Aussie passengers flying off the handle
SYDNEY – Rude flight attendants, chatterboxes, poor passenger hygiene, reclining seats and dirty toilets are amongst the nation’s greatest flying frustrations according to a survey conducted by travel.com.au.
But delayed flights topped the list with over half of the survey’s 1700-plus respondents, indicating that the most frustrating aspect of flying occurred before the plane had even left the tarmac.
Travel.com.au general manager brand, Lisa Ferrari, said, “The days when airplane food was the biggest bugbear of passengers are obviously gone – it didn’t even score a place in the list.â€
“Instead, nowadays it seems the biggest flying frustration comes before passengers have even boarded the plane,†Ferrari said.
Ferrari said that many of the respondents went further – pinpointing the lack of information about a delayed flight as the most frustrating component.
Ferrari said she also agreed with the 47.9 percent of respondents who got frustrated by people who reclined their seats all the way back on short flights.
“Given that it can severely cut into your already limited seat space, I’d throw my support behind a decision by the airlines to regulate when you can and can’t recline your seats. Extenuating circumstances aside, I’m just not sure it’s necessary on an hour flight.â€
According to respondents, the fourth most frustrating event was being sat next to an overweight passenger who encroached on his or her own seat.
This result reinforced the findings of a survey conducted by travel.com.au in November 2008, which found that 53 percent of Australians thought obese people should have to purchase two economy class tickets if they couldn’t fit into one.
Australian Travellers’ top 8 Flying Frustrations
1. Flight delays
2. People putting their seats back during short flights
3. Being trapped in your seat by a sleeping passenger
4. Overweight passengers who encroach on your own seat
5. The poor hygiene of fellow passengers
6. Being stuck next to a passenger who won’t stop talking
7. Dirty toilets
8. Rude flight attendants
Ian Jarrett
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