There are many traditions associated with Christmas — dinner, church services, presents on Christmas Eve (or not) — and for most, those traditions revolve around family. Immediate family, extended family, the holiday is about gathering with, and enjoying the company of, loved ones.

Unlike the days of yore when most family members lived within a stone’s throw, today, it seems as though family members are spread out to the far reaches of the U.S. More American families are geographically challenged, which leads to a single solution to the Christmas togetherness dilemma: travel.

There are many seasoned travelers in the area. There are those who don’t travel much at all, or ever. But everyone, every now and then, regardless of how experienced a traveler one may be, needs a refresher course on some basic courtesies when it comes to airline travel.

The first thing is to be prepared. That line at security would move a lot faster (and everyone could a breathe a lot easier) if people are already prepared to pull out their laptops to put in one bin, pull out their makeup and any other liquids to put in another, and have easy-to-remove shoes that can go in yet another bin. Know what needs to be removed (belts, don’t forget the belts) from any bag being scanned and make a plan as the line creeps toward the TSA agents. If the movements are choreographed, the whole process is a lot easier — an unprepared person at security is often the cause of some serious eye rolling amongst the line’s more seasoned travelers.

Layovers and delayed flights are hazards common to air travel, so hanging out at the airport is often just part of the package deal. But treating fellow passengers to personal details via a cell phone conversation can be off-putting. Those in the waiting area are there in anticipation of boarding a flight, not to be held hostage by a loud, one-sided conversation. It will make everyone’s travel experience better if the phone calls are limited and the volume kept on low.

The longer the distance, the bigger the plane and the greater the likelihood a passenger will be in an aisle-middle-window seat situation. This next bit of traveling wisdom is relatively unremarked upon, and judging by the number of times it is not heeded, is also relatively unknown: the person in the middle seat gets both armrests.

There’s a reason for this. It’s about space. A person in the middle seat has approximately 22 inches of space and is hemmed in by bodies on either side. The person with the window seat can lean into the airplane wall to find more space. The person with the aisle seat can lean into the aisle to find more space. The person in the middle has nowhere to lean, so as a courtesy, those with more space should willingly allot a few inches in the form of armrests to the unlucky person in the middle. It’s just the right thing to do.

So this holiday season, make travelling better for everyone. Keep the Christmas spirit up even when faced with delayed flights and crowded airports, by long layovers and lost luggage. Ultimately, it’s worth it.