I have ridden 50 different planes in my lifetime. Our yearly trip to India consists of a plane to London-Heathrow Airport (when I was younger it was Frankfurt), another plane to Bangalore, India, and then the return trip the same way. I’ve been to California a couple times as well. Through trial and error, I’ve learned a couple things about traveling in planes:

1) Don’t bring a mini screwdriver in your cabin baggage, however much you may think it’ll be useful on the flight. That excuse doesn’t hold up with airport security.

1b) The same goes for scissors and particularly pointy-shaped perfume bottles.

2) When something in your seating area (overhead light, mini-television) doesn’t work, tell an air hostess. You might just get some compensation, depending on the airline.

3) Absolutely, positively, do NOT repeatedly bump your feet against the seat back of the person in front of you, especially if it is in irritable British man. As soon as you land, he WILL stand up and yell at you in front of the entire cabin.

4) If there are empty seats around you, grab them. The air hostesses don’t mind, and you actually might be able to stretch your legs.

5) Don’t open the window when it’s dark in the cabin. However fascinating the view may be, the piercingly bright sunlight annoys everyone.

5b) Even so, don’t forget to look out the window. You could see something amazing, like a rainbow from above. (It looks like a perfect circle.)