How Airplane Seating Fuels Perceived Social Inequality and Air Rage
Jackie Reddy May 03, 2016
It can happen anywhere, but the findings of two researchers indicate a strong correlation between cabin class and air rage.
The world is full of inequality and air travel is certainly no exception, as researchers at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto have found. By analyzing past in-flight incidents of an unnamed international airline, academics here have drawn a correlation between cabin class, perceived inequality and the frequency of air rage incidents.
Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that air rage is more prevalent where passengers are divided into different seating classes, namely first and economy.
The data indicates that, while air rage incidents can occur anywhere, these incidents are more common among economy passengers where there is a first class cabin. The findings also indicated that these incidents occurred most frequently in all classes in instances where economy travelers had to pass through a plane’s first class area.
These findings were extrapolated from analysis of in-flight incidents circa 2010 by Katherine DeCelles, the study’s lead researcher, and her colleague Michael Norton. DeCelles and Norton were attempting to determine if seating had an impact on passenger behavior.
Overall, DeCelles and Norton found that the chance of misbehavior from an economy passenger was 3.84 times greater in the presence of a first class cabin. When economy travelers were forced to walk through the first class cabin, the researchers worked out that the chance of air rage incidents was 2.18 times greater than if they had boarded from mid-plane.
Additionally, the team also observed different kinds of air rage depending on passengers’ individual seats. For example, it seems that angry outbursts were more common in first class cabins while incidents in economy were rooted in anxiety, fear and stress.
While DeCelles acknowledges that it’s not possible to get rid of first class cabins, there are things that airlines can do to lessen perceived differences among passengers.
Speaking of the findings, DeCelles told Gizmodo, “The sense of inequality really relates to perceptions of unfairness, deprivation, frustration, agitation, and anger, which can in turn give rise to aggression and violence … And then being packed into a plane will intensify how you’re emotionally feeling and reacting.”
[Photo: Getty]
You’re Reading
Isn't there another possible link here between flights that have first class (tend to be used on longer routes) and those that only have one class (generally short routes). Perhaps more time in the air had something to do with the incidents?? I would find the statistics far more meaningful if they took that factor into account
They likely did not adjust for the fact that multi-class aircraft are usually bigger than single cabin ones ... > ..there are things that airlines can do to lessen perceived differences among passengers. vs > For example, it seems that angry outbursts were more common in first class.. Throwing out of the window the primary rationale of the study .... great job!
I'd love an Aston Martin but throwing a hissy fit in the showroom isn't going to get me one. We all want something more but if you haven't got the notes to pay for it then its tough luck!
I wonder if 3.84 more of the flights surveyed had first class cabins than those that didnt. At no point did they claim to adjust for the fact that most flights have at least two cabins.
Something is misleading in the data. Why would incidents increase in FC? I am an elite and so far about half the time I am in the front but the other half I am in economy. Some of the issues I see in Y center around luggage storage and around flight delays. The GA have been doing a great trying to get people to check carry-ons for free on a full flight. There are still a lot of people that want to hold on them. Don't see how someone sitting in First gets that person more upset. As an elite passengers, I know if I miss my connection, UA will have rebooked me and potentially offer some type of compensation. If one does not have status, you can suffer in long lines trying to get rebooked. Since UA has started offering free food and drinks to 1Ks seated in economy, I have twice had huffy non-1K passengers asked why did I get a free sandwich.