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Home  >  News  >  The Most Annoying Type of Passenger Is…
News

The Most Annoying Type of Passenger Is…

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 14, 2017February 14, 2017 12 Comments

Expedia commissioned GfK, an independent market research company, to poll travelers on who annoyed them most when they traveled by air. Passengers were not limited to one answer. The results are in and the rear seat kicker “wins” with inattentive parents coming in closely behind.

  1. Here’s a list of the top 14 “annoying passengers”:
  2. The Rear Seat Kicker (cited by 64% of respondents)
  3. Inattentive Parents (59%)
  4.  The Aromatic Passenger (55%)
  5.  The Audio Insensitive (49%)
  6. The Boozer (49%)
  7. Chatty Cathy (40%)
  8. The Queue Jumper (35%)
  9. Seat-Back Guy (35%)
  10. The Armrest Hog (34%)
  11. Pungent Foodies (30%)
  12. The Undresser (28%)
  13. The Amorous (28%)
  14.  The Mad Bladder (22%)
  15. The Single and Ready to Mingle (18%)

My Most Annoying Passenger

All 14 categories on this list resonate with me. #3 is particularly bad — I have a flight review coming later this week about a man who I sat next to on a 10-hour flight who stank. It was perhaps not as annoying as someone kicking my seat after I started breathing with my nose, but terrible feeling when there is no escape from the foul stench of body odor.

Perhaps merged into the “Chatty Cathy” category is seatmates who want to have one-sided discussions on matters of religion.

> Read More: How Do You Handle a Seatmate Who Wants to Talk Religion?

And of course some are so rude (or oblivious) they cannot even be bothered to walk to the lavatory to change clothes. That’s more amusing than annoying.

> Read More: Man Performs Striptease in Aisle on My United Flight

Stinky Airline Food
Passengers hate it when people bring stinky food onboard airplanes – UFmen / WikiMedia Commons

CONCLUSION

But all hope is not lost. 79% agreed that “for the most part, fellow passengers are considerate of one another,” and 74% even claimed to “thoroughly clean their space before leaving the plane.” I’m not sure what that means…I gather all my belongings, but I don’t wash down my seat…

What about you? What kind of passenger annoying you the most?

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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12 Comments

  1. Gene Reply
    February 14, 2017 at 9:57 am

    Travel bloggers? 😉

  2. Pat Reply
    February 14, 2017 at 9:59 am

    How about the person sitting in the back of the plane, who puts their carry-on in the first overhead space they see (in the front of the plane)? This just creates chaos during boarding and unboarding.

    On a similar note, there’s also “The Overhead Police”. They will question why certain items are in the overhead bin, and make a public announcement that the item should go beneath a seat so that they can put their bag in that spot.

    I don’t think frequent flyers notice these offenders because it usually occurs towards the back of the plane. It’s these types of situations that make non-frequent-flyers claim that “flying sucks”.

  3. dot cahill Reply
    February 14, 2017 at 11:52 am

    those who put 3 things in the overhead and a coat-so that others have to check their bag!!!!also the heavy cologne or perfume…last week it was a male FA with very heavy cologne!!!

    • Matthew Reply
      February 14, 2017 at 11:56 am

      Cologne. Yeah, that is bad…

  4. Adam Reply
    February 14, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    To Pat’s comment, I have had no problem in the past pulling someone else’s item out of the overhead bin if I’ve seen them place it directly over my seat and continue down the aisle. I tend to sit near the front of the cabin when flying in Y, and I find it especially heinous when a passenger much further back uses the bin space that I actually *need* because I’m in a bulkhead row. If someone questions me, I tell them they have plenty of bin space over THEIR seat they may use. To make it even more vindictive, I will hand the now-displaced bag to the FA and tell him/her that someone left a bag unattended and they should do with it as they please. I have no time for on-board pleasantries with people that have no sense of common courtesy or airplane etiquette.

    • Matthew Reply
      February 14, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      Wow, that is bold. I would not be a happy camper if you did that to me. That said, I will always try to place carry-on bags above my own seat. If I am late/last to board and see space up front (in economy), I will take it, but by then almost everyone has already boarded.

  5. Amy Reply
    February 14, 2017 at 1:35 pm

    #10 – Pungent Foodies, but later you put a picture of a Sausage McMuffin and Fries. What actually defines “Pungent”? I wouldn’t personally be bothered by McDonalds or pizza, but tuna or stinky cheese would be awful. On the other hand, maybe I’m one to talk as I have made instant oatmeal on a plane (just asked the FA for hot water and poured the envelope in). Was I wrong as well? :/

    • Matthew Reply
      February 14, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      Instant oatmeal is no problem! 😉

  6. Mo Reply
    February 14, 2017 at 2:47 pm

    Maybe I’m in the minority, but I hate when someone sits down next to me and doesn’t even bother to say hello. Now I’m not necessarily looking to socialize, but why does it have to be all grumpy, as though fellow passengers are a necessary evil. BTW, I don’t exhibit any of the above attributes. Just be pleasant to your fellow human being. So hard?

  7. r hirsch Reply
    February 14, 2017 at 10:37 pm

    i’m baffled by the #1 reason….

  8. ed Reply
    February 15, 2017 at 5:01 pm

    Definitely worth a mention are travel hackers that are loud and proud. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but keep it to yourself. You’ll be way cooler without announcing it.

  9. Rocco Hustin Reply
    February 16, 2017 at 5:07 pm

    Has anyone said “the gummy’? I mean the person that loudly chews gum the entire flight, then leaves it on his seat for the next person. He is far more annoying than the person who reclines to0 much (unless it is in a seat with deep recline like domestic first or premium economy) or even the seat kicker. The person who smells is annoying, and so is chatty cathy. Armrest hogs are bad, so is the boozer. All of those types are annoying nonetheless.

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