Oct
3 ways to politely decline airplane small talk
There are few things worse than getting to your seat on a flight, ready to dive into your new book you bought at an exorbitant price at Hudson News only to be met with a chatting neighbor. They miss every subtle cue you throw at them and nothing seems to be working. Here are 3 ways to politely decline flight chatter.
1 Be upfront.
As soon as you sit down, say hello and then state how excited you are to sleep or read your book. This gives them an immediate cue that you’re not up for talking. Put your headphones on, grab your book, put on your eye mask. Have some sort of physical hint that you’ve already exited the conversation before it has a chance to start.
2 Give them a call to action
If they keep chatting with you despite all your best efforts to exit the conversation, simply tell them “It’s been great talking to you. I’m going to close my eyes, but nudge me if you need to get up”. Your not directly telling them you don’t want to talk, you’re giving them a call to action to tap you if they need to get up. It’s saying “no thanks” without saying “no thanks”.
3 The bathroom trick.
Get up to use the bathroom and take your headphones with you. When you come back from the restroom, have your headphones in. Be listening to a song or a podcast. If they try to interrupt you, tell them to hold one moment while you pause what you’re listening to. This way they get the sense that they’re interrupting you without you having to blatantly tell them to buzz off. They’ll likely stop chatting with you if you have to pause what you’re listening to every time they speak.
If none of these work, it might be time to simply be direct. Saying “It has been so good talking with you. I’m going to dive into my book now if you don’t mind” isn’t nearly as impolite as it feels.