A poll of 2,000 air travellers has found that people reclining their seat and children kicking the back of their chair are some of the biggest irritants while flying
The poll also highlighted annoyances such as using gadgets without headphones, loud conversations, and slow overhead locker storage. However, the biggest bugbear for 36% of those surveyed is enduring the incessant kicking of their chair by a child seated behind them.
Other grievances making the top 20 list are being seated next to an overly talkative stranger, queuing for the loo, and those who monopolise both armrests.
The study, conducted by travel insurance provider Staysure , revealed that mixing various individuals in a confined space for hours can amplify minor annoyances.
A spokesperson for Staysure commented: “Bringing so many different people all together in one enclosed space for a long period of time can be quite an intense experience, sometimes, enabling minor irritations to bubble away.”
They added: “Crying children, seat reclining, and loud fellow passengers can often be frequently encountered on a journey, with the research showing many people can end up a little annoyed on this travel leg of the trip.”
Moreover, the spokesperson noted: “But drunken and disorderly travellers are also unwelcome, not only by fellow flyers but the airline crew as well.”
The research also discovered that 14 per cent of passengers get annoyed when others stand to retrieve bags from the lockers before the flight has officially ended. Yet, 15 per cent confessed to occasionally being the source of irritation themselves, with 54% admitting to armrest hogging.
Nearly half of the passengers get wound up by annoying behaviours on flights, with 47 per cent frequently exasperated and eight per cent feeling this way every time they board a plane.
According to OnePoll data, 44 per cent express their irritation through a sigh or huff, while 19 per cent have been drawn into heated discussions.
When it comes to initial interactions, 37 per cent greet their seatmate and are open to conversation, but 32 per cent regret engaging when their neighbour won’t stop talking. To avoid interaction, 17 per cent shun any acknowledgement, and 25 per cent even feign sleep to dodge a chat.
The survey also found that 76 per cent would back a designated area on planes for parents with children, as 18 per cent find a crying child more frustrating than a disruptive adult. Yet, 37 per cent are more annoyed by rowdy adults, and 88 per cent see a link between flight destinations and passenger attitudes. Furthermore, 44 per cent think imposing alcohol restrictions on flights would be sensible.
A Staysure spokesperson commented: “This research has given us a look at a topic everyone seemingly has a strong opinion on. However, once the flight is out of the way, you feel like you can really get on and enjoy your holiday.
“As the survey has shown, there’s a long list of things that might irritate us on the plane and you never know what you might encounter. We can’t insure people against annoying passengers but it’s always wise to have tailored travel insurance in place to keep yourself protected should anything more serious happen before or during your trip.”
TOP 20 BIGGEST FLYING IRRITATIONS:
- Kids kicking the back of your seat
- Children throwing tantrums
- Someone reclining their seat
- Rowdy passengers
- Using electronic devices without headphones
- Loud conversations
- Passengers taking their time to stow their luggage
- People retrieving their bags before the plane has stopped
- Passengers getting increasingly loud after drinking
- Someone yanking on the back of your seat
- Sitting next to a chatty passenger
- Unsupervised children running in the aisles
- Waiting in line for the loo
- Passengers constantly getting up to access their luggage
- Persistent coughing from a fellow passenger
- Being trapped by a sleeping neighbour
- Passengers hogging both armrests
- Subpar in-flight meals
- Passengers occupying the wrong seat
- Snoring passengers