the plane, and it will go faster if everyone waits your turn.
[11:05] I get it - being on an airplane is a great time to catch up on podcasts, but just be mindful of when you have them in and when you should actually be hearing what’s going on around you. If the flight crew is trying to take your order, for example, take them out of your ears. When we’re all deplaning - out. Bonus tip: you might actually meet more people (I’ve gotten business deals on planes) by keeping them out and striking up a conversation.
[12:44] Don’t overdo it on the perfume or cologne. You want to smell nice, but some people are very sensitive to strong fragrance. On the other side of that, make sure to shower and wear deodorant that day.
[13:16] Don’t talk to the person behind you, across the aisle from you, or over the middle seat person. You’re making your conversation way too public and including far too many surro
Want More Behind the Breakdown?
Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, exclusive member chats, weekly lives, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It's the insider’s hub for communicators who want strategy with spine—and a little side-eye where it counts.
Follow Molly → @MollyMcPherson
Subscribe to PR Breakdown on Substack → prbreakdown.media
Click here to subscribe to Molly's live events.
Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting.
This podcast is supported by Muck Rack, the PR management platform I use to monitor media coverage, track journalist activity, and inform high-stakes strategy with real-time data. Click here to try Muck Rack for yourself.
Follow & Connect with Molly: