What's the most annoying passenger you've encountered?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 26
What's the most annoying passenger you've encountered?
8 hours, NRT-SEA. Guy boarded the plane and could be heard saying "34...34...34..." from the door. I was seated in 33 and knew it was going to be a bad time. "34...34...34...OH HERE IS 34". Guy had an Arabic sounding accent, but appeared to be a naturalized American due to his passport. From his conversation with his seat-mate, I am thinking maybe Lebanese.
Guy sits down, and is extremely loud and gesticulative as he talks to his seat-mate. So loud I can hear the conversation over take-off, so gesticulative that he keeps grabbing the back of my seat for emphasis.
2 hours in, guy has a glass of wine and finally calms down. But whatever movie he's watching is super dramatic! I hear loud screams and wails, occasionally a clap of the hands. After the movie, he is bored, and during midnight over the Aleutians, when 95% of the plans is asleep, guy starts taking pictures of the plane, with flash. I counted 85 photos before I turned around and asked him to refrain, at which point he feigned ignorance of English despite holding a (loud) conversation with his seat-mate earlier.
A couple more hours in, I feel him kicking my feet beneath my seat. He has managed to fully extend his legs (something I at 6'4" can only dream of) and has entered the foot space of my row. I thump his feet a few ....ing times and he gets the point.
Anyway, that's about it, except for the 19 times (counted) that he got up to go to the bathroom or walk up 7 rows to speak to his wife, who inexplicably had a seat in row 27 instead of next to him. Or, perhaps, it was her "mistake" that it ended up that way....
Guy sits down, and is extremely loud and gesticulative as he talks to his seat-mate. So loud I can hear the conversation over take-off, so gesticulative that he keeps grabbing the back of my seat for emphasis.
2 hours in, guy has a glass of wine and finally calms down. But whatever movie he's watching is super dramatic! I hear loud screams and wails, occasionally a clap of the hands. After the movie, he is bored, and during midnight over the Aleutians, when 95% of the plans is asleep, guy starts taking pictures of the plane, with flash. I counted 85 photos before I turned around and asked him to refrain, at which point he feigned ignorance of English despite holding a (loud) conversation with his seat-mate earlier.
A couple more hours in, I feel him kicking my feet beneath my seat. He has managed to fully extend his legs (something I at 6'4" can only dream of) and has entered the foot space of my row. I thump his feet a few ....ing times and he gets the point.
Anyway, that's about it, except for the 19 times (counted) that he got up to go to the bathroom or walk up 7 rows to speak to his wife, who inexplicably had a seat in row 27 instead of next to him. Or, perhaps, it was her "mistake" that it ended up that way....
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bangkok or San Francisco
Programs: United 1k, Marriott Lifetime PE, Former DL Gold, Former SQ Solitaire, HH Gold
Posts: 11,886
8 hours, NRT-SEA. Guy boarded the plane and could be heard saying "34...34...34..." from the door. I was seated in 33 and knew it was going to be a bad time. "34...34...34...OH HERE IS 34". Guy had an Arabic sounding accent, but appeared to be a naturalized American due to his passport. From his conversation with his seat-mate, I am thinking maybe Lebanese.
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
Guy on a Delta flight who grabbed a whole bottle of the cheap sparkling wine, then somehow got hold of a manifest from the FAs, telling everyone it was OK because he was a "Double Diamond DYKWIA."
#6
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: SEA
Programs: AF Plat a vie, EK Gold, SQ PPS
Posts: 758
People who act passively aggressive (sighs, loudly turning around) when my 5 year old starts to act up 11 hrs into our 12 hr daytime flt.
I applaud the business traveller who tells me I want to do that too as she finally loses it and starts crying on the desent.
I applaud the business traveller who tells me I want to do that too as she finally loses it and starts crying on the desent.
#7
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SYD
Programs: QF
Posts: 490
Depending on what it was. If it was like the child on my last overwater flight who hit my friend in the head with a die-cast car then believe me we'll be having an exchange. Nor will I take crap from parents who didn't appreciate me admonishing their child when their idea of discipline is a smile.
#8
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Udon Thani, Thailand
Programs: TK E,*G, A-Club G
Posts: 869
Strange, but in my 100+ TATL and Far East flights never had an annoying passenger near me, except maybe last trip ZRH-YUL, guy next to me probably hadn't showered for at least one week.
#9
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 40
I've only flown once over all (4 flights total round trip) and haven't met any annoying ones yet - next time I probably will as that's my luck and I'm no longer that "first time flyer" people are nice to
From what I heard on one flight though, people were annoyed with the baby 2 rows ahead of them since she was talkative, guessing she was around 2 so she wouldn't stop talking lol.
From what I heard on one flight though, people were annoyed with the baby 2 rows ahead of them since she was talkative, guessing she was around 2 so she wouldn't stop talking lol.
#10
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: East Anglia UK
Programs: BA-S UA LH-Sen KLM/AF-Plat.
Posts: 1,627
Crew on break - UA777 2A, TATL, flaps the curtains around, lights up my face with his reading light, then does it again, then again when he leaves. Whole cabin vibrates with his footfall. No problems from PAX.
#11
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Florida
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Club Carlson Gold, Choice Elite Platinum
Posts: 433
8 hours, NRT-SEA. Guy boarded the plane and could be heard saying "34...34...34..." from the door. I was seated in 33 and knew it was going to be a bad time. "34...34...34...OH HERE IS 34". Guy had an Arabic sounding accent, but appeared to be a naturalized American due to his passport. From his conversation with his seat-mate, I am thinking maybe Lebanese.
Guy sits down, and is extremely loud and gesticulative as he talks to his seat-mate. So loud I can hear the conversation over take-off, so gesticulative that he keeps grabbing the back of my seat for emphasis.
2 hours in, guy has a glass of wine and finally calms down. But whatever movie he's watching is super dramatic! I hear loud screams and wails, occasionally a clap of the hands. After the movie, he is bored, and during midnight over the Aleutians, when 95% of the plans is asleep, guy starts taking pictures of the plane, with flash. I counted 85 photos before I turned around and asked him to refrain, at which point he feigned ignorance of English despite holding a (loud) conversation with his seat-mate earlier.
A couple more hours in, I feel him kicking my feet beneath my seat. He has managed to fully extend his legs (something I at 6'4" can only dream of) and has entered the foot space of my row. I thump his feet a few ....ing times and he gets the point.
Anyway, that's about it, except for the 19 times (counted) that he got up to go to the bathroom or walk up 7 rows to speak to his wife, who inexplicably had a seat in row 27 instead of next to him. Or, perhaps, it was her "mistake" that it ended up that way....
Guy sits down, and is extremely loud and gesticulative as he talks to his seat-mate. So loud I can hear the conversation over take-off, so gesticulative that he keeps grabbing the back of my seat for emphasis.
2 hours in, guy has a glass of wine and finally calms down. But whatever movie he's watching is super dramatic! I hear loud screams and wails, occasionally a clap of the hands. After the movie, he is bored, and during midnight over the Aleutians, when 95% of the plans is asleep, guy starts taking pictures of the plane, with flash. I counted 85 photos before I turned around and asked him to refrain, at which point he feigned ignorance of English despite holding a (loud) conversation with his seat-mate earlier.
A couple more hours in, I feel him kicking my feet beneath my seat. He has managed to fully extend his legs (something I at 6'4" can only dream of) and has entered the foot space of my row. I thump his feet a few ....ing times and he gets the point.
Anyway, that's about it, except for the 19 times (counted) that he got up to go to the bathroom or walk up 7 rows to speak to his wife, who inexplicably had a seat in row 27 instead of next to him. Or, perhaps, it was her "mistake" that it ended up that way....
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Formerly HPN, but then DCA and IAD for a while, and now back to HPN!
Programs: Honestly, I've been out of the travel game so long that I'm not even sure. Maybe Marriott Gold?
Posts: 10,677
#13
Join Date: May 2012
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 506
That one person who is jabbering loudly away while the FA
is going through the safety drill.
Most of us have heard the drill too many times to count but
lets show some respect while the crew are doing their jobs.
is going through the safety drill.
Most of us have heard the drill too many times to count but
lets show some respect while the crew are doing their jobs.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 16,901
Last night in F I had to endure a passenger standing in the aisle directly behind me holding a loud conversation with the person seated there. It went on for a hour, oblivious to the fact that they might possibly be disturbing others.
#15
Moderator: Information Desk, Women Travelers, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 15,653
The French couple who got reseated next to me on a CDG-JFK flight a couple years ago. I can only assume their house burned down the night before because they smelled like a bonfire and had clearly lost their deodorant. Oh, and their friend the flight attendant who thought it was perfectly acceptable to have long conversations with them where she leaned from the aisle to rest her lower arm on the back of their seats, meaning that her arm pit was repeatedly within a few inches of my face.
I spent the entire flight holding a scarf across my face.
My mother, who was sitting across the aisle from me, would tell you that the passengers next to her were even worse. Loud, drunk, Russian couple in their 60s who wanted to talk to her the entire time, and she repeated had to remove his hand from her arm, etc.
We couldn't get off that plane fast enough.
I spent the entire flight holding a scarf across my face.
My mother, who was sitting across the aisle from me, would tell you that the passengers next to her were even worse. Loud, drunk, Russian couple in their 60s who wanted to talk to her the entire time, and she repeated had to remove his hand from her arm, etc.
We couldn't get off that plane fast enough.