Farhan IsaFlying is understandably one of the troublesome aspects of travelling. With the long immigration lines and constant security checks, plus the constant waiting for flights, one might lose patience. But these are just the tip of the iceberg — sitting in an enclosed space with strangers for hours is what really decreases our tolerance levels! So, what are the top 5 annoyances that really gets air passengers’ goat?
1. Talking loudly
You’re seated comfortably, getting ready to watch a movie on a tiny screen — with a plastic cup in your hand filled with wine — and your seatmate decides to shout across to his buddy in the next aisle. You almost jump from your seat and in the process, spill your wine down your khaki trousers. You’re already cursing in your head, regretting the decision of not flying business. Talking loudly is a bother to Singapore-based travellers, revealed Jetstar, who recently conducted a survey as part of Jetstar’s efforts to solve passengers’ travel frustrations. The results found 23% of travellers polled found loud seatmates at the top of their annoyance list. Nothing makes them more riled up than a passenger who decides to show off their vocal prowess while you’re just trying to survive the flight!
2. Snoring loudly
It’s a long flight and the post-meal lull is real. You slowly recline your chair as you allow the food coma to whisk you away to dreamland. The cabin is dark, with only the floor lights dimly lighting the space. You smile as you think of waking up in a new country but just as you’re about to fall into the abyss of rest, you hear snoring. It turns out 17% of passengers reported loud snoring as a pet peeve. Being in an enclosed space with strangers heightens one’s senses, making the snoring exponentially louder.
3. Armrest hogging
A common bone of contention between passengers is age-old armrest conundrum, which usually ends with a first-arm-first-served basis. Some of us do know the proper etiquette for armrest “ownership” while others just grab whatever they want, thinking its a free-for-all play. Already in a confined space for hours, it makes flying even more awkward with you constantly grazing your neighbour’s arm. Now, to solve this once and for all, Jetstar has issued a decree: the middle seated passenger is “entitled” to both left and right armrest, while the window seat and aisle seat passengers are ‘allocated’ the use the armrests on the far ends. Consider this dilemma solved!
4. Toilet hogging
Isn’t it annoying when you’re in a crowded mall and you REALLY have to use the toilet, only to discover that it’s fully occupied? Now move that scene into an airplane cabin, where there are limited toilets and too many passengers. There’s no other toilet in the plane you can run to, so spare a thought for others and settle your business quickly.
5. Standing up immediately after landing
Finally, the plane lands, taxiing towards the gate and suddenly everyone stands up reaching for the overhead compartment. The seatbelt light is still on and you sit in disbelief with a confused look on your face, wondering if there’s a gold rush you’re not privy to. It’s an automatic reflex that is highly influential — monkey see, monkey do, remember? It boggles the mind how passengers who are not seated in the front scuttle for their bags, with the idea that they can just slip past everyone else and be the first to leave the plane. Stay comfortable and be patient; your time to deplane will come. It’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet, people!
Also read: 12 Airport Pet Peeves You Wish People Would Stop Doing
These are the more common things that usually irritate passengers during a flight, but we’re sure there are more. What are your flyingpet peeves? Let us know!
