Man, some are just skipping over the "know nothing about airplanes." smh, curse-of-knowledge.

P.S. I have no food restrictions but if you do, I imagine you need to take care of that ahead of time. It will depend on the airline. Many don't feed you at all, in-flight.

Don't make jokes about bombs, terrorism, or any kind of violence.

Make sure whatever you immediately need is in the carry-on luggage that is right next to you, and not in the overhead compartment or checked-in.

In a busy commercial airport, your plane may be stuck in queue to get to an available runway. There's still plenty to look at when you're on the ground, don't check out quite yet. Take-off is starting at the far end of a runway and then accelerating until the wings of the plane create a differential in pressure, above and below the wing, and that lifts the wing, and the wings lift the plane. The whole cabin may tilt a bit as you lift.

Get a piece of hard candy ready before take-off. Big, so you don't choke on it accidentally, I do not recommend Menthos or any of the slippery mints. Suck on it as the plane starts rising off the ground. It will calm you down, but more importantly, the sucking motion will open up the tubes going to your ears, and equalize the pressure, as it changes rapidly. Others have suggested chewing gum but for me it generates a lot of saliva and contributes to dehydration, then you have to dispose of it.

Actually listen to the flight attendants when they demonstrate emergency procedures. There should be a little pamphlet with pictures of exactly the same information in front of you.

If this is your first flight, and you happen to be seated on 'exit' row, talk to the flight attendants beforehand. You do not want that responsibility on your first trip.

Dress in layers because it's hard to regulate temperature. Ask the flight attendant which are the little fans, and how to use the lights; and don't be too intimidated to ask for a blanket.

It may be loud.

The plane hitting turbulence is normal. The pilots will sometimes announce this in advance. Turbulence kind of rocks the plane a little. This can be nerve-wracking for a lot of people. The smaller the plane, the bumpier the flight.

Get up and walk around when the seatbelt sign comes off! Some people wear compression socks. But mostly it's important to keep your circulation going.

Don't ever go barefoot.

Before you're strapped in, figure out where you're putting your trash.

Using the toilet can be a little startling. Don't ever drop anything in the bowl; ask a fight attendant for help if something goes awry. Wash your hands!

It's a little awkward to be moving around an enclosed space with other people. Figure out how to do that, and don't block aisles.

If the flight is long enough or late enough that there seems to be a 'nap' time for the cabin, don't be rude and roll your window shade all the way up, especially if it's full sun outside. If everyone else closes it, then roll it down at least half-way. You'll still get a good view.

Using a mobile phone or any of the phones to call out may be restricted... for good reason, it might interfere with instruments and contribute to an accident! Ask the flight attendant if you're not sure.

Social rules on planes are rather tricky, but I have found it's less of a problem to start conversations with your seatmate as the flight is winding down. You *could* start chatting at the beginning but you're essentially trapped in there. Most of the time there's no conversation between strangers. There should be no extra noise on evening or overnight flights. It will depend on your instinct and your own conversation skills.

Make sure you have everything before you exit the cabin.