Psychologist says there are 10 ‘critical mistakes’ passengers make when on a flight

There are all sorts of bad behaviour involved with air travel, which cabin crew and your fellow passengers are pretty much sick of.

You can probably figure out what the dos and don'ts of air travel are, but then there always seem to be flights spoiled by someone who very clearly either doesn't know they shouldn't do something or doesn't care about reining themselves in.

Just in case you're not sure what you should be doing it's alright, as the experts have laid it all out for you.

Alex Dyer, a psychologist with travel experts Ski Vertigo, laid out the 10 'critical mistakes' passengers make while they're up in the skies.

There's a lot of stuff on that seat, it'd be a shame if someone were to suddenly recline. (Getty Stock Photo)

A laid back attitude

We get it, you want to relax and have your flight be as close to comfortable as you can manage.

Only, unless you're on the back row and can't really lean back, then using the reclining function on your chair is going to be invading someone else's space.

In addition to sapping their space so that you might have more, you could also end up spilling their food or drink, or messing with something else they're dealing with in their seat.

You do not want to spend hours sitting in front of someone whose laptop you just crashed your seat into.

Human traffic

The aisle between seats isn't really large enough for everyone to congregate and move around in, so rushing to get in and out of your seat out of turn is just going to block everybody else.

Do not be that passenger who is on their feet the second the plane lands, grabbing your bag from the overhead locker and then standing in the way like a fleshy roadblock so other people can't quite get past you.

PLEASE. GET. OUT. OF. THE. AISLE. (Getty Stock Photo)

Safety unconscious

Do you know what the flight attendants really like? When you listen to them.

One of the more important things you can do is listen when they're doing the safety announcement.

While you might have heard it all before and reckon you know what you're doing in the unlikely event of an emergency, it's just useful to actually know.

Also it's just really disrespectful to the cabin crew if you just ignore them, and you'll spend the rest of your flight catching the brainwaves of their frustration with you.

You don't want to be trapped inside a giant metal bee with someone who thinks you're a p***k, after all.

LOUD NOISES

The psychologist pointed out that sound travels very well inside a plane, so if you make a racket, everyone else is going to know about it.

Loud conversations or watching videos without headphones are likely to get on the nerves of your fellow passengers, while it'll also mess with those who are trying to sleep.

Good manners cost nothing.

"Please stop shouting. Literally everyone on the plane can hear you." (Getty Stock Photo)

Pungent sustenance

Ever been stuck on public transport with someone eating the smelliest meal you could ever imagine?

Now think about how awful it would be if you did that to a whole plane full of people for, potentially, hours.

Generally, you can bring some food onto the plane with you, but do please be mindful of the terrible stench and the fact that your fellow passengers cannot get away from the assault upon their nostrils.

Just leave your tuna, egg and garlic sandwich at home next time.

Drunk as an airborne skunk

You've surely heard the horror stories about drunk passengers being escorted off the plane.

This is one of the critical mistakes, which is more likely to get you kicked off the flight, pretty much scuppering your travel plans altogether.

The psychologist warned that alcohol actually has more of an impact at higher altitudes, meaning you could be a lot drunker than you expected.

People who work in a public-facing job don't want you making their job more difficult. More on this at 10. (Getty Stock Photo)

"I won't do what you tell me"

Remember when we said that the cabin crew like it when you listen to them?

Well we did, and you should continue to listen to what they say.

If you're on the plane and they ask you to do something it's generally considered good manners to do it.

Dyer explained that not listening would look like a lack of respect, which just isn't very nice.

They've already got a job where they have to deal with the nightmare that is the general public, it's best if you're not the one that annoys them for a long time.

Marking your territory

Your stuff should either be about your person, in the plane's hold or in the overhead luggage.

It shouldn't be strewn across a wider area in an attempt to occupy as much space as possible.

Building a bulky nest out of your luggage in a cramped space is just not nice to do.

That's right, put it away. (Getty Stock Photo)

Mind your step

Let's be direct about this, don't take your shoes off and don't stick your feet, bare or otherwise, all over the plane.

It's disrespectful to everybody and you shouldn't expect your fellow passengers not to retaliate against the pongy invasion of their space.

You might ruin everyone's day, including yours.

"They call him the human stinkbomb"

A plane is a cramped and confined environment with poor ventilation, so smells will infect the air pretty quickly.

This might be your food, your feet or if you're not attentive to your own personal hygiene you're going to make the journey for others pretty hellish.

Feet by their nature smell and food has its own scent too, but you can do something about your body odour.

Before climbing into a cramped metal tube full of strangers it's an idea to have a shower.