Borders are opening, flights are being booked and people are finally able to fulfil the travel adventures they put on hold since the pandemic began.
However, now that we’re catching flights more frequently, we are being subjected to all the usual travel woes that come with spending hours in a cramped plane with a bunch of peculiar strangers.
From the ones who kick off their smelly shoes to let their sweaty toes breathe to the chatty neighbour who doesn’t respect that headphones on means quiet time, according to Only Wanderlust that recently published a survey on the most annoying passengers on a plane.
The travel resource website compiled a list of the most common flight passenger annoyances based on a survey of more than 1 500 travellers. Unsurprisingly, the list also includes irritations relating to Covid-19, such as passengers who do not correctly wear their masks.
Amar Hussain, founder of Only Wanderlust, said “Having your seat kicked is top of the list, with 9% of those surveyed putting this as their number one annoyance.
“Improper mask wearers came in at number nine, and the least annoying passenger behaviour is using bright screens on night flights. Below are the rankings of each annoyance.”
The top 20 annoying habits of airline passengers ranked:
1. The Kicker — Your seat being kicked.
2. The Stinker — A passenger with bad body odour.
3. The Loud & Proud — Other passengers talking loudly.
4. The Leaner — Your seat being pulled or leaned on.
5. The Drunk Flyer — Drunk or tipsy flyers.
6. The Noisy Kid — Crying babies or children.
7. The Recliner — The seat in front of you reclining.
8. The Scented — A passenger wearing strong perfume or cologne.
9. The Not-So-Masked — Passengers not wearing their masks properly.
10. The Loud Sleeper — A passenger snoring.
11. The Stinky Feet — A passenger removing socks or shoes.
12. The Eager — Passengers standing and getting bags as soon as the plane lands.
13. The BYO Meal — A passenger bringing on smelly food.
14. The Weak Bladder — People getting out of their seats regularly.
15. The Chatty Cathy — Your neighbour talking to you through the flight.
16. The Armrest Hog — Your neighbour taking up all of the armrests.
17. The Too Relaxed — A passenger putting their feet up on or between your seat.
18. The Clapper — Passengers applauding when the plane lands.
19. The Manspreader — Passengers spreading their legs, aka manspreading.
20. The Night Owl — Bright phone or tablet screens on night flights.