10 most annoying behaviours on planes

Packed into a cramped cabin with a few hundred strangers at 30,000 feet, tensions are already running high. On top of that, there’s always that passenger. The one who makes everybody else uncomfortable by screaming at the crew. Or the one with the children running amok. Or the space invader.

With disgruntled travellers taking to the internet in droves to out bad behaviour on planes on the viral ‘Passenger Shaming’ website, Tripit.com compiled the top 10 most annoying plane behaviours which Dailymail also reported .

• Rudeness to staff: It’s always uncomfortable to listen to someone berating hard-working crew members. Passengers in the Tripit.com survey nominated ‘being rude to staff’ as the most annoying bad behaviour, well ahead of other irritants such as taking up too much space and being too loud.
• Refusal to caution children when disturbing other passengers: When a child has been screaming and kicking the back of your seat for five hours straight, you’re in for a long flight. Not many can begrudge a distressed infant, but patience often wears thin when a parent makes no effort to placate children: 57 per cent of respondees said that lack of care by parents is their pet plane peeve.

Parents of difficult children may want to follow the lead of Christina Diaz and Michael Rubinstein, who made headlines around the world in 2012 when they handed out goodie bags to fellow passengers to ‘apologise in advance’ for their 14-week old twins disturbing them. The thoughtful gesture was well-received by passengers and a picture of the gift went viral.

• Crowding seat/ hogging ‘extra’ middle seat: Scoring a free seat next to one is like winning the golden ticket these days, with airlines code-sharing flights. So, when you hit the jackpot, it’s only fair to share it with your row-mate, rather than claiming it as your personal storage area. If you’re lucky enough to get an entire row to yourself though, settle in smugly and stretch out.

If you’re nestled in on a full flight, remember your armrest manners. Make sure everyone has one to themselves before resting your elbows. Space hoggers make more than half of their fellow passengers angry.

• Talking loudly: In a confined space, the entire cabin can be privy to your conversation if not kept below a discreet decibel, which will not make you popular. One unruly passenger learned the hard way when her loud antics were chronicled via Twitter by Modern Family editor Ryan Case recently.

On an overnight flight, Case live-tweeted her experience sitting behind a drunken passenger, or, as Case calls her, ‘the worst person in the world,’ revealing every eyebrow-raising snippet of her conversation. The gems included ‘Sorry, it’s my first time not in first class’, and ‘I have a very racist view of all Middle East.’

• Blocking the baggage claim area: The bad behaviour doesn’t necessarily end upon landing. Everybody wants to get out the airport as quickly as possible, but those who block the baggage carousel by standing an inch away drive 44 per cent of respondees mad.Perhaps enforcing a ‘stay behind the yellow line’ rule like on tube platforms could prevent the super keen from making you miss your suitcase.
• Reclining their seat into your seating area: The reclining seat is a hot topic in travel at the moment. Brawls over the use of the controversial Knee Defender have caused two flights to be re-routed, with a handful of passengers arrested. A recent survey revealed that 75 per cent of British travellers want to see reclining seats banned. The general rule to follow seems to be: Reclining on long-haul flights only, and not during meal times.
• Carrying stinky food: Airplane food is widely considered unsavoury enough. But bringing one’s own snacks on board should be limited to inoffensive, fragrance — free options. Nobody wants to sit next to a hot takeaway — particularly if it is being sitting in one’s carry-on for a few hours.
• Hogging the overhead storage: While some low-cost airlines enforce a ‘one bag rule, there still never seems to be enough space in the overhead compartments. Storing wheelie cases above and handbags under the seat in front is encouraged, but not always followed by some. Forty-three per cent agreed that people who take up all the storage space are the worst.
• Rushing to disembark before passengers in front: While the majority of passengers adhere to the courteous method of disembarking, clearing out row by row, there is always one impatient person who believes their time is more precious than everybody else. A travelling barging their way past the more patient passengers is irksome for 41 per cent of those surveyed.
• Blocking the aisles during a flight: Everybody likes the freedom to roam about the cabin to stretch their legs and use the bathroom. But sometimes, one gets stuck mid-wander. Whether it’s someone hovering to chat to a friend, or allowing their legs to overhang the seat into the aisle, 41 per cent of passengers say: ‘Keep it in your own row.’