Avoid These Flying Faux Pas!

Summary

Kennedy Saves the World: Detailed Summary of "Avoid These Flying Faux Pas!"

Episode Title: Avoid These Flying Faux Pas!
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Host: Kennedy
Podcast: Kennedy Saves the World
Publisher: FOX News Podcasts

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Introduction

In the August 5, 2025 episode of Kennedy Saves the World, host Kennedy delves into the often overlooked but crucial subject of airplane etiquette. As air travel surges back to pre-pandemic levels, Kennedy shares insights and practical rules to ensure a smoother experience for all passengers. Balancing humor, logic, and compassion, Kennedy addresses a variety of common issues that travelers face, offering both critique and constructive advice.

1. The Importance of Helping Others with Carry-On Bags

Kennedy opens the discussion by highlighting the significance of passengers assisting each other with carry-on luggage. Emphasizing common courtesy, he states:

"Hopefully you are one of those people that help people put their carry-on bags away when they have packed way too much stuff." ([00:00])

He underscores that many travelers, especially those without frequent flyer status, attempt to maximize their luggage within carry-on limits to avoid extra fees. Kennedy praises individuals who go out of their way to assist, noting that these "nice people" are essential for a harmonious flight experience.

2. Addressing Inconsiderate Behavior During Deplaning

A significant portion of the episode critiques passengers who disrupt the orderly deplaning process. Kennedy references a viral TikTok incident involving a woman who aggressively pushed her way to the front of the plane:

"Then she started telling everyone, I'm a lawyer. And she was telling, you know, it's like I'm Harvey Levin." ([02:10])

Kennedy condemns such behavior, comparing it to unfairly cutting in line at a Disneyland ride. He argues that regardless of one’s position in the aircraft, patience and respect for others are paramount:

"If you're in the back of the plane, sure it sucks, but you still have to wait for the people in front of you to get off the plane first." ([01:30])

3. Navigating Fear of Flying and Anxiety Management

Transitioning to the emotional challenges of flying, Kennedy discusses the prevalence of flight anxiety. Citing Dr. Drew, he explains that fear of flying is a learned behavior that can be unlearned with time and effort:

"Dr. Drew once taught me that the fear of flying is a learned fear. It's not something you're born with, it's something you develop." ([03:20])

He advises against combining anxiety medications with alcohol, pointing out the negative consequences of such behavior on flights. Instead, Kennedy recommends alternative coping mechanisms, such as meditation apps, to manage anxiety more effectively.

4. Parenting on Planes: The Case Against Gentle Parenting

One of the episode's most contentious topics is parenting strategies on flights. Kennedy expresses frustration with what he terms "gentle parenting," particularly when parents fail to control their children's disruptive behavior:

"I have a huge problem with this idea of gentle parenting. Gentle parenting has no place on an airplane." ([04:15])

He emphasizes the importance of setting clear boundaries and disciplining children to maintain a peaceful environment for all passengers. Kennedy advocates for an "authoritarian" approach, where parents proactively address issues like kicking seats:

"If someone looks back and your child is doing something, intervene. Don't be a gentle parent. Be an authoritarian." ([04:50])

5. Hygiene and Cleanliness: Avoiding Airport Bathroom Mishaps

Kennedy shifts focus to hygiene concerns, particularly the improper use of airplane bathrooms. He criticizes passengers who enter bathrooms barefoot, highlighting the potential for spreading germs:

"People going into the bathroom with socks on. God knows what people do on the floors of airplane bathrooms." ([05:10])

Recalling a personal anecdote, he mentions a friend who contracted scabies from such unsanitary conditions, reinforcing his stance on maintaining cleanliness:

"I have a friend who recently on a flight, contracted scabies. Ew, Disgusting." ([05:30])

To mitigate these risks, Kennedy continues:

"I'm still a huge fan of disinfecting everything with alcohol wipes when I get on a plane." ([05:40])

6. Seating Issues: Addressing Obesity and Middle Seat Etiquette

Kennedy tackles the sensitive topic of passenger size and its impact on seating arrangements. He asserts that individuals who take up excessive space without purchasing larger seats are inconsiderate:

"You are not entitled. Entitled to spill your girth into someone else's seat." ([06:00])

Kennedy offers two solutions for larger passengers: upgrading to a first-class seat or limiting their travel to shorter distances to alleviate seating issues.

Additionally, he provides his take on middle seat etiquette, controversially claiming that middle seat occupants deserve both armrests:

"The middle seat, two armrests. That's the only solace that they have." ([06:25])

He contrasts this with the benefits of aisle and window seats, reinforcing his stance with a mix of humor and practicality.

7. Long Hair and Personal Space: Respecting Seat Neighbors

Concluding his list of flying faux pas, Kennedy addresses the nuisance of passengers with long hair obstructing the comfort of others:

"Either you have extensions or, you know, you haven't been to a hairstylist in 15 years. Good job." ([06:55])

He criticizes the act of letting hair dangle over seat backs or tray tables, urging passengers to manage their personal grooming to avoid invading others' space:

"Keep it in a messy bun on top of your hat, on top of your head rather, or in a baseball hat." ([07:10])

Conclusion

Kennedy wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of mutual respect and common sense in ensuring pleasant air travel for everyone involved. He encourages listeners to adopt the etiquette rules discussed to contribute positively to the flying experience.

"Calm down. Be in your own personal space. Don't. Don't make people do things for you." ([07:30])

Kennedy signs off with a call to action, urging passengers to be considerate and uphold the standards that make global travel enjoyable.

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By addressing a range of topics from personal conduct and hygiene to seating arrangements and parenting, Kennedy provides a comprehensive guide to avoiding common mistakes in air travel. His blend of humor and straightforward advice offers valuable insights for both frequent flyers and occasional travelers alike.

Transcript

[Kennedy]

Foreign hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. So this weekend for the Daily Mail, I wrote my list of plane rules since so many people are flying this August and air travel has completely ramped back up. So if you haven't flown recently and you are this August, you really need to listen to this list because there are some things on here that are controversial and some which are very straightforward, common sense things that we should all be doing on planes. But it's head scratching the number of people who lose their minds on planes. So I came up with a few things that we all just need a refresher course. Okay. We can all be guilty of our worst behavior when we get on planes or you have to realize that there are just a few people who go out of their way to help other people. And you know, they're the ones that are the glue that hold everything together. Hopefully you are one of those people that help people put their carry on bags away when they have packed way too much stuff. Part of that is the airlines because if you don't fly a lot and you don't have status, you don't want to pay an extra 25, $50 to check a bag. So you put everything you possibly can, you know, and if you're a little old lady traveling to Kansas City to see your grandbaby for the first time, you're you're going to pack as much crap as you possibly can and you can't lift it out of your head. So it's the nice people who go out of their way to help people who make traveling so much better for everybody. Then there are the people who violate these rules. And there was a woman a few months ago that we all saw the TikTok videos of this woman bum rushing from the back of the plane pushing people out of the way. And then when everyone was like, hey, stop. You know, that's not what we do. You gotta wait your turn. If you're in the back of the plane, sure it sucks, but you still have to wait for the people in front of you to get off the plane first. Then you can get off. It's like getting on a ride at Disneyland. Unless you're injured or you paid an extra $15,000 to get a special escort onto every single ride. You, you have to wait your turn. And yes, I know it can be interminable because people take forever to get out of their seats and get their stuff and they have to adjust things and put their belt away and put their AirPods back in their backpack. And zip all the pockets. And they. It takes forever. Yes, it's frustrating, but we all have to go through that frustration. And the further back you are, the longer it takes. I get it. But that doesn't mean that you get to be Usain Bolt and try to sprint to the front of the plane. This woman did that. And. And then she started telling everyone, I'm a lawyer. And she was telling, you know, it's like I'm Harvey Levin. She's telling everyone to f off F themselves. And they're like, nice lady, very classy. Don't do that. Another one that's very important because there are people who get very nervous to fly because flying, I don't care who you are. It's unnatural. Even if you're a trained pilot, there's still something very weird about hurtling through the air and a giant metal cylinder. And for some people, it is very anxiety provoking. Dr. Drew once taught me that the fear of flying is a learned fear. It's not something you're born with, it's something you develop. Therefore, it can be unlearned. It just takes time. Some people don't invest the time, so they take Ativan or some other anxiety medication, which is fine. Do not drink when you take anxiety medication. Don't. Those are the people who end up as memes. Those are the people who either start fights or pee on the drink cart. Alcohol does not typically do that to people. It's not getting blackout drunk. Most people have the good sense not to do that in the airport, and they'll get cut off pretty quickly. On a plane, it's people who are throwing down a couple of mommy's little helpers with bloody Marys. Those are the ones who have the problem to don't do it. Pick one or the other. Or better yet, download a meditation app and listen to that on the plane. One of my very biggest issues, and this is, I have flown with my daughter since they were tiny babies. My oldest daughter, her first flight, she was seven weeks old. We went to the pediatrician. Her ears were clear. I don't need a mommy lecture. But the point is, we've flown forever since they were young and did what we could to take care of our kids on planes and get them acclimated to flying so they're not little jerks. I have a huge problem with this idea of gentle parenting. Gentle parenting has no place on an airplane. When a child is kicking the seat in front of them and the parents don't intervene, it drives me crazy because airplane Seats are designed to be very, very light so they don't add too much weight and disturb the balance of the plane. Because of that, you feel everything in an airplane seat, especially when some little urchin is jackhammering the back of your seat like it's on fire. So it drives me crazy. So first I will stare, and if that doesn't work, I will say something. Can I first address the child? Can you please stop kicking my seat if that doesn't work? I look at the parents, I'm like, hey, can you please tell your child to stop kicking my seat? And the parents who don't do anything because they're loading their fat faces with airport snacks and, you know, it's like they're watching their iPad. Those are the people who drive me crazy. And then they gentle parent their kids, like, hey, buddy, can we use our soft feet? No. How about no feet? How about we're going to lop your feet off and we'll give them to you in a plastic bag filled with ice. You can have them reattached when you land. You've lost your. Your feet privileges. You are now footless, not footloose. We're not dancing on this plane. So if someone looks back and your child is doing something, intervene. Don't be a gentle parent. Be an authoritarian. Give your child boundaries on an airplane. It is the best thing you can do, not only for your child so they actually learn a little bit of discipline, but also for the rest of the people on the plane. Don't go anywhere more Kennedy saves the World right after this. I'm Janice Dean. Join me every Sunday as I focus on stories of hope and people who are truly rays of sunshine in their community and across the world.

[Janice Dean]

Listen and follow [e-mail] Speaking of discipline, have you.

[Kennedy]

And this. I swear I see it every flight. People going into the bathroom with socks on. God knows what people do on the floors of airplane bathrooms. It's like, best case scenario, you are going to get hepatitis. I have a friend who recently on a flight, contracted scabies. Ew, Disgusting. People are gross. So I'm still a huge fan of disinfecting everything with alcohol wipes when I get on a plane. I don't care if that's a relic from a Covid time gone by. I still do it. But people who go into the bathroom with socks on. You have problems. You should not be flying. You know who else has problems? Morbidly obese people who spill into other people's seats. You have Two choices here. One, either buy a first class seat, or two, walk to your destination and solve two problems at once. You do not. You are not entitled. Entitled to spill your girth into someone else's seat. I'm sorry, you're just. You're not. It didn't used to be that way. People didn't used to weigh 600 pounds. We didn't call it body positivity. I'm not talking about chunky people. I'm not talking about husky people. People they arguably will live longer. I am talking about people with girth and folds who have not seen their feet for years. They are not entitled to two airplane seats. They are not entitled to spill into mine or anyone else's. It is so unnerving. I don't want to touch someone's folds unless they're paying me to do it on a flight. The other thing is, and this might have been the most controversial one, the middle seat. And I know people will fight me on this. The middle seat gets both armrests. Okay? There's the. The aisle seat and the window seat have their advantages. If you on a window seat, you can prop your head against the wall and sleep. You can. You can snuggle up against the entire wall. You only need one armrest. You know, with. With the aisle seat, you can get up. You can high five people. You can do calisthenics. You can constantly go to the back of the plane to the front of the plane. I don't feel bad for you. The middle seat, two armrests. That's the only solace that they have, especially if they've got great big fat people spilling into their seat. Give them the middle seat. That's. That should be a given. We shouldn't even have to have a discussion about that. The other one. And, and you see so many memes of this on Instagram and Tik Tok, of course, which I don't have women with long hair who flop their hair over the back of the seat. So it either dangles on someone's tray table or. Or completely blocks their screen. What is wrong with you, Rapunzel? Why would you think that anyone else has to be subjected to your hair? It's like, oh, my God, I'm so proud of you. Either you have extensions or, you know, you haven't been to a hairstylist in 15 years. Good job. Wow. You. You do not get to flop your hair around like it's a. A cashmere blanket. It's not. It's gross. Hair is gross. We are naturally genetically predisposed to being disgusted by hair. Disgust is a natural human reaction, and I am grossed out by your hair. I don't care how lovely and long and luscious it is. Keep it in a messy bun on top of your hat, on top of your head rather, or in a baseball hat. But do not flop it over the back of your own seat because it's in the front of someone else's seat. That is so gross. When do people become so disgusting and unhinged and ready to fight? Just stop it. Calm down. Be in your own personal space. Don't. Don't make people do things for you. Don't subject your children and your whims and your diseases and your lack of basic decency and cleanliness infringe on someone else's flight. It's not fair. You're holding us hostage and I for one have had enough. That's my plan etiquette for this summer. So now you are free to travel. Go be sexy and amazing. You can be a nice person and change out seats if someone asks you to. But also, you are not entitled to do that either. If you found a good seat on the seat map, you can keep it. But if you want to give it up and be a good person, you are a good person and knowing that will get you to heaven. This has been Kennedy Saves the World. I'm Kennedy Listen ad free with a Fox News Podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show and ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.

[Janice Dean]

It's Will Kane Country. Watch it live at noon Eastern Monday through Thursday@fox news.com or on the Fox News YouTube channel. And don't miss the show. Listen and follow the podcast five days a week at Fox newspodcasts.com or wherever you download your favorite podcasts.