Air travel is stressful. Sure, it can be exciting sometimes too, but there’s a whole lot that can make your day more negative than positive. After all, at the airport, you have to deal with long queues, flight delays, crowded waiting areas, lost luggage—and, of course, other people.
Actually, other people’s behaviors seem to be a pet peeve for a lot of air travelers, to the point where YouGov (a global public opinion and data company) did a survey to see what people thought were the most annoying passenger habits in airports. Here are the results:
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. Southwest deserves kudos in my book for figuring out a way for it not to happen. 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
The consensus seemed to be against those who set it off because of something they were told to do, but didn’t, like remove 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
All it takes is a quick Google to find this – it tells you everything you need to know.
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 pet peeve when it comes to people at the airport?
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
7 comments
Hogging up the Overhead bins with 2-3 carry-ons,their coats and other small items…
On Southwest Airlines – those that ‘require’ a wheel chair to get on the plane (to get early boarding) but are very capable of walking off under their own power.
I need a wheelchair to get to my gates, which include the arrival gat at my destination. Can I walk from the sitting area to my seat in the plane, yes. Can I stand for 20 minutes as we que up and then inch to my seat in the aircraft?
No. I do want to be seated in the first wave so I can sit down close to the front , that way when we exit the plane I get get to my waiting wheelchair. And if you sometimes see that they have forgotten to place the wheelchairs, or that there are no staff to push them, that is when you will see them us exiting the ramp without our wheelchair.
I get glared at all the time by people who believe I am “capable”, is there anything I should do more to look incapible for you? Maybe cry and look pilitiful, or perhaps maybe we just should stay home and behave like proper handicaps.
These are often called “Miracle Flights” and are not limited to Southwest
Why shouldn’t wheelchairs board last? If there are any.
It’s not a matter of people using wheelchairs (“Wheelchairs” don’t board; they get stowed in cargo. “People” board. Some people use wheelchairs.). It’s a matter of “people who need extra time to board.” So they board first, to get that extra time. If they boarded last, they’d have to rush.
If a passenger also happens to use a wheelchair, it gives them the opportunity to get a seat that’s closest to the door, so they don’t have to struggle to Row 27 (planes aren’t particularly accessible for people who are differently abled). Even when Southwest goes to assigned seating, there will undoubtedly still be opportunity for those who need “up front” seats, due to their accessibility, the same as all the other airlines.
People who walk slowly or stop right in the middle of the concourse instead of moving to the side. Understand you might be looking for somewhere or checking if have everything you should but move out of the way! My favorite was a couple who stopped dead just after they come off a moving walkway! Me and one other person just behind them had to do some Olympic style moves not to be pushed into them. Arrrrgghhh!