The most annoying flying habits of Aussies

People that kick the back of the seat in front of them while flying have been branded the most annoying, as a new survey exposed the most frustrating behaviour of Aussie airline passengers each year.

Expedia’s Airline Etiquette Study found that 77% of respondents found Back Seat Kickers the most annoying, with more than a third of respondents experiencing major discomfort on a flight due to kicking from behind.

Inattentive Parents came a close second on the list. Parents with little or no control over their kids got 75% of the vote. People with poor hygiene or with too much cologne, described as Aromatic Passengers came third with 61%.

“Having a pleasant flight largely depends on cooperation from fellow passengers,” Expedia travel expert Kelly Cull said.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a short or long flight, as Aussies gear up for the summer holidays, we should remember that a little consideration goes a long way to ensure everyone enjoys their trip.”

Peace and quiet midair got a big thumbs up for Aussies with more than a third agreeing that “small talk is fine”, but preferring to keep to themselves for most of the flight. Just 3% thought of flights as an “opportunity to meet and talk to new people.” In fact, 41% actually dreaded sitting next to fellow passengers who talk too much, with the same number of respondents also fearful of being seated near parents travelling with young children and babies. So much so that if the airline offered a “quiet zone”, then 18% would pay extra to be seated in it.

Reclining seats were also controversial with a quarter of Aussies of the opinion that airlines should ban reclining seats entirely, or at least restrict the practice to certain times during short-haul flights. The same number said they didn’t recline their seats at all when travelling on long-haul flights, while 40% claimed they had experienced major discomfort due to a passenger reclining their seat in front of them.

In the event of a fellow passenger noticeably misbehaving, 50% of Aussies would sit quietly and ignore them while a fifth would confront the offender directly. A further 13% admitted they would sneakily film them on their phone with 6% unafraid to shame their behaviour by publishing the incident on social media.

Australia’s top ten most annoying or offensive airline etiquette violators (in order):

Rank	Behaviour	Definition
1	Rear Seat Kicker	The passenger who constantly shuffles and kicks the seat in front of them
2	Inattentive Parents	Parents who have no control over or pay no attention to their children
3	The Aromatic Passenger	The passenger with poor hygiene or who is wearing too much perfume or cologne
4	The Boozer	The disruptive passenger who has enjoyed a few too many alcoholic beverages
5	The Audio Insensitive	The passenger who talks so loudly everyone around can hear their conversation
6	The Recliner	The passenger who reclines their seat all the way back as soon as the plane is off the ground
7	Chatty Cathy	The passenger who strikes up a conversation and won’t stop
8	Pungent Foodies	The passenger who brings food with a strong smell on board
9	Mad Bladder	The window seat passenger who makes frequent visits to the bathroom
10	The Amorous	The couple who displays an inappropriate level of public affection

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

airlines aviation behaviour etiquette expedia