Seat kickers, seat hogs, and power seat recliners are among the dozen worst airline behavior peeves that travelers exhibit.
Last week, a friend called me to vent about a plane flight she just took. She was upset about enduring airline behavior peeves during her last flight. In the seat next to hers, as soon as the seat belt sign was off, removed her athletic shoes and socks, crossed her legs, and proceeded to clip and file her toenails. It took a flight attendant’s second warning before she stopped.
That’s among the worst of my worst airline behavior peeves. Perhaps yours are among mine.
Too many air travelers make flights uncomfortable for other air travelers by pulling and tugging on seats, or trying seat trade cons.
12. Seat puller-tuggers:
Economy seating has tight seat pitches, so some passengers might need to occasionally use the seat in front of them to assist them to stand, but do not yank the seat back every time they want to move. It’s also unnecessary for passengers walking down the aisle to touch, tug, and handle every seat they pass, especially at night when many are trying to sleep.
11. Seat trader hustlers:
I understand that couples or parents and children who are seated apart want to sit together. If you’re asking to trade seats, however, request to trade even or down, not up, particularly if children aren’t involved. Asking to trade a middle seat for an aisle seat or a first-class seat for an economy seat is nothing but a con.
10. Overhead bin usurpers and greedy bin loaders:
For those who put their carry-ons in the bin over their seat, even though there is plenty of room where they’re seated, there’s little that one can do. It is one of the airline behavior peeves that are unnecessary. For those who put their bags in flat or sideways instead of on their side, back in first, you can turn their bag around to make room. If they object, tell them to complain to the flight attendant.
9. Power seat recliners:
I have a bad back and today’s airplane seating is unforgiving for those with back problems. Unless my flight is extremely short, I recline my seat during the flight. That said, there’s no excuse for those who recline their seat forcefully and/or rapidly at any time. Seats shouldn’t be reclined during meal service, and never reclined without warning.
Touchy-feelers are creepy, drunks are completely irresponsible. While we need to give respect to large people, we should stand up for ourselves.
8. Touchy-feelers:
Some people can’t talk with another person without touching them. I ask them to stop touching me, then put on my headphones and ignore them. If they continue to talk and touch, I ask a flight attendant for assistance.
7. Drunks:
There’s no excuse for being drunk on a plane and maybe being smelly and obnoxious, too. While the passenger is at fault, I’ve seen flight attendants serve intoxicated passengers too often. If someone sitting near me is drunk and obnoxious, I ask to move or have them moved. If a flight attendant is going to serve them again, I complain. Every time I’ve done that, other passengers immediately chime in. They were waiting for someone to speak up first.
6. Seat Hogs:
I sympathize with large passengers. Frankly, most seats in commercial planes today are too narrow for anyone and impossible for large people. That said, every passenger, not just large ones, deserves to use their entire seat unimpeded. No one has the right to put the armrest up that divides seats to take part of someone else’s seat. This may sound harsh to some, but large people should purchase two seats. While large people deserve our respect, they need to respect the rights of other passengers, too.
5. Scent mavens:
Some passengers think it’s okay to douse themselves in perfume or cologne. It’s almost impossible to sit next to them. They can cause real trouble for passengers with asthma. Those who bring food on board with a strong or pungent odor are no better. It’s unfair to other passengers in the closed environment of an airplane cabin.
4. Headphoneaphobes:
Don’t you hate it when the person sitting next to you is playing a game, music, or watching a video with no headphones? It’s unfair. Ask them nicely at first to put on a headset, then insist, if they persist. If they continue to be a pain, call in a flight attendant.
It’s normally the parents’ fault when kids misbehave while traveling by air. If the problem persists after asking parents to help you with their children, speak to the flight attendant.
3. Unprepared and unwilling parents:
Flying with children isn’t easy. Children are often more needy than adults and cope like, well, like kids. Parents need to be prepared to feed and provide entertainment for their children. They need to ensure their children won’t be a burden to other passengers and the flight crew. When children act out or are bored, don’t point your finger at the kids. Point it at their parents.
2. Aromatic digit exhibitionists and nail salon dimwits:
Have you ever found a naked foot on your armrest from behind? I have and their “aromatic” scent made me vomit. I slapped it away and heard from behind, “Do it again and I’ll prefer assault charges.” Ugh! When he put it back, I took out my smartphone and started a video. As I aimed the iPhone at his face, I told the guy he’d be a social media star within five minutes if he didn’t stop. I never smelled his feet again.
After my friend endured the clipping and filing of the salon dimwit, who, with crossed legs, periodically pressed her “smelly” feet against my friend’s slacks, she pulled out nail polish. My friend called in the flight attendant to tell her to stop. The flight attendant told her to stop or she’d be arrested upon landing. It was a bluff, but it worked.
There is nothing worse than seat kickers on flights, especially if you have back problems. If it’s a child, I have some creative solutions you might want to try.
1. Seat kicker:
In poll after poll, about 60 percent of air travelers say that nothing is worse than seat kickers. With my bad back, seat kickers are more than annoying. They’re painful. While it’s usually a kid who’s out of control kicking the seat, sometimes it’s nervous or drunk adults.
I’ll try to talk to the passenger, unless it’s a child. Then I only speak to the parent. I’ll ask them to stop, mentioning my bad back. If it’s an adult who continues, I’ll become more insistent, and if without luck, ask a flight attendant to help. If it’s a kid and the parent is trying, I’ll suggest they take off their child’s shoes. Typically, with a couple more kicks, they’ll stop because it hurts. Once I got creative. A mom tried, but couldn’t stop her son. I pulled a roll of travel duct tape from my carry-on, and with a nod from her, I gave it to her. With the threat of being taped, the kid never kicked my seat again. I told her to keep the roll for the next time.
If you find yourself in the list of peevish passengers, cut it out. If you’ve had problems with peevish passengers, I hope it’s not very often and that some of my solutions might help you. Should your requests to stop go unheeded, don’t hesitate to ask for help.
(Image: Southwest Airlines B737 landing at Philadelphia International Airport. Copyright © 2018 NSL Photography. All Rights Reserved.)
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After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
