Travellers rank the top 15 worst faux pas on plane trips, from reclining your seat (at ANY point) to draping hair over it. What’s YOUR biggest flight bugbear?
- Other no-nos – cutting queues and clapping upon touchdown
- The list was produced by a survey of UK travellers, commissioned by Skyscanner
- READ MORE: Fascinating map reveals every country’s dream experience
The biggest bugbears people have when travelling by plane have been revealed, with passengers drinking to excess at the top of the list.
It was produced by a survey of 2,000 UK travellers, with drinking too much booze on flights voted as the No.1 faux pas by 48 per cent of those polled.
In second place is queue-cutting (43 per cent), followed by reclining your seat while the food and drinks are served (third, 43 per cent) and reclining your seat at any point during the flight (fourth, 40 per cent).
The rest of the top 10 in the list, compiled by a OnePoll study commissioned by Skyscanner, comprises using gadgets without headphones (fifth, 35 per cent); standing up as soon as the plane lands (sixth, 33 per cent); leaving bags on the seat to get comfortable when you’re trying to sit down (seventh, 31 per cent); double-arm-rest hoggers (eighth, 31 per cent); draping hair over the back of the seat (ninth, 28 per cent); and taking up multiple seats in the departure lounge (10th, 28 per cent).
Not separating liquids before security and causing a hold-up (11th, 27 per cent) and taking off shoes or socks on the plane (13th, 22 per cent) were also flagged as no-nos.
Reclining your seat at any point during a flight is considered a no-no by over one-third of people, according to a Skyscanner poll that produced a top 15 list of plane-travel faux pas
Draping hair over the back of the seat has been deemed the ninth-worst plane faux pas
Others get fed-up with those who queue at the gate long before boarding begins, clap when the plane lands or stand right next to the spot where luggage comes onto the carousel.
Regarding correct plane-travel behaviour, seventy-four per cent of those polled think you should ask the person behind if they mind you reclining your seat before you push the button.
And 81 per cent would support a rule banning passengers from reclining their seat while food and drinks are being served.
More than two-thirds (69 per cent), meanwhile, would like the plane to be disembarked row by row, starting closest to the doors, to stop people stampeding to the exits.
As part of the poll, participants were asked if they were guilty of any annoying behaviours themselves, and 12 per cent admitted they were.
A quarter of those have taken their shoes and socks off on the plane, while 19 per cent have held things up at security after forgetting to remove certain items.
And 17 per cent stand up as soon as the plane lands in a bid to get off as soon as possible.
Gen Z believe themselves to be most likely to be guilty of unwanted plane behaviour (22 per cent), followed by millennials (18 per cent), Gen X (12 per cent) and Boomers (seven per cent).
THE TOP 15 TRAVEL FAUX PAS
1. Drinking too much alcohol on the flight (48 per cent)
2. Queue-cutters (43 per cent)
3. Reclining your seat while the food and drinks are served (43 per cent)
4. Reclining your seat back at any point during the flight (40 per cent)
5. Using gadgets without headphones (35 per cent)
6. Standing up as soon as the plane lands (33 per cent)
7. Leaving bags on the seat to get comfortable when you’re trying to sit down (31 per cent)
8. Double-arm-rest hoggers (31 per cent)
9. Draping hair over the back of the seat (28 per cent)
10. Taking up multiple seats in the departure lounge (28 per cent)
11. Not separating liquids before security and causing a hold-up (27 per cent)
12. Not having passports or boarding passes to hand and holding up the queue (24 per cent)
13. Taking shoes or socks off on the plane (22 per cent)
14. Blocking escalators/travelators so you can’t walk past (22 per cent)
15. Over-packing and holding up the queue while they sort their bags out (21 per cent)
Source: Skyscanner
More than two-thirds (69 per cent) would like planes to be disembarked row by row, starting closest to the doors
As part of the study, undertaken to mark the launch of Skyscanner’s new Travel Hacks Hub, travel trends expert Laura Lindsay offered tips for avoiding some of the most common plane faux pas.
Keen not to hold up your fellow travellers at security? Then collect full-size toiletries inside the airport.
Laura says: ‘Picking up your toiletries after security saves you space and weight in your checked bag. Even better, you can save time by using airport pharmacies such as Boots, which offers a “click & collect” service. This is available from selected airports in the UK, including stores after security, which should mean you don’t pay airport prices. It also ensures you can plan ahead, avoiding a stressful dash around the shop looking for your go-to shampoo. This is also handy for heavy non-liquid items, like baby formula, as it doesn’t count towards your luggage allowance.’
Do you hold up the queue because you haven’t got your passport or boarding pass to hand?
Laura says: ‘Some countries have programs to make getting through border control a breeze. Some examples are Global Entry (US) and DigiYatra (India). These usually involve pre-approval and clearance to enter, so you can spend less time at the desk. There are usually faster queues for passengers signed up to these programs, too.’
Not separating liquids before security and causing a hold-up (11th on the list) and taking off shoes or socks on the plane (13th) were flagged as no-nos by many of those quizzed in the poll
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