Biggest Pet Peeves
 

Flight delays with no apparent reason......I understand weather.
When I am sitting on the aisle people with large carry ons banging me in the head and shoulders trying to stow them in the overhead.
People sitting in the wrong seat refusing to move. I.E. on a flight from LGA-ATL I found my aisle seat occupied. My wife and daughter were sitting across from me. When I politely asked the lady her seat number she just looked at me. Then she said rather unpolitely "You mean you want me to move?" Now I am happy to move if it means a couple sitting together or a child sitting with a parent...in most cases.
People being rude to FAs or other passengers.

I actually have a few new ones (I think):

People who pick at their nails, no clippers involved, just teeth...and then spit the offending debris out.

People who take their used gum and put it under the armrest. This didn't happen to me, but happened to the gentleman who was on military leave next to me. He was all dressed up and ready to surprise his mother with an unscheduled visit and had gum all over his leg. Luckily the FA knew how to use ice to unstick gum from his dress whites or he would have spent most of his leave figuring it out for himself. The FA also gave him some travel vouchers.

I did have the misfortune of sitting next to someone who was chewing tobacco and using a water bottle as a receptical.

Maybe flying an F-15, I'd say that's an overly dramatic way to describe something that amounts to a flying Greyhound bus these days.

Yes we are jealous, but these little comments we make are mostly to amuse ourselves, and to hopefully spread a little mirth into what can too often be a joyless experience.

Non frequent-fliers do not understand that there are lots of ways into first class. Many really do think it's for the rich.

Once when we were at his family's house for a holiday, I told my partner in front of his brother that if we made a proposed flight change, he'd probably have to fly in coach and the brother thought we were joking and thought it was really funny that we'd be pretending like we flew in first class.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarh! Happened this trip and this is the Mrs. rant. First we get on an IAH-YVR flght. Person puts his luggage over OUR seat then goes to the last row of first class. BTW the bin over his seat was empty. This prompted me to put luggage 4 rows back. Then coming back YVR-IAH we have a nice line waiting to board. The Mrs and I are second in line. When first class boarding is called 4 people get up from sitting and jump to the front of the line and of course put their luggage over OUR seats and go to the back of first class!:mad:

I too find this behavior extremely rude to other pax, and a huge pet peeve of mine. A while ago, I was flying in first on AA on an MD80. Myself and another guy board immediately when boarding is called. Other guy is on the 5 AB side. I'm on the 5 EF side. We're both in the aisles. No one but us are the first pax in the f/c cabin, and the overheads are empty. He puts his luggage over my side, and he brings on a couple big bags and nearly takes up all the room over me, as he got there first. All I could do was put my carry on above him, and everytime I needed it in-flight, I couldn't help but slam the overhead above him extra loud:D

My biggest pet peeve...hmm... wind shear.

First class / elite status passengers who think they can just cut in front of anyone in line, including other FC/elite pax who have lined up ahead of them.

People who leave a puddle on the floor in the lavatory.

People who change their babies' diapers on the seat.

People who like to bring their misbehaving, screaming children with them on long haul flights for non-essential leisure trips. (In other words, leave the kids behind (with an appropriate care-giver of course) or don't travel until they are old enough to behave themselves.)

People who repeatedly grab the seat of the person in front of them every time they get up.

People too large to fit in one seat who refuse to buy two tickets or FC.

Passengers seated behind you who put their feet on your armrest.

My pet peeve is about people who think they are more entitled to travel than others.

With all due respect, I'll travel whenever I want, wherever I want with my child and it doesn't matter if it's a non-essential trip. No one is to judge me.
On the other hand, many times I do travel alone with my husband and leave my son with his grandparents, but it's just because we go to places he wouldn't enjoy, not because we are concerned that other passengers will think that our trip is "not essential" and we should stay home.

Great post!! I actually posted a blog about some of my pet peeves in airports a couple weeks ago on my myspace page. Here's what I had to say about it:

1.) When on a crowded elevator, if you're standing right up against the door and you're going up or down to a specific level and it stops before the floor that you're getting off at, that means that someone else on that elevator pushed the button for that floor and would like to get off on the floor when the door opens. So don't just stand there starring straight ahead. And after you realize that someone behind you is getting off (for example, after said person says "excuse me I need off") don't continue to stand there. And your little half step to the right/left doesn't help much. Especially when everyone on the elevator has a piece of luggage. Nor does it portray that you're actually trying to be nice. Instead, step OFF of the elevator and if anyone else on the elevator has any common sense, they will push the "Door Open" button so that it doesn't close on you. Or, just simply hold your hand against the side of the opened door. This will prevent the door from closing. Cool concept, huh? :D Or you could even stand against the side of the opened door. Doing this will allow the person behind you to get off of the elevator without having to step over, trip, and jump over your 4 pieces of roller luggage that you took with you on your 3 day vacation on the beach.


2.) When on a Monorail or any other means of transport between the airport terminals and the parking decks, use the same logic as the above elevaror scenario. Once the monorail stops at a specific station and you see people start getting ready to step off or move closer to the door, don't just stare at them. Or are you waiting for them to pick you up and move you to the right/left themselves? Just use the same logic that you should have used in the elevator. The doors are not going to shut on you and squeeze you to death. Luckily, the inventors and makers of these monorails thought of that before hand. Wow awesome, huh?


3.) And lastly, when you're at the airport gate and pre-boarding hasn't even begun yet, don't stand around near the front of the gate agent desk (or even anywhere within 15 feet) waiting for them to call your zone or rows. If you look on your ticket, there's a number somewhere on there (e.g., 31C, 29A, etc.). This number/letter combination represents where you'll be sitting on the aircraft. Pretty smart, huh? Now here it gets a little confusing, so bear with me.... usually (depending on the airlines you use), there is also a ZONE number. This represents what "zone" you are included in and will board the plane with. Following me? (lol - sorry, I know I'm being a smart@ss today :p ). Now, I understand that some of you try to stand 3 feet from the gate agent so that you can make a mad dash to the front of the line when she calls your zone so that you'll get on before all of the overhead bin space is utilized. But it gets REALLY annoying when there's 20 people formed in a semi circle before first class and zone 1 is even called. You see, when you're standing up near the agent desk it makes it more difficult for other people to board the plane when their respective zone is called. Still following me? So have a seat in the gate area, take a deep breath, and I promise that you'll still make it on the plane even if you don't get in line until your actual zone is called. And at least wait until the zone before yours is called before you stand up and get on your marks and ready for set & go. People getting on a plane do not feel like going left, then right, then back, then forth, then left again through a maze of people just to make it on the plane when their zone is called. (NOTE: this does not apply to Southwest airlines. If you fly SW, it's everyone for themselves!).

Regards,
Michael

It's not about entitlement. It's about manners and showing consideration for others. If your children are very noisy, difficult to control and frequently misbehave, then I believe basic manners dictate that you shouldn't take them to places where they will impose great annoyance on others. This includes not only airplanes but also nice restaurants and any other place where a quiet ambience is an important part of the experience. I have friends who take their screaming kids on trips to Hawaii, Europe, etc. These are completely non-essential leisure trips. There is no reason their kids need to go on these trips. The kids will not be deprived of crucial life experiences just because they don't fly long distances before they are age 10 or whatever. Their fellow passengers, however, will be subjected to great annoyance. If you like to take lots of leisure trips, fine, but there is an appropriate time for that, and having small, noisy children is not the time.

If, on the other hand, your children are generally well-behaved, then travel all you want.

I'd much rather fly on a plane with many children than on one with
many adults, simply because it's
fairly easy to defend oneself against noise (if that's even a big deal - there is
a lot of engine noise anyway, and IM[considerable]E kids aren't louder)

It's much harder to defend oneself against adults who produce bad smells, large/long bodies invading one's
space, people reclining inconsiderately, people drinking too much alcohol, etc.

Even when not with my own children, I am always very pleased to be
sitting behind a family with many young children, because I know it's so much
less likely that someone will recline into my face or get drunk and rude
near me. Also likely is that I'll have more overhead space since most parents
like to have things close-at-hand (I know I do when I have the kids with me).

At any rate, it's kind of silly to imply that someone would need to justify a
trip with any person (old or young). An airplane is, in 2007, like a bus - just
a public way to travel from A to B.

--LG

1. Folks with no sense of urgency when boarding. Believe it or not, there are 300 other people behind you waiting to board as well. Perchance you could sit for a moment whilst searching your bag and let others pass. If you hold me up for more than 1 minute, you risk "the glare".

2. People who eat smelly take-away food on planes. As a long-time vegetarian and non fast food eater, the smell of a BigMac or the like makes me want to retch (It's not the meat, per se, just the nasty fast food aroma). There are many other choices of food that will not imbue their stench throughout the cabin.

3. Children. Nothing much to say here. Leave them home until they're 30 (Years, not months).

4. Non FFs. Please fly a LCC. Legacy airlines are for cranky business people who are in a hurry.

5. Chatty folks. You get a nod and a "hi", nothing more. I'm reading a WSJ and listening to my i-Pod for a reason: I don't like to chat.

6. Gate lice. Everyone else covered this one.

7. Recliners in the Y cabin. I'm 6'3", that seat's not going anywhere, trust me. Push with all your might, but my knees are staying put. Deal with it or upgrade.

In case you're wondering, I really am this surly.

:D This is one of the best posts in this thread! Still laughing....:D

SpuddBrother
1) Playing Ipod loud enough so everyone around you can hear it
2) Old trash in the seat pocket
3) Onboard announcements that can't be understood by anyone due to the PA system or poor speaking abilities
4) The 'game' FA's play with someone when they know full well someone pressed the call button by accident
5) Dirty planes. Let's face it -- they are filthy.
6) People not physically able to handle the amount of luggage they've brought onboard. Yes, pretty lady, I see your little black power suit and your Treo, but you're still only 5' tall and 90 lbs soaking wet. You don't even pause your phone conversation when you give me the puppy-dog eyes to help you with your rollaboard. Why don't you check one of your bags? I'll help you with the stuff in the top bin, if you help me when I drop stuff on the floor. How's that?
7) Someone who plays Tetris across the aisle ahead of me for 2 hours who doesn't realize the pieces rotate.
8) People who are shocked that their luggage sustains wear of any kind.
9) People who bring 21 outfits for a 7-day trip. (my mom!)
10) TSA agents who think I am an idiot becasue I don't know their special little policies that no other airport follows. (This is much better than it used to be)