These are new times in the passenger airline business, as airlines cut out pillows and pretzels in an attempt to make money. Add the fact that more people than ever before are flying--in July, JetBlue reported 91.1% of its seates were full--and our Savvy Traveler, Rudy Maxa, says it's time for a new etiquette.

Jets ARE crammed these days. Which means an empty middle seat is a rare find. And along with more crowded conditions, come new realities.

Maybe it hasn't happened to you yet, but I've been on planes where the guy next to me watched hard-core porno movies on his laptop.

We need some updated rules for in-flight behavior. Not necessarily rules made by the airlines. If the Supreme Court has a tough time defining pornography, I don't really want United Airlines to try. But it's up to us as passengers to figure out how to avoid doing what rats, placed in too-crowded conditions, do.

On the issue of food, I vote for the purchase of inoffensive sandwiches or salads. Which means hold the onions, curry and pungent cheese. Think about buying fruit. Or a turkey sandwich. The next time I put on my sport coat, I don't want to be reminded of what my seatmate on my last flight had for lunch.

As for the choice of laptop entertainment, let this be the test: Would you want to watch that movie with your 10-year-old? If not, save it for the confines of your own home or hotel room.

The unfortunate soul in the middle seat should be able to enjoy both armrests . . . Ask the person seated behind you if he or she minds if you push your seat back for a nap. And when you get up to use the lavatory, put your seat back in an upright position and give a fellow passenger a break . . . Tiny women should have strong men lift their carry-ons into the overhead compartment . . . And you should switch seats to let families sit together.

Treat your fellow passengers with respect--maybe they don't want to hear the intimate details of your last operation.

And remember, flight attendants have feelings, too. It's not their fault there are no pillows or pretzels on board. We have low fares to thank--or to blame--for these crowded flights. But as the precinct captain used to say in Hill Street Blues, "We're all in this together--be careful out there."

From St. Paul, I'm Rudy Maxa for Marketplace.

August 10, 2005