Air travel is back... and so are our frustrations with other passengers
A YouGov survey reveals the most common grievances
Not onboard
In case you didn’t hear: air travel is back.
That means that airplane etiquette will be tested to its limits once again this summer. But, much like beauty, the flight from hell lies firmly in the eye of the beholder, with each individual nightmarish mid-air vision differing slightly from person to person…
To some, the thought of an over-friendly airborne neighbor who’s eager to spend ~80% of the 7 hour flight engaged in small talk is enough to make them fork out for that business upgrade, while others might be more horrified by a shoeless seat buddy or a chilling overdependence on the overhead AC.
According to a recent survey from YouGov, however, there are some common gripes that the vast majority of Americans share when it comes to onboard behavior. Topping the list — ahead of getting drunk, leaving your seat during turbulence, or ignoring the safety demonstration — was letting children play in the aisles.
It’s good to see more general annoyances and pains cropping up in the list alongside safety anxieties too: 81% of Americans agree that it’s just not okay to watch a movie or TV show without headphones while flying, 74% take umbrage with armrest hogs, and 65% say it’s unacceptable to leave your trash in the backseat pocket at the end of the journey.
