11 of the most annoying things people do on planes

To recline or not to recline?

Passengers reclining seats was a huge bugbear – especially if you have your table down while eating or if someone reclines just that bit too far. One customer told us that she hates passengers who “Put the chairs back so they are lying in your lap.”

But another group thinks that if a seat reclines, you should be able to do it. One customer said he gets annoyed with “People moaning that you’re reclining your seat that you paid for it to do….” While another said she gets infuriated with passengers who don’t “allow you to recline the seat on a night flight!”

Kicking kids

The constant kick, kick, kick on the back of your seat from restless children understandably upset a lot of you, as well as the children who run around and jump up and down. One comment points out that the “Parents who let their kids jump up and down and kick the seats” are to blame really, though.

Suspicious smells

Apparently, your sense of smell gets worse when you’re flying as the cabin air is so dry. For many of you, this will be a blessing in disguise as smells from the people around you were a big irritant. Our customers told us that the source of these smells were everything from “stinky farts” to “smelly food” such as “tuna sandwiches”. One customer even recommended “just have a shower and use deodorant before your flight.”

Constant coughing

An innocent cough hits differently since the pandemic and constant coughing, sniffing and even “breathing” too loudly made lots of our customers grit their teeth. And, when the person next to you forgets their manners by “coughing in your face” or “sneezing and not putting their hand over their mouth or even using a tissue” it’s ten times worse! One customer fumed “Like, go blow your nose somewhere away from me.”

Noisy neighbours

Talking of niggling noises, many of you told us about inconsiderate passengers who used their devices without headphones, from kids playing games on iPads to watching whole movies through a speaker. This comment summed up the sentiment. The most annoying passenger are those who “play their gadgets without headphones😭😱😭😱😭😱.”

Keen clappers

Clapping on landing could be seen as a nice way to thank the captain and a joyful way to start a trip. But it clearly annoys lots of you. Two friends debated the etiquette around this on our post with one saying “I just do it to wind u up😂😂😂😂”. One exasperated comment said “Applaud when landed… jeez it's not the 1940s.”

Slipping off shoes and socks

Beaches aside, social etiquette usually stops us from removing our shoes and socks in public. But this seems to be forgotten on a plane and many of the people who commented on our post expressed their disgust at seeing fellow passengers’ bare feet, especially if they invade their personal space. One user talked about passengers who “push their feet through with no shoes/socks on🤢”

Standing up, sitting down

You’ve just got to an exciting scene in your film when the person next to you asks you to stand up so they can go to the toilet. This is fine as a one-off but many of you complained about customers who were constantly up and down during a flight “rummaging around with the overhead locker”, “standing up and using the seat in front to pull them up” or “someone who sits in the window seat who has a tiny bladder and expects me to be polite and smile every time they get me out of the aisle seat.” Take note if this is you.

Early risers

Another standing up gripe was aimed at the passengers who spring up as soon as the plane lands. In fact, last year, The Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that they would fine passengers who stood up and opened overhead lockers before the fasten seatbelt sign went off. One of our exasperated customers said: “So annoying, I mean where do you think you’re gonna go?”

One too many

A pint in the airport before your holiday is a treat that many of us look forward to. But the passengers who take this too far are on the naughty list of many of our customers. One comment complains about passengers “getting drunk then being loud” while another says: “Drinking on planes… shouldn't be allowed.”

Space invaders

Space is limited enough on a flight, so when a neighbour encroaches on what little you have, it can understandably cause upset. One bugbear was “Someone’s backside perched on your shoulder whilst they are talking loudly to person over the aisle,” while another customer told us that one passenger had the cheek to “use my arm rest as well as theirs and fall asleep with their arm above their head and drop it and hit me (actually happened).”

What do you think? Have we missed any annoying plane habits? Let us know by commenting on our Facebook page