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Original poster

Annoying people in the airport/plane

154 replies

PolkaDotMankini · 08/04/2023 09:14

I bloody hate early flights. I don't have the patience to deal with people that early in the morning. This morning's experience included:

  • People walking really slowly in groups through the airport, so no one else could get round them, stopping dead every so often to consult with each other about where to get breakfast
  • The people sitting behind me on the plane talking the entire way, including through the safety briefing
  • The person playing crappy music on their phone speaker
  • The person whistling on the plane. Whistling FFS

Only an hour-long flight and I can get off now, thank goodness.

OP posts:
MadameSzyszkoBohusz · 09/04/2023 14:26

Our flight from Mallorca last summer was held on the runway for almost three hours whilst we waited for a storm to pass.

Someone a couple of rows behind us gave their children whistles to play with while we waited.

Whistles. 😩

girlfriend44 · 09/04/2023 15:11

PolkaDotMankini · 08/04/2023 09:14

I bloody hate early flights. I don't have the patience to deal with people that early in the morning. This morning's experience included:

  • People walking really slowly in groups through the airport, so no one else could get round them, stopping dead every so often to consult with each other about where to get breakfast
  • The people sitting behind me on the plane talking the entire way, including through the safety briefing
  • The person playing crappy music on their phone speaker
  • The person whistling on the plane. Whistling FFS

Only an hour-long flight and I can get off now, thank goodness.

You have zero tolerance. You are not the only person on the plane.
People can talk if they want instead of sitting there all miserable.

Stravawindow · 09/04/2023 15:16

If I’m on a long haul flight, aka 10/12 hours I recline my chair. Everyone does. Anyone who says people don’t are wrong. That said, I tell the person behind that I am doing it. Also, cabin staff on the flights I’ve been on ask people to bring their seat up right during food service.

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Meandfour · 09/04/2023 15:25

Eggseggseverywhere · 08/04/2023 09:32

Worst flight I was ever one was the one when I looked down at dd 5 months and saw spots literally appearing before my eyes.. Got home and dc had chicken pox...mil hadn't wanted to tell us and spoil our trip..
I kept a blanket over her until we got out of the airport!

I’m confused.. why was it down to your MIL to tell you your own child had chicken pox?

amusedbush · 09/04/2023 19:06

Chewbecca · 08/04/2023 16:52

Exactly! I can’t understand people complaining about something that is available to everybody.

Show quote history

It's not available to me because I have a physical disability and reclining causes me horrendous back pain. If the person in front of me reclines, I just need to sit there feeling claustrophobic - not to mention blinded by the screen now six inches from my face.

I personally don't understand how a reclined seat is any more comfortable to sleep in. It tilts your top half back but your bottom half stays where it is, with your feet still wedged under the seat in front.

Champagneforeveryone · 09/04/2023 19:41

I'm flying long haul next month and I'm suddenly on edge about the previously unconsidered reclining etiquette 😆

Mrsjayy · 10/04/2023 09:35

MadameSzyszkoBohusz · 09/04/2023 14:26

Our flight from Mallorca last summer was held on the runway for almost three hours whilst we waited for a storm to pass.

Someone a couple of rows behind us gave their children whistles to play with while we waited.

Whistles. 😩

Good god 😳

gogohmm · 10/04/2023 09:57

@amusedbush

There's a little metal thing for your feet too, it's far more comfortable to sleep reclined though we fortunately can fly premium economy these days with better recliners. You can't expect people to not want to sleep on long flights, but I don't think you should recline under 5 hours flights

RedToothBrush · 10/04/2023 10:11

NoDecorIdea · 09/04/2023 00:27

I'm cabin crew, most of our aircraft have reclining seats. We will ask people to put seats upright for the meal service, but other than that it's perfectly acceptable.
What's more, we actually have very few complaints over it.

Everyone is too polite to complain that's why.

I think they should just ban the damn recliners. The idea that you can't sleep without reclining is bollocks. It doesn't add to your comfort. It's just psychological.

All it does is give people unnecessary rage and stress that they bottle up.

RedToothBrush · 10/04/2023 10:12

Stravawindow · 09/04/2023 15:16

If I’m on a long haul flight, aka 10/12 hours I recline my chair. Everyone does. Anyone who says people don’t are wrong. That said, I tell the person behind that I am doing it. Also, cabin staff on the flights I’ve been on ask people to bring their seat up right during food service.

Bullshit.

arabellasdress · 10/04/2023 10:27

Screaming children, like hounds of hell

OMGitsnotgood · 10/04/2023 10:31

Fast track is at the gate, nothing to do with going through security!

Both these things exist.

Backinntheroom · 10/04/2023 10:43

Knullrufs · 08/04/2023 09:38

The only thing worse than early flights is flights later in the day. So I generally grit my teeth and do the 4am wake-up thing because going later is invariably worse.

I’m always fascinated by the airport-specific permissioning that goes on. No other time is it acceptable to get on the lagers at six in the morning. Except when you’re going on holiday.

Re the self-permissioning - it isn't really airport-specific...
...I have come off many a night duty and had a drink at 8am and Smithfield, before the market was closed, used to be awash with pubs that opened at 4am for the porters
Maybe an insomniac would like a drink at 6am...

Backinntheroom · 10/04/2023 10:45

@MadameSzyszkoBohusz How did you not kill them (both parents and children?)

PhillySub · 10/04/2023 14:30

Limitedperiodonly - the title of the thread is Annoying people in the airport/plane. You have given an example of what annoys you. I gave an example of what annoys me. You have decided that this is aimed at you. 🤔

thecatsthecats · 10/04/2023 15:41

I'm a proper "global citizen, respecter of cultures, love to travel and experience different people" type.

But I've flown in and out of one particular countty a few times now, and fuck me, they do not know how to behave on a plane.

Turning up to checkin without boarding passes. Turning up with huge additional bags. Won't put their phones on flight mode. At least six people facetiming takeoff around me. Won't obey the seat belt signs.

The staff are at their wits end during these flights, and I don't blame them. I'm on my last nerve too by the end.

notimagain · 10/04/2023 15:46

A lot of the adverse comments about apparently early drinking and seat recline on short haul flights might make some sense at airports where folks are rocking up fresh’ish out of bed, adjusted to local time, not jet lagged.

OTOH It’s a completely different matter on airlines on flights where a lot of the clientele can have connected, have body clocks on different zones (hence some of the apparently early drinking) or are utterly jet lagged, or are just flat out cream crackered (hence some of the reclined seats).

I used to regularly get on a short haul flight to go home immediately after a very long nights work and on those breakfast time flights getting an hour’s kip in a slightly reclined seat was life saver…but I did of course try and observe seat reclining etiquette.

Sure people should be considerate but there’s an old maxim about not judging someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes..

thecatsthecats · 10/04/2023 16:21

Ooh ooh, another one... People who slag off Ryanair without having ever flown with them.

I came separately out on Ryanair to join in laws and got so many "ooh, hope you don't crash" comments. Wedding this weekend - everyone flew, and lots of snarky comments whenever someone posted a Ryanair pic.

It's always people who barely travel who slate Ryanair. Any experienced traveller knows that Ryanair are just fine for 99% of flights. And that 99% of "problems" people have one Ryanair flights come from a basic lack of comprehension by the traveller.

MadameSzyszkoBohusz · 10/04/2023 16:26

I came very close @Backinntheroom. I think at one point I did Google "how bad are Spanish jails?"

For...research purposes.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 10/04/2023 17:05

The two couples who pushed their way past everyone to nab the extra leg room seats (not even us who, if everyone waited their turn to get it would be in them). The guy who kept shoving my seat into upright, even through it was fucking upright. The woman who tried to nab sisters diabetic meal because it looked nicer, then gave sister hackies and grumbles from Dubai to Newcastle. Also on same flight, the woman who wanted sister’s booked seat, (sister had lipoma after mastectomy and chosen, booked seat was the most supportive) arguing with cabin crew, then demanded upgrade (didn’t get it)

FangedFrisbee · 10/04/2023 17:34

The family of 5 who gave the 3 children kazoos to play with at 4 am in Heathrow...

CountFoscosMice · 10/04/2023 17:56

thecatsthecats · 10/04/2023 15:41

I'm a proper "global citizen, respecter of cultures, love to travel and experience different people" type.

But I've flown in and out of one particular countty a few times now, and fuck me, they do not know how to behave on a plane.

Turning up to checkin without boarding passes. Turning up with huge additional bags. Won't put their phones on flight mode. At least six people facetiming takeoff around me. Won't obey the seat belt signs.

The staff are at their wits end during these flights, and I don't blame them. I'm on my last nerve too by the end.

I really need to know the country!!!

LexMitior · 10/04/2023 18:29

Toddlers, people who take their shoes off with no socks and hen parties on flights are the pits.

Noise cancelling headphones, Valium and a gin and tonic are required to deal with these.

FreezyWater · 10/04/2023 19:08

I flew long haul last week and my god, do people not wear deodorant any more?
Why do people performance cough? Why do the whole cabin need to hear you hawking up whatever is in your chest?

I can't sleep on airplanes regardless of the Reclining seats but if they are recliners, then they are surely supposed to be reclined.

arabellasdress · 12/04/2023 19:42

thecatsthecats · 10/04/2023 15:41

I'm a proper "global citizen, respecter of cultures, love to travel and experience different people" type.

But I've flown in and out of one particular countty a few times now, and fuck me, they do not know how to behave on a plane.

Turning up to checkin without boarding passes. Turning up with huge additional bags. Won't put their phones on flight mode. At least six people facetiming takeoff around me. Won't obey the seat belt signs.

The staff are at their wits end during these flights, and I don't blame them. I'm on my last nerve too by the end.

Any hints? Which country?

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