BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Nov 25, 2013) - As we head into the busiest travel season of the year, don't be a Grinch. Planes are crowded, weather is uncertain and emotions run high. It's the time of year when being a considerate traveler is most appreciated. So, in the name of keeping this time of year jolly, Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, has turned to the traveling public to find out what behaviors are sure to land you on the naughty flier traveler list.
A Cheapflights.com survey of 1,081 Americans focused on the good, the bad and the ugly of flying. And the ugliest are those quirks from others that irk us the most as passengers. What tops the list? Seat kicking!
Almost 20% of respondents named that as the single most annoying thing a nearby passenger can do. "Talk loudly or incessantly" and "let children misbehave" were virtually tied for second followed by "put feet on your arm rest/tray table/into your leg room."
Here's the full break down on the most annoying traveler behaviors:
| Kick your seat | 19.33% |
| Talk loudly or incessantly | 17.58% |
| Let children misbehave | 17.11% |
| Put feet on your armrest/tray table/into your leg room | 8.14% |
| Carry on excessive amounts/oversized luggage | 6.48% |
| Recline his or her seat | 6.01% |
| Yank on your seat back | 5.27% |
These behaviors, in turn, spark a range of reactions (and non-reactions) from passengers. When asked how they handle a fellow traveler who is bothersome, respondents went from unexpressed internal anger to social media rants -- with many other alternatives in between:
| Seethe quietly and do nothing | 34.90% |
| Let it go/not be bothered | 34.52% |
| Confront the passenger directly | 29.64% |
| Retaliate subtly (e.g., recline back on the seat kicker) | 18.57% |
| Report the traveler to the flight attendant | 14.54% |
| Ask for a new seat | 13.98% |
| Rant on social media | 9.29% |
To compare the good and the bad of flying, we also did a little digging into what were really the most common travel incidents, both fortunate and unfortunate. While some standard complaints, namely screaming children and long delays on the tarmac, did pop up for more than half of our respondents, there were a healthy number who reported having been upgraded and scoring free food and drinks, among other positive experiences. We even had some who had life-changing events, like meeting a future spouse or being inspired to invent a product or start a company.
Most common "unfortunate" travel moments
| Screaming child | 61.70% |
| Long delay stuck on the tarmac | 54.21% |
| Lost luggage | 41.35% |
| Missed connection | 35.34% |
| Smelly fellow passenger | 30.90% |
| Snoring neighbor | 22.02% |
| Out of order entertainment system | 18.04% |
Most common "fortunate" travel moments
| Bumped to business or first class | 31.36% |
| Scored a free drink or meal | 26.64% |
| Got someone's phone number | 7.59% |
| Joined the "mile-high club" | 3.42% |
| Secured a new job | 1.85% |
| Met a future spouse or significant other | 1.67% |
| Landed a new client | 1.67% |
| Been inspired to invent a product/start a company | 1.67% |
"As the annual flux of holiday travelers gear up to take the air in the coming days and weeks, we all need to pack an extra dose of patience and consideration and be aware of how we impact those around us," said Melisse Hinkle, site editor and travel expert at Cheapflights.com. "Travel is, to some degree, a team effort. We can work together to make or break the success of the trip for everyone. Being good travel companions can go a long way toward keeping the journey smooth and, at times, even rewarding."
To read more, visit www.cheapflights.com/news/holiday-travel-faux-pas-tis-the-season-to-be-a-friendly-flier.
About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 13 million visitors a month -- plus 7 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.
Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006.
The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across more than 20 core international markets but users all over the world.
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