Have you ever flown on a plane and had to deal with fellow passengers who are downright rude and inconsiderate? As much as we've all heard the saying 'the customer is always right', flight attendant Sarsha Petterson thinks otherwise.

She's shared her experiences of the most annoying passenger habits she encounters on a daily basis, and you might be surprised to find out that most of us are guilty of at least one of them.

There are few jobs as demanding as being a flight attendant. From serving passengers to keeping them safe, cabin crew have a lot to deal with on every flight — including a few annoyingly grating passenger habits.

Sarsha's insights give us a glimpse into what it's like to be a flight attendant dealing with passengers who don't follow basic airline etiquette. So, if you've ever wondered what annoys flight attendants the most, keep reading!

A flight attendant spilled the beans on the passenger habits that really grind her gears in the air. Credit: Pexels/Vinh Lâm.

Being rude to the staff

The number one thing that annoys Sarsha is when passengers are rude to her, treating her with disrespect and taking out their anger for the flight on her.

'It's the worst flight I've ever been on, I'm never coming back,' Sarsha said, mimicking a passenger.

Complicated food orders

According to Sarsha, one of the most frustrating passenger habits is when they make overly-complicated food orders or don't understand that the aeroplane doesn't have a fully-stocked kitchen.

'Passengers often ask for sandwiches with fresh ingredients added, despite the fact they are pre-prepared,' she explained. 'And I've had passengers ask for their food to be heated up, despite the fact there's no microwave on board.'

Sarsha says many passengers fail to understand that the airline does not have a huge kitchen that can whip up complex orders. Credit: Unsplash/Suhyeon Choi.

Refusing to follow instructions

We all know that safety is taken very seriously on a plane, but it's still frustrating when passengers won't do as they're asked — especially when it comes to seatbelts.

'Another annoying issue I've encountered with parents is when they refuse to put the seatbelt on their baby because they are sleeping,' said Sarsha. 'She does need her seatbelt on because as we descend it does get quite bumpy, and I wouldn't want her to go flying in the air and then come down and hit her head on something.'

Changing their baby's nappies on food trays

It might sound unbelievable, but Sarsha says passengers also like to change their baby's nappies on the tray table — and get angry when they're told they can't.

'You can't actually change your baby's nappy on that tray table, because people eat off of it, and there's also people sitting next to you,' she said. 'It's quite unhygienic.'

Some passengers are uncooperative and stubborn when asked to follow instructions. Credit: Unsplash/Calle Macarone.

Demanding the flight to go faster

We all get a bit frustrated when there's a delay, but that doesn't mean the flight crew can do anything about it. Sarsha said she also found it incredibly annoying when passengers demand the flight to complete its journey even faster because obviously, it's not possible to speed up a plane.

'Why are we delayed? I need to leave now,' Sarsha mimicked the rude behaviour while laughing. 'All right, I'll just go in and tell the captain that we need to leave now because the lady in row two said that we need to leave now.'

Ignoring the window blinds

While it's understandable that passengers don't want to be disturbed when they're trying to rest, or the sun is shining in their faces, it's safer if the cabin crew can see out of the window before the plane lands.

Not handing over their boarding pass

Sarsha also revealed that many passengers take offence to the request for their passes thinking that the cabin crew doesn't think they're in the right seat and feel like they know better - when in fact, it's to double-check that everyone is on the correct flight.

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It's important to remember that showing appreciation for our flight attendants goes beyond just being kind and grateful. Small gestures like a smile, a 'thank you', or even just following their instructions can make a big difference in their day.

When we treat them with respect and consideration, it can help create a more positive and cooperative environment for everyone on the flight.

We all play a part in making air travel a pleasant experience for everyone. By following flight etiquette, being cooperative, and respecting the hard work of our flight attendants, we can make the journey a little bit smoother for everyone involved.

So, the next time you're on a plane, remember that we're all in this together, and a little bit of kindness can go a long way.

Air travel can be stressful and frustrating at times, and everyone has their own unique experiences and pet peeves.

Maybe you've had to deal with passengers who recline their seats all the way back, leaving you with no legroom, or perhaps you're annoyed by passengers who talk loudly on their phones or with each other, disrupting the peace and quiet of the cabin.

So, if you have any flight pet peeves of your own, feel free to share them in the comments below. It's always interesting to hear about other people's experiences and perhaps we can all learn a thing or two about how to be better travellers!

 

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