Travel Etiquette

This Is the Most Annoying Thing You Can Do on an Airplane


Caroline Morse Teel
View down the center aisle of a plane as people board

    Being crammed into a cramped coach seat is bad enough, but your fellow flyers can make things so much worse with their bad behavior. If you’ve ever been stuck next to a loud talker or behind someone who has reclined all the way into your lap, you know what we’re referring to.

    A new survey conducted by Only Wanderlust has ranked the most annoying things people do while flying. Here are the activities you should spare your fellow flyers from while on a plane.

    People waiting in line to get luggage down from overhead bin and exit plane
    kadosafia | Adobe Stock
  • The Most Annoying Airline Passenger Behaviors

    1. Seat kicking
    2. Bad body odor
    3. Talking loudly
    4. Leaning or pulling on seats
    5. Acting intoxicated
    6. Crying babies or children
    7. Reclining seats
    8. Wearing strong fragrances
    9. Not wearing a mask over nose and mouth
    10. Snoring
    11. Taking off shoes/socks
    12. Standing and blocking the aisle as soon as the plane lands
    13. Bringing on smelly food
    14. Getting up frequently
    15. Incessant chatting
    16. Hogging the armrest
    17. Putting feet up on/between seats
    18. Applauding when the plane lands
    19. Manspreading
    20. Using bring screens during night flights

    Surprisingly, despite seat reclining ranking as the seventh most annoying thing you can do on a plane, 65 percent of people surveyed by Only Wanderlust believe that they have the right to recline their seat on a flight. 

    Still confused about airplane etiquette? Check out our guides including: 7 Things You Should Never Do on a Plane and 7 Foods You Should Never Eat on a Plane.