So, the Mrs and I are on our way to SIN. First leg is a 777 XP from IAD-NRT. I'm in 8F. About 8 hours into the flight, the cabin lights are dimmed and just about everyone is sleeping...except the 2 Gomers in 9F and 9H who decide to get up, walk to the closet adjacent to my seat, and strike up a loud conversation!

They woke me (and alot of other people). I asked them to take their conversation back to their seats - a request they did not acknowledge.

Finally, I went back to the C galley and asked an FA what to do. She said she would take care of it - which she did. She asked the two "gentlemen" to respect the other passengers and return to their seats. They reluctantly honored her request.

Is there a better way to handle this type of situation? I must say that I have never before encountered two loudmouths so oblivious to other pax.

Seems like you did the right thing. Given the fact that the two pax were oblivious to the disruption they were causing, I'm not sure that there is anything you could have done except prophylacticaly putting ambien in their meals.

Headphones!!

I had my Bose N/C headphones on. Didn't help much when Gomer 1 is 2 feet from my ears and Gomer 2 is 3 feet away.

How do you sleep with a couple of cans stuck on your ears?

I think that you did exactly the right thing.

The other thing that gets me on these long flights over the north pole is that someone inevitably decides to open the window repeatedly. That isn't much of a problem in winter, but a window full of midnight sun in the summer wakes up half the cabin. What are they expecting to see, anyway?

I find that Bose noise-cancelling headphones can actually make situations like that worse. I recall a recent AA flight in F from LHR-JFK where my Bose noise-cancelling headphones filtered out the engine noise so well such that I could hear the flight attendants chatting in the galley two rows back for the entire flight. Without the headphones, you couldn't hear them in the galley.

I actually sleep better. Combined with the headrests, the headphones comfortably wedge my head into a neutral position.

Since this is not specific to United or Mileage Plus, please follow this thread to TravelBuzz. Thanks.

l'etoile
UA moderator

I think you dealt with the problem effectively. If they're going to ignore your verbal request your only other alternatives were to escalate the confrontation or put up with the noise. It's good to know the FA was helpful. ^

In this general type of situation I've come to realize that I"m annoyed at least as much by the act of thoughtlessness and flouting of the Golden Rule as I am by its actual effect on me - sort of a double whammy on my psyche.

I hate it when they open the window and the snow blows in on my face, it wakes me right up!

Yes. Such head phones make the situation worse. This is because they were made to filter out other sounds, making the conversation even clearer.

I agree - You handled it as well as anyone could. You respectfully handled a situation involving two guys who did not have any respect for others.

Very good reaction - probably the only recourse that works in such a situation ^

Asking the FA for help does't always work. On a LAX-DFW flight one evening last year, there was a gentleman in 1A who literally talked non-stop from the time we boarded. It was irritating but I can put up with most infringements so it was not such a big deal to me. However, 2 1/2 hours into the flight, my seat-mate in 2A got so worked up about it, she called the FA/Purser and asked her to say something to the man. She acknowledged that this was the most annoying person she had ever seen on a flight but stated it was out of her jurisdiction to do anything about it.