Anyone who has ever been on a plane knows that there are certain etiquette rules to follow.
Unfortunately, some travellers check their manners in with their luggage and can’t seem to follow the de facto travel code of conduct.
At Skyscanner Australia, we’ve asked Aussie travellers what their top travel pet peeves are. Find out what travellers hate the most and what to do if one of these travel faux pas happens near you.
From foul odours to rotten manners, here are the six things Australian travellers find the most annoying about flying with fellow passengers.
Travel pet peeve #1: The stinky traveller
The stinky traveller is someone who boards the plane with rancid feet, strong body odour or pulls out a BYO meal of pungent leftover surprise (and then off-gasses it an hour later). The problem with these travellers is that while they may look hygienic, one whiff of their halitosis breath will instantly tell you otherwise.
The problem with these travellers is that while they may look hygienic, one whiff of their halitosis breath will instantly tell you otherwise.
Across the board, Australian travellers can’t stand it when fellow passengers board with an offensive odour as their carry on. Stinky travellers rank as the number one pet peeve In New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and comes in as the number two pet peeve for Western Australians. 30 per cent of Australians surveyed listed the stinky traveller as their number one travel pet peeve.
30 per cent of Australians surveyed listed the stinky traveller as their number one travel pet peeve.
How to cope
Unfortunately, other than offering a breath mint or asking the traveller to put on their shoes, there is not much you can do to mask the stench of a reeking passenger.
You might want to discretely ask to switch seats if possible. Some airlines have policies where they can remove a foul-smelling passenger if their stench is causing other passengers to feel ill, or if the smell is coming from an open wound.
You can also pack a lightly perfumed scarf or sarong on your flight, and wrap it around your face as a stylish filter. If you don’t have a scarf, you can rub a small amount of mint-scented lip balm under your nose and point the above air vent towards your face.
Listen: Holly Wainwright and Andrew Daddo interview the kids who pulled their kids out of school and moved to Mexico, on Mamamia’s This Glorious Mess podcast. Post continues after audio.
Do not spray any air freshener or perfume as a counter to the stinky traveller – you’ll only be fighting fire with fire.
Travel pet peeve #2: The seat basher
Seat bashers are usually (but not always) children who seem to find the back of your seat a prime place to try their hand at river dancing, stomping with the fury of one thousand grape-stompers. Or, it’s the traveller who walks down the aisle playing duck-duck-goose, yanking every head rest back on their way to the bathroom.
Top Comments
I travel frequently (probably 3 to 4 flights a month) and my number one absolute hate is the person that reclines their seat ALL the way back on a short flight. I have encountered and can handle literally every type of traveller you listed above but the seat recliner is the one I despise the most. I have absolutely no qualms if you recline your seat half way back OR all the way back on a long flight and everyone is taking a sleep but on a 2 hour flight it is so unnecessary. I have long legs and it's so uncomfortable.