“Rear Seat Kickers,” “Inattentive Parents” and “The Aromatic Passenger” top the list of the most-annoying airline passengers.
This is according to the second annual
“Airplane Etiquette Study” released Tuesday. The survey, commissioned by
Expedia and conducted by market research company Gfk, asked 1,000
passengers to rank the most annoying on-board behaviors of fellow
passengers.
More than two-thirds of those surveyed –
67% — cited the “Rear Seat Kickers” when asked about the most annoying
types of passengers on a plane.
That narrowly topped the 64% that cited
“Inattentive Parents” and the 56% that cited “The Aromatic Passenger.”
It also marked a change from the 2013 version of the “Airplane Etiquette
Study,” when clueless parents edged out seat-kickers as the
most-annoying fliers.
“Expedia’s Airplane Etiquette Study is a
lighthearted reminder that few places require more attention to
etiquette than the inside of an airplane,” John Morrey, vice president
and general manager at Expedia.com, says in a statement.
You’re in a tight space at thirty thousand feet with hundreds of fellow travelers, so even the small things – helping your neighbor stow a bag or switching seats to put a mom next to her child – can make a huge difference.
The full list of the most annoying flier types went as follows:
1. Rear Seat Kicker (cited by 67% of study respondents)
2. Inattentive Parents (64%)
3. The Aromatic Passenger (56%)
4. The Audio Insensitive (talking or music; 51%)
5. The Boozer (50%)
6. Chatty Cathy (43%)
7. Carry-On Baggage Offenders (39%)
8. The Armrest Hog (38%)
9. Seat-Back Guy (the seat recliner) (37%)
10. The Queue Jumper (rushes to deplane) (35%)
11. Overhead Bin Inconsiderate (stows bag in first available spot, rather than nearest to his/her seat; 32%)
12. Pungent Foodies (32%)
13. Back Seat Grabber (31%)
14. Playboy (reads or watches adult content; 30%)
15. The Amorous (inappropriate affection levels; 29%)
16. Mad Bladder (window seat passenger who makes repeat bathroom visits; 28%)
17. Undresser (removes shoes, socks or more; 26%)
18. The Seat Switcher (13%)
2. Inattentive Parents (64%)
3. The Aromatic Passenger (56%)
4. The Audio Insensitive (talking or music; 51%)
5. The Boozer (50%)
6. Chatty Cathy (43%)
7. Carry-On Baggage Offenders (39%)
8. The Armrest Hog (38%)
9. Seat-Back Guy (the seat recliner) (37%)
10. The Queue Jumper (rushes to deplane) (35%)
11. Overhead Bin Inconsiderate (stows bag in first available spot, rather than nearest to his/her seat; 32%)
12. Pungent Foodies (32%)
13. Back Seat Grabber (31%)
14. Playboy (reads or watches adult content; 30%)
15. The Amorous (inappropriate affection levels; 29%)
16. Mad Bladder (window seat passenger who makes repeat bathroom visits; 28%)
17. Undresser (removes shoes, socks or more; 26%)
18. The Seat Switcher (13%)
And how do fliers react when they encounter etiquette-busting seatmates?
When asked how they would react if a
fellow passenger misbehaved on a flight, 48% of those queried said they
would remain quiet and attempt to ignore the violation. However, nearly a
quarter — 22% — said they’d confront a misbehaving passenger directly.
Beyond that, 12% said they’d record the
incident using a mobile phone or a camera and 6% said they’d then try to
shame the offending passenger on social media
As for the seat-kickees, 44% of the survey respondents said they’d address a parent if their child was kicking their seat.
Overall, however, fliers appeared to
take an optimistic tone regarding their fellow passengers. The survey
found 78% agreed with the statement that “for the most part, fellow
passengers are considerate of other passengers.”
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
