Passenger habits that most irritate flight attendants

London - The latest recruits to the mile high club, using the call button to ask random unrelated questions and making fun of the safety procedures. Jetcost lists the most irritating passenger habits.

The search engine Jetcost has selected 10 things that most annoy flight attendants.

Making fun of the security measures. Passengers that fly frequently now know the security demonstration off by heart: indication of emergency exits, the life jackets, etc… Even the crew feel it can be a little ridiculous in giving obvious indications and pretending to inflate the life vest. What is most shocking however, is when the passengers make fun of them, laughing and imitating them.

Occupying the whole luggage compartment. Many travellers choose to take carryon luggage to avoid paying the cost for putting it in hold. Obviously, not everything fits in the luggage compartment above their assigned seat, so they decide to invade one of the neighbours, or leave their bags and suitcases at the top of the plane, even if their seat is ten rows back. Many even refuse to place their belongings under the seat in front. Some even expect the flight attendant to store their luggage when they could easily do it themselves.

Obstructing the corridor. Aircraft space has become increasingly smaller and some passengers think it is okay to invade the space of others. Some permanently occupy the seat armrests, disturbing their neighbours, others stretch their arms and legs out and obstruct the passageway for flight attendants and the beverage cart. When they stumble on someone, the passenger doesn’t even apologise.

Those who use devices when they shouldn’t.  Although it is now possible to set devices to flight mode so they can be used during the flight, such as computers, tablets and phones, there are times when this is forbidden. Jetcost noted however, that there’s always a "clever clogs" prepared to disobey the rules and, for their own reasons, decide to teach the flight attendants about technology. When these rules are then repeated and insisted upon, it often annoys the customer.

Those who stand up before the airplane has come to a complete stop. An act that disturbs both passengers and flight attendants alike. It feels like after being on a flight for several hours, there is an urgency to get off the plane first. This becomes particularly dangerous when it happens before the plane has actually stopped. It is therefore often necessary to warn people on the loudspeaker so everyone returns to their seats.

Turning mobile phones on ahead of time. Another absurd act passengers do; if they have already spent two or three hours without a connection, it is not a great hardship for them to wait another five minutes before making a call. Yet many do it nonetheless, if only to advise home with the classic "Dear, I have arrived ...". An aircraft commander told Jetcost, that once he had to ask that people turn off all their phones because the interference stopped the landing gear from working properly, making it impossible to maneuver the aircraft into a parked position.

Excessive use of the call button. All seats are equipped with a button to call the crew. Except that many use it incorrectly. Confusing it with the light button, or calling to ask for a drink when the drinks cart passed barely five minutes earlier, or use it to request a change in the air conditioning temperature, sometimes it can even be used to inquire about the area they are flying over, right up to even more absurd requests.

Going to the bathroom or standing up when you should not. When there is turbulence during landing and takeoff it is forbidden to stand up.  This however does not seem to apply to those passengers who are in a hurry to go to toilets, or those who urgently need find something in their hand luggage, or those that need to talk to another passenger seated five rows ahead.

Using the plane as a waste bin. Flight attendants pass by numerous times to collect rubbish from the passengers, but some passengers prefer to deposit it in the magazine rack of the seat in front instead, or simply on the ground. The flight attendants are now also in charge of cleaning the plane due to the short time frame the aircraft is at the airport, and it’s not very pleasant to collect chocolate wrappers, empty crisp bags or ... chewing gum which has been stuck to the bags and company magazines. Jetcost reports a case when a flight attendant announced on the loudspeaker: "All passengers are kindly requested to take any rubbish with you."

Those looking for unusual adventures. Having sex on board an airplane is a common fantasy among some passengers. There is a club called the Mile High Club which welcomes those who actually achieve this. It is not that simple of a task either, as it requires a long night flight when most passengers are asleep, plus a couple of blankets to create intimacy or a bathroom that is a bit bigger than usual so as not to clash with the various service buttons (water, soap, emergency button...). Flight attendants do not usually intervene except in scandalous situations or if they are asked to participate!

Jetcost is a travel price comparison site for flights, hotels and car rentals. It searches and compares over 250 travel agencies, hotel booking sites to find you the best cheapest deals, offers and promotions.

ENDS

PR Manager
Matthew Kaye
press@kudos-pr.co.uk
0113 24 60 183