German airline Lufthansa has gone viral thanks to an apparel collection featuring a series of tongue-in-cheek airline etiquette slogans.
From a “Text your mom after landing” tote bag to a T-shirt reminding passengers “It’s OK to clap when the plane lands”, the Travel Etiquette collection is winning over fans online.
The collection is currently not for sale. However, the airline is running a series of goodie bag giveaway competitions on its Instagram page.
Lufthansa describes the collection as bearing the “unwritten laws of flying”, adding: “There are always a few small irritations when flying – but also a number of unwritten rules for getting along well on the plane.
“Lufthansa has playfully immortalised these rules in a funny way on caps, bags and sweaters.”
Other slogan pieces include hats that read “Live, love, exit by row” and “Recline responsibly”.
Our favourite, and perhaps most controversial, though, is a sweatshirt with “Middle seat gets the armrests” written along the sleeve.
Of it, a Lufthansa article reads: “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.”
Lufthansa’s campaign is certainly fun, but it is not the first airline to go down the tongue-in-cheek route.
Emirates airline has a track record of April Fool's Day jokes, including a 380-storey luxury residential tower in 2024, an Emirates-branded cruise ship in 2023 and a wedding at 40,000 feet in 2021. The airline has also recycled its retired A380 aircraft, creating furniture, aviation memorabilia and retail items.
Several airlines have also included unique etiquette messaging in their on-board instruction videos. In April, Dutch airline KLM launched its Travel Well Instructions campaign, with the crew sharing inspirational messages encouraging passengers to make the most of their trips.
“Travel Well is about travelling for the moments that really matter,” said Femke de Zeeuw, director of marketing communications and brand KLM Netherlands in April.
“This film shows that travelling with KLM isn’t just about where you’re going, but about how you experience it.”
In March, British Airways launched a witty take on the safety briefing with a minute-long film, An Original British Briefing, which features a calm voice-over encouraging passengers to “prepare for your journey [by] muting that annoying group chat, deciding on your take-off tipple and sinking back into your seat”.
