Most annoying types of airplane passengers?

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Just a bit of light relief

For the frequent fliers on here, what sort of passengers really get on your nerves?


Here's my list:

Last-second undressers at the X-ray checkpoint
You've just endured a long queue waiting to get to the security check, to go through to the departure area. While queuing up, I've taken my laptop out of the case, taken my belt off, extracted my wallet and coins from my pockets, so I can just hand it over to the security guy at the machine. But the people in front of you still have their coats on, belts on, coins everywhere in various pockets. But they wait until they get to the X-ray machine, for the operator to have to tell them to take off their belts, take out their laptop from the bag, take coins out etc... Then they spend 20 mins virtually undressing themselves going through 20 layers of items.

Boarding process Aisle Blockers
They are so keen to get on first, but then they spend the rest of their lives standing in the aisle of the plane with their hands in the overhead bins, while other people are trying to get past them.

Aisle seat A-holes
They board the plane in contradiction of the seat row boarding order announced at the gate. They get themselves comfortable in the aisle seat, then fasten their seat belt, When it is my turn to board the plane, I come to sit in my window seat, see someone had jumped the boarding sequence into their aisle seat blocking access to my window seat ; they silently tut, and sigh. Were they honestly thinking they would have the entire row of seats to themselves?

Obsessive Seat Recliner
They put the seat back while the plane is still on the ground. They put it back as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off. So the top of his head is right under my nose.
Solution: I put the ceiling blowers to point to his head. Especially effective if they are a bit thin on top. About 50% success rate.

Parents of Roaming Screaming Infant
They let the kids wander around the cabin, and annoy other passengers. Even if the seatbelt sign is on.
On one recent flight over the N.Atlantic we hit some bad turbulence over Greenland, the plane dropped, and the kid went flying. Fortunately nobody hurt, but the parents still didn't seem to make the connection that maybe he should have been strapped in just for that part of the flight, especially as they were warned.

Obsessive Overhead Bin Fetcher
Guys in window seats who keep getting up to return to the overhead bins, throughout the flight.

On-board Suitcase Man
At the departure airport, you heard about 10 reminders about the limitations and max-size of the carry-on baggage. But some dude comes on the plane with monster suitcases, having seemingly been granted a special exception that only applies to him.



Phew !
That feels better.

I only really encounter the first two on any regular basis. The people taking forever at security don't bother me that much because I will just go around them - if they have something to say about it they can talk to the hand. People screwing off in the aisle as the plane is loading is another matter and genuinely delays the takeoff on a regular basis. I have no idea how people can be so inefficient. It takes me 4 seconds to shove my luggage into the overhead bin and sit down.

There's another category that's more common in North America that really really irritates me. Ridiculously obese people flying coach. If Jabba the Hut is halfway in my seat because his body physically doesn't fit in his own seat, he needs to find another method of transport, whether it be first class, two adjacent coach seats, or taking the bus.

Dear Chris71, Don't the attendants have the authority to insist that the parents control an unruly child?
That kid could have hurt another passenger if he had slammed into them when he 'went flying'!

Sylkat

I've never seen a flight attendant intervene with an unruly child, but I think I am lucky with regard to encountering unruly children. I've only had a serious problem one time. Mother was letting her 4 year old son climb around the row like a monkey. I let that b***h have it verbally. She got scared, but didn't change her way.

All children under 10 should be put in pet pack boxes in the cargo hold.

Travelling seems to be good for only one thing these days: a heart-attack.

I experienced the "Parents of Roaming Screaming Infant"
on a 10ish hour trip once. It was dam annoying.

Also the Obsessive Seat Recliners are really annoying when they do it on short flights.

I'm actually flying in three days, I hope I don't experience too many of these people

If one can afford, flying first or business would be better. There is more room, plus when someone puts their seat back it's not as bad as sitting on coach. Usually infants and kids aren't in first too,

my answer, all of them

Babies under 4, and kids who are loud and obnoxious. I think there should be a bit sectioned off where parents with brats who are likely to misbehave and annoy other passengers can sit. One of the things that are putting me off going to America because of fear of having to endure a 10-hour long flight with someone's brat screaming and kicking in the seat behind me, since it'd be just my luck to get a tantrumy brat behind me. It always happens on the bus.

Screaming children are terrible, and also people who worry about a sudden disaster and talk about it during the whole flight.

-the ones that sit beside you and feel the need to constantly talk to you during the flight, I'm talking about the whole flight
-the ones that insist on being first on line to board and then they block the aisle by taking a long time to stash their on board luggage causing a big line behind them
-people that are sitting in the middle or by the window and they keep getting up to go to the washroom
-people who let their babies or children scream or kicking the seat (I understand children can be noisy but please don't let them scream or throw a tantrum and if they're prone to it then please don't put them on a 4+ hour flight)
-when the plane waits for people who are late and you're running late to a stop-over yourself
-when the plane lets people unboard and people push ahead of you
-people who push and stand in front of you or get in the way while you're trying to get your suitcase off of the suitcase trolley