Rude air passengers fuel holiday frustrations

As millions of travelers take to the sky this week during the year's busiest travel period, hassles and frustration stem not only from airport crowds and inefficient airlines but from rude passengers, who are uninformed — or unconcerned — with in-flight manners, according to recent surveys.

And it's not all about the reclining seat controversy that grabbed so much attention this summer when several flights had to be diverted because of onboard air rage incidents concerning reclining seats invading the personal space of the passenger behind.

Beefs about reclining seats ranked sixth, according to a list of 10 "Flying Faux Pas" by travel app TripIt.

The top gripe was other travelers being rude to airline crew and staff, and to airport security personnel. Undisciplined children who misbehave or disturb others ranked second, followed by seatmates who hog space, and loud-talkers.

This Thanksgiving holiday period, nearly 25 million passengers are expected to travel on U.S. airlines, up 1.5 percent over last year, according to airline industry group Airlines for America.

O'Hare International Airport is expected to be the third-most-traveled airport, after airports in Atlanta and Los Angeles. The busiest travel day during the holiday — and for the year — will be the Sunday after Thanksgiving as many travelers return from holiday visits.

The survey found other air travel offenses were:

•People blocking the baggage claim area.

•People bringing stinky food on the plane.

•Travelers who hog the carry-on bin.

•Those who rush off the plane instead of waiting for passengers in front to exit.

•People who block aisles during a flight.

"Knowing the behaviors that are the biggest turnoffs to travelers can make everyone's experience better during the travel-heavy Thanksgiving holiday, and year-round," TripIt says.

TripIt conducted the survey in September among 400 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

Of course, airlines and airports contribute to hassles too.

In a separate survey by flier-advocacy group Travelers' Voice, passengers said the most frustrating aspect of air travel was the fees — for checked bags, seat assignments and other services that used to be included in the price of an airline ticket.

Flight delays and cancellations came in second, with the overall cost of flying ranking third.

Tops on passengers' wish list was increasing the amount of legroom between airplane seats and the size of the seat itself.

The biggest onboard frustrations, according to the Traveler's Voice survey, stemmed from sitting in front of a young child who frequently kicks and pushes your seatback. Sitting near a crying baby came in second, followed by sitting in the same airplane row as a snoring adult.

That survey was conducted Oct. 16-19.

(Gregory Karp - Chicago Tribune)