Air travel is stressful enough—without other passengers making it worse. After all, at the airport, you have to deal with long queues, flight delays, crowded waiting areas, lost luggage—and, of course, other people.
For many travelers, the biggest frustration isn’t the airport—it’s other people. A YouGov survey asked travelers to rank the most annoying airport habits. Here’s what they said:
10. People who accidentally pick up others’ luggage
OK yeah, lots of black bags look alike. That’s why you should get a really cool luggage tag that really pops. Maybe get 2 and put them on different parts of your suitcase.
9. Those who queue at the gate before it’s open
a.k.a. “gate lice.” This one drives me up a wall, for sure. United seemed to have a good idea to avoid it, too, but then they stopped using it.
8. Travelers who set off the metal detectors at security
Most frustration was aimed at people who set it off because they didn’t follow instructions, like removing their belt because of the huge metal buckle.
7. People who don’t stack their trays after going through security
True, some of the newer scanners have technology so the trays self-stack. But not all of them do. The people who just leave their tray are probably the same ones who finish at the supermarket or big box hardware and leave their cart right next to where they were parked, even though the cart corral is only, like, 20 feet away.
6. The ones who run through the airport and knock into other people
You get brownie points (and probably an AARP membership and reading glasses) if you remember this series of commercials 
5. Travelers who overpack and then repack the SECOND their stuff is off the X-ray conveyor belt – and therefore hold up the queue
Plan, people. PLAN!!! And hello, there are benches 10 or 20 feet ahead of you, and lots of open space, too. Re-pack THERE!
4. People who don’t understand or follow security rules
It takes seconds to look up the rules before you go.
3. The ones who don’t have their ID ready
Is it really a surprise that you’ll need to show your ID at the airport?
2. Travelers who put their bags on seats in the airport
Oh yessss! That’s a big one. It even made the first entry in this list of ways not to be THAT guy/gal.
And the #1 pet peeve of airport passengers?
1. Queue jumpers
I don’t think they mean the ones who have been in line and have to pee; almost anyone should be able to deal with that. I mean the ones who either (A) sneak into the queue to see how far ahead they can get or (B) their friends/family have been in the queue while they walked slow, got something to eat, or whatever, and they joined up with their people. No, if you must stay together, then they should move to the back where you are, not the other way around.
So what’s YOUR biggest airport pet peeve?
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1 comment
My pet peeve? Complainers! Especially ones that zero in on the pettiest things, are repetitive, and never do anything about it. My remedy at the ready? Humor.