It seems as if nearly everyone is tense when they board an airplane, which has become the stage for unruly passengers’ bad behavior.
While some incidents are more extreme than others, frequent travelers know there are some unspoken rules to air travel that can upset other passengers if we break them.
To find out what people consider good airplane etiquette, the travel search engine KAYAK conducted a survey in June of 1,000 U.S. and Canadian adults who have taken a flight in the last three years.
Most of us can agree that having the stranger next to you fall asleep with their head on your shoulder is rude, but how about fully reclining your seat? Or making a phone call as soon as the plane lands? (The short answers are: pretty much.)
Sixty-four percent of survey respondents said they’ve witnessed another passenger with bad travel etiquette.
“In a perfect world these would grace the seat back pockets of every US flight. But, we recognize this ambitious endeavor cannot be achieved singlehandedly,” VP of North America Marketing at KAYAK Matt Clarke said in a statement. “In solidarity with flight crews everywhere, we hope that airlines will get on board with establishing official etiquette guidelines on all future flights.”’); hiddenDoc.close() } })();
The middle seat doesn’t get both armrests
Eating fragrant foods
As airlines cut down on free meals, more passengers are bringing their own food to eat on board. According to the survey, nearly everyone thinks that whatever food you decide to bring on the plane can’t have “strong smells.” Travelers said the biggest offenders are tinned fish, hard-boiled eggs and ribs.
Putting your feet up
Over two-thirds of travelers said that putting your feet against the back of the seat in front of you is rude. A 2014 survey from Expedia came back with similar results – “rear seat kickers” were the most annoying type of passengers.
Not using headphones
Unfortunately, no one cares about your taste in movies – 70% of people said not wearing headphones when watching something is a faux pas. (And if the movie is funny, try to keep your laughs on low volume because over half said audible laughing is rude.)
