{"id":16989,"date":"2014-12-09T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-12-09T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=16989"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:46:39","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:46:39","slug":"expedia-airplane-etiquette-study-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/expedia-airplane-etiquette-study-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Expedia Airplane Etiquette Study 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no other way to say it: Rude airplane passengers officially are a pain in the rear.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This was the key finding in Expedia\u2019s second-annual Airplane Etiquette Survey, a study that asked 1,000 Americans to rank the most annoying on-board behaviors of fellow passengers. Responses to this year\u2019s study ranked \u201cRear Seat Kickers\u201d as the most aggravating airplane passengers, putting these back-bruisers in front of \u201cInattentive Parents,\u201d the \u201cAromatic Passenger,\u201d the \u201cAudio Insensitive,\u201d and the \u201cBoozer\u201d for honors as the most irritating.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

It was the seat kickers\u2019 first time at the top; last year, in the inaugural Airplane Etiquette Survey, inattentive parents ranked No. 1.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s study, commissioned by Expedia and conducted by GfK, an independent global market research company, serves as a lighthearted reminder that few places require more attention to etiquette than the inside of an airplane. In a tight space at 30,000 feet with hundreds of fellow travelers, even the small things such as helping your neighbor stow a bag or switching seats to put a mom next to her child can make a huge difference.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Worst of the worst<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Of course irritating behaviors can ruin that vibe quickly. More than 67 percent of study respondents tabbed the \u201cRear Seat Kicker\u201d as the worst offender\u2014meaning two out of every three passengers rates these people as worst. \u201cInattentive parents\u201d came in at 64 percent, followed by the \u201cAromatic passenger\u201d at 56 percent, the \u201cAudio Insensitive\u201d at 51 percent, and the \u201cBoozer\u201d at 50 percent.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

(Interestingly, while one out of every two passengers rated \u201cThe Boozer\u201d as worst, only 12 percent of Americans report that they drink more than two alcoholic beverages during air travel, while on board or in the airport. That means the ones who drink a lot are particularly offensive.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Coming in at No. 6 on the list: the \u201cChatty Cathy,\u201d or the passenger who won\u2019t shut up. Roughly 78 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, \u201cA little small talk is fine, but I prefer to keep to myself during the flight.\u201d While 16 percent of Americans said they \u201cuse flights as an opportunity to talk to and meet new people.\u201d 65 percent said they \u201cdread\u201d the experience of sitting next to someone else.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

(As for me, it depends on my mood, the cabin in which I\u2019m sitting, and how much work I\u2019m hoping to accomplish on the flight.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Other interesting stats from the study:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n