Air rage incidents have increased by 400 per cent in the past five years, according to a story in Business Traveller International magazine, so prepare yourself.

Do not confront aggressive behaviour yourself. Alert the cabin crew. They are trained to deal with these situations.

Do not call the crew over. Instead, leave your seat and discreetly draw the problem to their attention.

Ask to be moved. If there are no seats available, try to distance yourself psychologically.

If you think you could exhibit signs of air rage yourself, take these steps:

Insulate yourself from possible aggravations by bringing along reading material or listening to soothing music on a Walkman.

Frustrated smokers accounted for more than half of the 266 incidents of disruptive passenger behaviour recorded by British Airways in 1997. Smokers should prepare for non-smoking flights by bringing along nicotine chewing gum.

Do not take tranquillisers or sleeping pills to cope with stress of flying. Never combine medication and alcohol.

Have a couple of drinks but don't overdo it.

If you have a complaint, voice your concern politely, listen to the explanation and consider it before responding. Never shout or use threatening gestures.