The most annoying habits when flying, from hogging arm rests to holding up security queues

Most passenger will have experienced these issues at some point when travelling

Sep 29, 2023 - 21:01

0 5

The most annoying habits when flying, from hogging arm rests to holding up security queues

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get Simon Calder’s Travel email

Excessive drinking is the biggest pet peeve for Britons travelling by plane, though many other things cause annoyance, according to a recent study.

Of 2,000 UK travellers surveyed for the poll, commissioned by flight comparison website Skyscanner, 48 per cent said that it frustrated them when fellow passengers drink too much alcohol.

The next bugbear cited was queue-cutting and people reclining their seats as food or drink is being served. Two-fifths of respondents thought that others reclining their seat at all during a flight was a faux pas, while a dislike for using gadgets without headphones rounded off the top five most annoying habits.

Other issues include people standing up as soon as the plane lands, leaving their bags on another seat as they get comfortable, those who hog both arm rests, and people who either drape their hair over the back of their seat or take up multiple seats in the departure lounges.

Many also offered alternatives to avoid the irritating behaviour, with 74 per cent of respondents saying that you should ask the person behind you before reclining your chair.

And 12 per cent of those surveyed admitted to doing some of the annoying behaviours themselves.

Laura Lindsay, Skyscanner’s travel trends expert, said that when it comes to not separating liquids, picking up toiletries after security to save space and weight in checked bags.

“Even better, you can save time by using in airport pharmacies (such as Boots) who offer a click and collect service,” said Ms Lindsay.

“This is available from selected airports in the UK, including stores after security, which should mean you don’t pay airport prices. It also ensures that you can plan ahead, avoiding a stressful dash around the shop looking for your go-to shampoo. This is also handy for heavy non-liquid items, like baby formula, as it doesn’t count towards your luggage allowance.”

The 15 most common flying faux pas:

Drinking too much alcohol on the flight (48 per cent)Queue-cutters (43 per cent)Reclining your seat while the food and drinks are served (43 per cent)Reclining your seat back at any point during the flight (40 per cent)Using gadgets without headphones (35 per cent)Standing up as soon as the plane lands (33 per cent)Leaving bags on the seat to get comfortable when you’re trying to sit down (31 per cent)Double arm rest hoggers (31 per cent) Draping hair over the back of the seat (28 per cent)Taking up multiple seats in the departure lounge (28 per cent)Not separating liquids before security and causing a hold-up (27 per cent)Not having passports or boarding passes to hand and holding up the queue (24 per cent)Taking shoes or socks off on the plane (22 per cent)Blocking escalators/travelators so you can’t walk past (22 per cent)Over-packing and holding up the queue while they sort their bags out (21 per cent)