“On The Plane” or “In The Plane” – Correct Preposition

The prepositions “on” and “in” both refer to the location of something and in some phrases it can be confusing to determine which is the correct one to use. Here we discuss whether the phrase “on the plane” or “in the plane” is the more appropriate one to use.

Is It “On The Plane” Or “In The Plane”?

The accepted phrase to describe traveling by plane is “on the plane,” although it is considered grammatically correct to use “in the plane.” The preposition “on” means that you are in contact with and supported by a surface, and the preposition “in” means that you are surrounded by an enclosure.

As you can see from the meanings of “on” and “in,” both are acceptable ways to describe a person traveling by airplane.

The person is “on board” the plane, but is also within the enclosure of the plane as well.

What Does “On The Plane” Mean?

“On the plane,” means that someone is physically sitting in a seat on an airplane and either waiting to take off or already in flight on the way to their destination. It is a shortened way of saying “on board,” which means “on or in an aircraft, train, or ship.” 

The phrase “on board,” derives from naval terminology which refers to people on large boats as being “on board the ship.” It is often shortened to just say “on the ship.”

Since planes are compared to flying ships, in a sense because they carry numerous people and the passengers are able to stand up and move about while the plane is moving, the phrase “on the plane,” is appropriate to use as a shortened version of “on board the plane.”

Let’s look at some examples.

• I won’t be able to answer emails and phone calls for a few hours this afternoon because I’ll be on the plane traveling to Boston.
• We were on the plane in the middle of the flight when we had to be diverted to another airport because of bad weather.
• I’m going to bring my carry-on luggage on the airplane with me so I don’t have to wait to collect it after the flight.

What Does “In The Plane” Mean?

“In the plane,” refers more to the enclosure of the aircraft than the actual flight that is being taken. It would more likely be used to refer to an incident or occurrence, rather than to describe the act of flying from one place to another.

It would also tend to be used when referring to smaller, private aircraft, rather than larger commercial jets since in these cases, people cannot stand up and walk around and it is more like traveling by car.

Let’s look at some examples of how “in the plane” might be used contextually.

• Did the disagreement happen while you were already in the plane or before anyone had boarded yet?
• Are the seats in the airplane roomy or small? I’ve never flown this airline before.
• We flew in the plane that Uncle John owned to make the short 30-minute flight to the island.

See how in the first two examples, the reference is more toward the enclosure of the plane while the plane is not currently in flight. In the third example, it refers to a flight of a plane, but it is implied that it is a smaller, non-commercial aircraft.

Are “On The Plane” And “In The Plane” Interchangeable?

Grammatically speaking, the two phrases “on the plane,” and “in the plane,” are interchangeable since both the prepositions “on” and “in,” appropriately apply. However, it is more acceptable to use “on the plane,” than “in the plane,” if you are referring to being within the aircraft during a flight.

See how in these two examples, the phrase “on the plane,” sounds better than “in the plane,” for the context, even though “in the plane,” is not technically incorrect.

• (More Acceptable) I’ll be on the plane overnight flying to Sydney, so you will not be able to reach me until tomorrow morning.
• (Less Acceptable) I’ll be in the plane overnight flying to Sydney, so you will not be able to reach me until tomorrow morning.

Similarly, the same is true for these two examples as well.

• (More Acceptable) The flight was so long, that we were able to watch 2 whole movies while we were on the plane.
• (Less Acceptable) The flight was so long, that we were able to watch 2 whole movies while we were in the plane.

Is “On The Plane” Or “In The Plane” Used The Most?

In the modern English Language, the phrase “on the plane,” is used more frequently than “in the plane.” However, throughout much of history, the phrase “in the plane,” was more frequently used.

The Google Ngram Viewer here shows the trending of the two phrases from the 1800s until today. As you can see, the phrase “in the plane,” was more popular than “on the plane,” up until about the year 2010, when “on the plane,” surpassed it in usage.

The phrase “in the plane,” was particularly popular in the 1960s, so it might be used more often among people from that generation as opposed to the younger generation. However for the last decade or so, “on the plane,” was the more accepted usage.

When Should I Use “By Plane”?

Use “by plane,” when you want to describe the particular mode of transportation that you will take on a trip or did already take to get to a destination. It is only used to describe future and past events and an actual flight currently taking place.

The examples here will give you a better understanding of using this phrase to describe present or past events.

• When we attend Sarah’s wedding next March, we are going to travel by plane because I think the drive will take too long.
• I’ve only traveled by plane three times in my life and two of them were when I was a small child.
•  Will you go by car or by plane when you head out for your vacation this summer?

Is It “Travel By Plane” Or “Travel On Plane”?

It is correct to say “travel by plane,” it is not correct and is awkward-sounding to say “travel on plane,” the reason has to do with the meaning of the preposition “by.”

The Cambridge Dictionary defines “by” as “used to show how something is done.” Therefore, in this context, the traveling is being done with an airplane.

You could use the phrase “travel on a plane,” instead of “travel by plane,” but it is important to have the indefinite article “a” in front of the word “plane,” for the phrase to make sense. If it is worded this way it is describing the fact that when you do travel, you will be seated on a plane.

Here are some examples:

• (Correct) We are all going to travel by plane to Paris this summer.
• (Incorrect) We are all going to travel on plane to Paris this summer.

Is It Ever Correct To Use “At The Plane”?

You could use the phrase “at the plane,” in an instance where you are physically standing outside of a plane and waiting to board it. This phrase would most likely only be used in the instance of a small, non-commercial plane.

If you are flying by a large commercial plane, you would never be standing directly outside of the plane, but rather, waiting inside of the airport so instead you would say something like “at the gate.”

If you are boarding a smaller, non-commercial jet, you may use this phrase in a way such as:

• We are standing at the plane right now waiting for the pilot to get here so we can board.

If instead, you are waiting to board a large, commercial aircraft, you would say:

• We are standing at the gate right now waiting for the pilot to get here so we can board.

The first example indicates that the people are standing on the ground right outside of the aircraft. The second example indicates that the people are waiting inside the airport.

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