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It’s probably happened to most of us at one time or another. You file your way onto a crowded airplane, take your seat next to the window, and settle in with a copy of The Economist (OK, fine: People magazine) for a nice long flight. Then suddenly your seatmate arrives, removes his shoes and stretches his pungent feet right into your already-cramped leg space, seemingly unaware of your presence. Your nice long flight no longer seems so nice, and somehow seems longer already.
While high ticket prices and delayed or canceled flights tend to attract the most media attention, passengers’ bad behavior has also been a cause for headaches. And when the unwritten rules of airline etiquette are broached, it can lead to conflict. Air rage incidents have remained high since the pandemic, and nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults now say that their concern about others’ behavior while traveling may deter them from taking a trip.
As the busy holiday travel season approaches, Morning Consult surveyed consumers to understand the most aggravating airline passenger behaviors. Airlines can use this data to prepare for and mitigate potential points of tension. Holiday travel is stressful enough for passengers, so airlines’ efforts to head off issues could translate to a more pleasant experience for everyone.
Passengers’ encroaching on others’ personal space is the top source of irritation
If there’s one thing that’s clear from the data, it’s this: Travelers are annoyed by a lot of things. Among the 12 potentially annoying airline passenger behaviors surveyed, 11 were categorized as “bothersome” in some way by at least half of U.S. adults, and seven were described as “very bothersome” by at least one-third of consumers.
Perhaps unsurprisingly in a post-pandemic world, issues of personal space and hygiene are most likely to irk flyers. A neighbor taking up one’s space — for example, commandeering an armrest or extending their legs into another passenger’s area — is considered the most annoying behavior, with 76% of U.S. adults saying this is at least somewhat bothersome. A close second and third, respectively, are passengers displaying unhygienic behaviors, like personal grooming or removing shoes, and showing clear signs of illness, like excessive coughing or sneezing. The latter is notable given the fierce debate over airline-imposed mask mandates to keep disease from spreading. Plus, previous Morning Consult research shows that feeling as though one can stay healthy on a plane is a strong driver of trust in airlines.
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