The Travel Etiquette Collection by Lufthansa includes seven clothing pieces with slogans ranging from ‘Middle seat gets the armrests’ to ‘Recline responsibly’. The merchandise is meant to spark conversations among travellers.
Although there are many rules that apply in the aviation industry, some things are left unsaid. Who gets which armrest? To clap or not to clap? When to stand up? Knowing what to do when is not easy, and opinions might differ. And all those who travel regularly will recognise the issue.
In order to address the unwritten rules of flying, Lufthansa has launched a Travel Etiquette Collection in collaboration with advertising agency Serviceplan. All seven clothing items and accessories in the collection feature short but sweet messages related to responsible travel behaviour.
‘Boarding by Group Hits Different’, ‘Middle Seat gets the Armrest’, ‘Recline Responsibly’, ‘Live, Love, Exit by Row’, ‘It’s okay to Clap when the Plane Lands’, ‘It’s okay not to Clap when the Plane Lands’, and ‘Text your mom after landing’: seldom has travel etiquette been addressed so clearly and sounded so familiar.
“There may be no cure for a lack of empathy. The rest can be practised, and now, it turns out, worn as well. Because good manners are no science. They’re simply a smile that happens to take place at 30,000 feet. And if it looks good while doing so: all the better,” Lufthansa writes.
And yet, the Travel Etiquette Collection isn’t meant to be taken all too seriously. Lufthansa simply wants to get the conversation started between travellers, making it easier to talk about what kind of behaviour might or might not be tolerated.
Along with the clothing collection, Lufthansa also put together a little air travel etiquette guide with the help of etiquette expert and ‘behaviour influencer’ Clemens Hoyos. In it, all behaviours mentioned in the slogans are explained and discussed in a humorous way.
“Now to the great question of fairness in civil aviation, that quiet battle waged in every row of three: the armrest. ‘Middle Seat gets the Armrest’ gets straight to the point and ends the debate before it even begins. The logic behind it is compelling. The person at the window gets to lean back and dream out the porthole. The person on the aisle stretches their legs and reaches the drinks cart first. And whoever sits in the middle gets both armrests in return — fair deal, right? Anyone wearing this wisdom on their sleeve may not even need to say it out loud. A glance down is enough, and the matter is settled,” the guide writes.
Contrary to most merchandise, the collection can not simply be bought online or in store. Instead, the clothing pieces have been distributed among a limited number of influencers, and Lufthansa also spread the message on social media. Travellers hoping to get their own piece of the clothing line are sadly unlikely to be able to do so anytime soon – unless Lufthansa decides to commercialise the merchandise, of course.
