Is the behaviour of passengers on airplanes getting more demanding?

[SailingOnAWave]

Hello. I fly several times a year and one thing I've noticed in recent years is that the behaviour of other passengers on the planes seems to be getting worse and more entitled.

On one flight a passenger started to demand that one of the three toilets was for her use only.

In another a passenger demanded that she is given a seat in the emergency exit rows for more leg space (they were already filled and she said she had not paid for this, but was expecting her wishes to be fulfilled).

On another a passenger wanted the pilot to read out to the whole plane a personal message.

I could go on and on.

I would be really interested to hear other stories!

@BirdLandedonmyHead

My parents (who need assistance) find they may get off last, but they get through security dtc quicker so get to luggage reclaim first

Unfortunately there are a lot of people who have cottoned on to that and now abuse the system

We (airline crew) used to see that on some specific routes where assistance was much better one end of the route than the other:

Dozens (literally dozens on some flights) of people boarding OK but losing the ability to walk en-route one way and needing assistance on arrival - whizzing around the terminal on golf carts etc...

Going the other way golf cart to aircraft door, then en-route suddenly find ability to race through the terminal on foot on arrival.

Some ex Cabin crew will probably know the sort of places I'm on about and BTW in the context of this thread that is not new behaviour.

I don’t think you have understood what I was saying. Or maybe you didn’t read to the end? I sometimes walk through the airport on arrival through sheer impatience but that makes me ill for several days afterwards. I have ME/CFS. I look like a normal healthy person and am able bodied but I am actually incredibly restricted and, yes, disabled because I cannot do what normal healthy people can do. There are many fluctuating illnesses out there. Perhaps the man was OK to walk becuase he had had a nice long rest on the plane?

There's more posts from Americans than UK posters these days.

Or its AI

I've not noticed particularly on flights, no. I do travel about a dozen times a year, mostly work.

I do feel some people are generally rude at airports and travel in general though. I'm just back from somewhere and two women decided to stand right in front of me at the luggage carousel, as clearly them getting their luggage is more important.

Also pushing and shoving in general. Most recent trip to Spain, an obese, older man in his 60's pushing everyone out the way, including children and women. I'm sure there's many other examples but I remember these as they happened within the last 48 hours.

No really bad behaviour but odd behaviour from a lady who was sitting next to me for 10.5 hours from Sri Lanka to London. She looked scared the whole time. Was wearing a very thick padded coat the whole journey. (V hot when we left!). Didn’t read or watch the screen or use a phone or even sleep. Just stared at back of the seat. I felt sorry for her. It was a LONG flight.

I did assume she was a nervous or first time flyer and tried to say hello to see if I could help her with the in flight entertainment. But she just smiled and ignored me. Probably no English.

I’ve flown 8 times in the last 4 months and passengers were the same as they have always been, I didn’t see anyone demanding…

A raw dogger?
Did she also refuse all food and drink?

This, unfortunately, is the sort of thing that enrages abled people as they think disabled people are taking the piss.

Raw Dogger?
No she ate the food. Was so relieved she had something to do!

No. There's always some who feel they're entitled. It depends on the route/destinations, airline, and a number of other variables, but also on the passenger demographic.

People need educating about hidden and fluctuating disabilities. I’ve got a blue badge. I get people yelling at me sometimes when I use that. Very occasionally (about once a year) I can walk half a mile. Sometimes I struggle with 20 metres. I look healthy, well and fit. I am not.

I fly more than often than you. I’ve never seen any behaviour like this.

I have MS and I can walk normally, I look healthy. Due to fatigue I have to plan ahead though--- I might be able to walk to the gate but then I have to get across the world on a 11 hour flight, so I might choose to have a wheelchair to the gate. It may be that if the flight is delayed I will choose to get off and walk as fast as I can to get my connecting train, but I will pay for it afterwards for days. So it is more complicated that one may think. I've even had airport staff look at me quizzically and suggest I don't really need the assistance.

I'm pretty sure some people do take the P though-- even to the point of people pretending they have assistance booked so they can hop a ride on the buggies! The staff at Heathrow are certainly very suspicious of everyone regarding buggy spaces.

Yes! I have several friends who are teachers and they all say how behaviour has taken a dramatic turn for the worse since the pandemic.

Vaping on flights. Getting angry when asked to stop. Ryanair.

standing to talk to person behind and holding onto headrest, jigging it around, then asked to move seats if I didn’t like it, when I politely asked them to stop. EasyJet.

someone using a speaker to play music on the flight. Got angry when someone else asked them to stop, then turning the music up when the steward asked them to stop. TUI.

So to avoid the chancers they board in rows and if people are the grabby type to do that, they need to vacate not only the seats, but the aircraft.

I think it’s behaviour and expectations in general. I work in travel and you would not believe the petty first world problems people see fit to complain about now (usually with demands for compensation). I’m sorry but if after a two week holiday in the sun with your family you’re still obsessing about the fact they only had Chardonnay on your outbound flight, enough to complain about it, then you’re doing holidays wrong.

Agree with a PP also, requests for wheelchair assistance have absolutely rocketed, presumably because people see them as a queue jump through passport control and security. Amazing how many people suddenly regain the ability to walk when you explain that they can’t have emergency exit row AND wheelchair assistance.

Maybe,..

The airlines have tried this all ways over the years, including boarding strictly by seat row.....but that seems to have gone out of fashion.

The other thing I’ ve noticed is people in back rows putting their stuff in overhead lockers at the front - and sooooo many large cabin bags.
Maybe have no overhead lockers and all bags apart from underseat in the hold . Would make for much faster embarkation and depart.
Also do many complaints from chancers that the evil capitalists Ryanair enforce bag sizing with penalties - just pay the fee you cheapskate!

@KittyCorncrake

Maybe have no overhead lockers and all bags apart from underseat in the hold . Would make for much faster embarkation and depart

Problem is more bags into/out of the holds would probably slow down turnrounds and increase ground handling charges....both of which puts upwards pressure on fares.

In an aisle seat on Emirates premium economy (very nice actually!) I felt something touch my bare elbow on the armrest next to the aisle. I looked round and a man behind had his bare foot on my armrest. I pushed it off and he put it back. It happened twice more so I asked the steward to tell him to stop. When I got up he was looking at me so I told him to keep his filthy sweaty feet to himself. Filthy pig.

I would probably have stuck something sharp into it. Like a hairpin. But then I am a bitch. hahaha

That is a very good point! I had a similar experience last year when we did 12 hours on an easyjet plane. We couldn't land in Madeira safely due to wind, so were diverted to Faro, where we were on the tarmac for hours, before eventually flying back to Gatwick! There were people going on their honeymoon, people with toddlers (I can only imagine the hell they went through!) Everyone was remarkably stoic about the whole thing.

Weird. Had the same once on a flight LHR to LAX. Except this was in First Class on a BA 747. To be clear there is minimal difference between Club and First but you book First because of the extra bells and whistles experience and exclusivity. Huge lounge, three course dinner in lounge, spa, anything you want on board, lie flat seats, pyjamas, huge tv etc, only 12 seats in the cabin
We were served welcome drinks on boarding, snacks, three course lunch, afternoon tea etc etc. constant champagne top ups or offer of a cocktail. Lights go out and the cabin crew make up a bed for you. You get the picture.
A lady on the other side of the cabin did exactly the same thing didn’t take off her huge padded coat(it was August) refused all food and drink except for water, didn’t even recline the seat or watch anything. Just sat and looked directly ahead. Not distressed or unable to move or anything obviously physically or mentally challenging just calmly sat there for 12 hours. She would have been fine in economy! That flight is not cheap. Think £12k probably higher (I used my Avios). I know she wasn’t a last minute upgrade either because that seat had been booked for months (DH wanted to sit there)
All the while I’m stuffing my face, drinking champagne throughout, having naps…. I felt like Augustus Gloop!

Im a flight attendant and believe me when i say some people behave absolutely terribly. There are at least three nationalities that we hate flying with because two of them have a reputation for being rude, aggressive and demanding while the other one is demanding and constantly complaining. I know they are stereotypes but the vast majority of them are very true to type! These destinations are always the most hated by crew and have the highest sickness rates! Kids are in the main usually no problem at all and the vast majority are well behaved, however the amount of children ( of all nationalities) that don’t say please or thank you is astounding.