Expedia launches their 2018 Airplane Etiquette report

Whether it’s a screaming baby, a relentless seat kicker or a loud snorer, everyone has their pet peeves when it comes to air travel.

And while some are more tolerant than others, there is a general standard of plane etiquette that is viewed as acceptable across the board.  

With almost 10 million Australians jumping on board a plane each year, many of them feel very strongly about the behaviour of their fellow passengers in the sky.

So to share exactly what makes travellers tick en route, Expedia has launched their 2018 Airplane Etiquette report.

Whether it’s a screaming baby, a relentless seat kicker or a loud snorer, everyone has their pet peeves when it comes to air travel

The age old seat reclining debate  

* 47 per cent recline only if they’re going to sleep 

* 17 per cent recline as soon as the seat belt sign goes off after take-off

* 20 per cent follow suit if the person in front of them reclines their seat 

* 20 per cent recline after meal service has taken place 

Unsurprisingly, seat allocation plays an important role for Australian travellers, with 98 per cent opting for either the aisle or window seat.  

For those unlucky enough to be in the dreaded middle seat, there were four options suggested for getting past sleeping passengers to go to the bathroom mid-flight.

31 per cent said they would wake up their neighbour and ask them to get out while 29 per cent said they would climb over them with their back facing them. 

25 per cent said they would stay in their seat and wait for the person in the aisle seat to wake up and 15 per cent said they would take the plunge and climb over them, facing them. 

45 per cent of Australians agreed that parents who paid no attention to their child whether they were crying, whinging or misbehaving were the most annoying passengers on a plane

45 per cent of Australians agreed that parents who paid no attention to their child whether they were crying, whinging or misbehaving were the most annoying passengers on a plane

Poll

What is the worst kind of plane passenger?

  • The inattentive parent 114 votes
  • The aromatic passenger 59 votes
  • Personal space violator 144 votes
  • Audio insensitive 18 votes
  • Queue jumper 13 votes
  • Pungent foodie 9 votes
  • Baggage mishandler 7 votes

Seat reclining was also a divisive issue, with 40 per cent agreeing that seats should only ever be reclined in flights that are more than three hours long. 

Interestingly, 20 per cent of people believe it’s rude to recline the seat at all. 

When it came to the behaviour of passengers, seven different kinds of traveller were named as the most annoying and blood boiling in the skies. 

The number one? The ‘inattentive parent’. 

45 per cent of Australians surveyed agreed that parents who paid no attention to their child whether they were crying, whinging or misbehaving were the most annoying passengers on a plane. 

Following closely behind at 44 per cent was the ‘aromatic passenger’ – the traveller who has poor hygiene or is wearing too much perfume or cologne.  

35 per cent of people can’t stand the ‘personal space violator’ – especially the kind that falls asleep on or near them during the flight while the ‘audio insensitive’ passenger drives 22 per cent of travellers crazy with their loud conversations.

35 per cent of Australians can't stand the 'personal space violator' - especially the kind that falls asleep on or near them during the flight

35 per cent of Australians can’t stand the ‘personal space violator’ – especially the kind that falls asleep on or near them during the flight

21 per cent are rubbed the wrong way by the ‘queue jumpers’ – the passengers who rush to deplane before those seated in front of them – while 13 per cent are annoyed by the ‘pungent foodie’ – the passenger who is fond of bringing whiffy food on board.

The final passenger who disrupts the peace on board is the ‘baggage mishandler’ with 13 per cent expressing frustration at those who hog all the overhead locker space or hits passengers with their luggage while maneuvering through the craft. 

Expedia travel expert, Lisa Perkovic, travelled overseas 11 times in 2017 and urgers travellers to be aware of their actions – especially on long haul flights. 

Tips for keeping plane peace on board 

1. Introduce yourself before the plane takes off and establish ground rules – this works well if you’re in the middle or aisle seat. Start by asking the aisle seat if they would like to be woken up or climbed over during the flight

2. Warn the seat behind you if you’re going to recline your seat – even if the passenger behind hates people who recline seats, they are going to appreciate that you gave them warning, rather than just putting the seat back

3. Keep your feet on the floor, not on the arm rest in front

4. Be prepared – get what you need out of your bag before take-off so you don’t have to ask to access the hold once everyone is settled

5. Be respectful and nice to air hosts  

'Patience, politeness and planes are a match made in the sky, so we encourage Aussies to think about how they can be a better passenger on their next flight,' a travel expert said 

‘Patience, politeness and planes are a match made in the sky, so we encourage Aussies to think about how they can be a better passenger on their next flight,’ a travel expert said 

‘With the launch of ultra-long-haul flights, time in the sky is getting longer so being stuck in a cabin with an inconsiderate passenger can start the holiday off on the wrong foot,’ she said. 

‘There are some simple ways Aussies can ensure people around them have a relaxing and pleasant flight.

‘Patience, politeness and planes are a match made in the sky, so we encourage Aussies to take a deep breath and think about how they can be a better passenger on their next flight.’

What are some other pet peeves of passengers on board a plane?  

* People who don’t use headphones. The foot thing is also super disgusting – I’ve seen people walk barefoot into the bathrooms and then put their horrifyingly dirty feet up. Just no.

* I don’t mind kids being restless. It’s when they incessantly and rhythmically kick the back of my chair really hard that gets me. That’s usually the parent’s fault when they don’t discipline them. But it’s still annoying as hell.

* Armrest hogs. Somebody gets the top, somebody the bottom. 

* Loud conversations and talking in general.

* That loud person snoring 

* People slurping and munching their food loudly’

* People who don’t put the arm rest down 

* Closing the window blind without asking – especially when it’s a pretty sunset or sunrise  

Source: Reddit 



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