Business

What ticks you off the most when flying?

By Christopher Seward
Dec 12, 2014

What ticks you off more when flying, someone kicking the back of your seat or parents who can’t control their children? What about the boozer, armrest hog or “mad bladder”?

Expedia's latest annual Airline Etiquette Study shows both nuisances are at the top of the list for many. The problems are followed by travelers who wear too much cologne or perfume, and loud talkers and music players.

The study, conducted by the market research company GfK, asked 1,000 Americans to rank the most annoying on-board behaviors of fellow passengers. The following list shows how the bad behaviors rank, and the percentage of people agreeing:

1. Rear seat kicker: 67%

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%

About the Author

Christopher Seward

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