From seat grabbers to arm rest hogs: Kiwi travellers reveal their in-flight etiquette gripes

Flying isn't always fun. Photo / Getty Images

We've all experienced a flight we'd rather forget. From the seat recliners to the arm rest hogs, there's plenty to grate on your nerves when you're trapped together in a steel tube.

As more and more people travel by air, issues of etiquette are also being discussed more – just look at the popular Facebook page Passenger Shaming for the most extreme examples of bad behavior in the skies.

New research from Expedia's 2018 Airplane Etiquette report has highlighted the dilemmas New Zealanders are faced with when flying – with the reclining of seats being a particularly hot topic.

It's an issue Kiwis are divided on – with 45 per cent stating you should only recline your seat on flights longer than three hours and 16 per cent believing it's rude to recline your seat, period.

Around half of the respondents (49 per cent) said they would recline only if they were going to sleep, while 15 per cent said they reclined as soon as the seat belt sign went off after take-off. Around a quarter (24 per cent) would recline if the person in front of them had done so.

Seat allocation was another important issue, with a majority opting (98 per cent) for an aisle or window seat. For those who end up in the middle seat, there's always one pressing concern: "what if I need to go to the bathroom, but the aisle passenger is asleep?"

The survey revealed that Kiwis would rather try a risky maneuver than wake up a fellow passenger.

Only 30 per cent said they would wake them up and ask to get up, while 32 per cent would climb over them, with their back facing them.

Some chose to sit still, with 27 per cent opting to wait until the person in the aisle seat woke up.

And when it comes to the kinds of passengers that end up being featured on Passenger Shaming, there were certain types travellers found more annoying than others. The "seat grabber" took the number one spot, annoying close to 56 per cent of New Zealanders.

This is the passenger who constantly bumps and grabs the seat in front of them when they get up.

Other annoying archetypes included:

• The aromatic passenger (44 per cent) – poor hygiene or wearing too much perfume or cologne.
• The inattentive parent (42 per cent) – the parents who pay no attention to their child whether they are crying, whinging or misbehaving.
• Personal space violater (32 per cent) – passenger who gets too close or falls asleep on or near you on the flight.
• Audio insensitive (26 per cent) – passenger who talks loudly disturbing the peace in the cabin.
• Queue jumper (16 per cent) – passenger who rushes to deplane before those seated in front of them.
• Pungent foodie (16 per cent) – someone who brings particularly whiffy food onto the plane.
• Baggage mishandler (12 per cent) – someone who hogs all the overhead locker space or hits you with luggage on the way down.

Despite all this annoyance, there are ways to overcome it and enjoy your flight. Expedia suggests introducing yourself to your fellow passengers and establishing ground rules - such as asking the person on the aisle if they'd prefer to be woken up or climbed over.

It's also considerate to warn the person behind you if you're planning to recline your seat, make sure you have everything out of your bag before take-off and to keep your feet off the arm rest in front. That last one should be obvious, but judging by Passenger Shaming, it often isn't.