BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Expedia.com® today released the results of the Airplane
Etiquette Study, an examination of American conduct in mid-air. In
particular, Airplane Etiquette identifies passenger behaviors that
most infuriate fellow travelers. Out of all behaviors, including
boozing, excessive chatting, undressing and inattentive parenting,
one earns the most fury: rear-seat kicking.
The study solicited feedback from 1,005 Americans aged 18+. It
was commissioned by Expedia and conducted by GfK, an independent
global market research company.
"As we embark on 2017, millions and millions of people will be
taking to the air this year, and should know that there's no better
gift you can give to a fellow traveler than respect and
generosity," said John Morrey, vice
president and general manager, Expedia.com. "The Airplane Etiquette
study shows that small acts of decorum can go a long way. After
all, as it relates to flights, we are quite literally all in this
together."
Personal space and peace of mind are
paramount
Sixty-four percent of Americans cited the "Rear
Seat Kicker" as the most problematic passenger, edging "Inattentive
Parents" (59 percent), defined as "parents who have no control
over, or pay no attention to, their crying, whining or misbehaved
children." "Aromatic" passengers – those with poor hygiene or those
wearing excessive cologne or perfume – are the third least-liked
(55 percent), followed by the "Audio Insensitive" (49 percent), the
passenger who talks loudly or listens to music without
consideration for fellow fliers.
"The Boozer," a drunken, disruptive person, annoys 49 percent of
his fellow passengers. However, only 12 percent of Americans claim
to consume more than two alcoholic drinks when flying.
"Chatty Cathy" – the neighbor who strikes up conversation and
won't stop – frustrates 40 percent of American fliers. Nearly
two-thirds (65 percent) report that they "dread" sitting next to
someone who talks too much. On the whole, more than one-third (35
percent) of Americans would pay extra to be seated in a "designated
quiet zone," should the airline offer one.
Americans divided on whether to recline
seats
Thirty-five percent of surveyed Americans dislike the
"Seat-Back Guy," the passenger who reclines his seat fully as soon
as the plane takes off. A full 37 percent of Americans would choose
to have reclining seats banned entirely, or at least restricted to
set times on short-haul flights.
More than half (53 percent) of Americans do recline their seats
when flying, while 23 percent report that they do not because they
deem it "improper etiquette." An additional 11 percent do not
recline because they feel it is uncomfortable. A quarter (25
percent) of respondents claim that they would recline their
seat for retaliatory reasons, if the passenger behind them "showed
aggressive behavior or was rude." A full 11 percent of those who
claim to recline would do so even if the passenger behind them was
"noticeably pregnant."
Americans report that they are reluctant to address misbehaving
passengers directly*. Sixty-two percent would choose to alert the
flight attendant to have them handle, while 33 percent would endure
in silence. One in ten respondents would "confront a misbehaving
passenger directly," while 13 percent would record the offending
behavior via their phone camera. And five percent would turn to
social media: 3 percent would "shame a fellow passenger's behavior
via social channels," while 2 percent would simply "tweet about
it."
Just under 3 percent of Americans report having "been physically
intimate" with a fellow passenger aboard a plane. "The Amorous"
passengers – couples who display an "inappropriate level of public
affection" towards one another – were cited disapprovingly by 28
percent of Americans.
Mixed levels of attention to flight attendants
Nearly
four in 10 Americans (39 percent) "always" pay attention to the
flight attendant during safety presentations, while a nearly equal
percentage, 42 percent, say they do so "occasionally." Two-thirds
(66 percent) of Americans turn their phone to Airplane Mode when
instructed to do so, though 15 percent "never" do so.
Despite the long list of behaviors that incur passengers' ire
in-flight, all is not lost onboard. Seventy-nine percent feel that
"for the most part, fellow passengers are considerate of one
another," and 74 percent "thoroughly clean their space before
leaving the plane." Four in 10 fliers report having helped another
passenger with luggage, while 28 percent have offered up their seat
to another.
The full ranked
list of onboard etiquette violators includes:
|
|
1. The Rear Seat
Kicker
|
(cited by 64 percent
of respondents)
|
2. Inattentive Parents
|
(59
percent)
|
3. The Aromatic
Passenger
|
(55
percent)
|
4. The Audio Insensitive
|
(49
percent)
|
5. The
Boozer
|
(49
percent)
|
6. Chatty
Cathy
|
(40
percent)
|
7. The Queue Jumper
|
(35
percent)
|
8. Seat-Back Guy
|
(35
percent)
|
9. The Armrest
Hog
|
(34
percent)
|
10.
Pungent
Foodies
|
(30
percent)
|
11. The
Undresser
|
(28
percent)
|
12. The
Amorous
|
(28
percent)
|
13. The
Mad
Bladder
|
(22
percent)
|
14. The
Single and Ready to
Mingle
|
(18
percent)
|
|
* For totals that
exceed 100 percent, respondents were given the option of choosing
more than one answer.
|
A full analysis of the study can be found here:
https://viewfinder.expedia.com/features/expedia-2016-airplane-etiquette-study
About the Survey
The study was conducted online using
the GfK "KnowledgePanel," an online probability-based panel
designed to be representative of the US general population, not
just the online population. The study consisted of 1,005 interviews
of randomly selected U.S. adult residents, conducted between
December 2-4, 2016, among adults aged
18+.
About Expedia.com
Expedia.com® is one of the world's
largest full service travel sites, helping millions of travelers
per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com
(https://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the
latest technology and the widest selection of top vacation
destinations, cheap tickets, hotel deals, car rentals, destination
weddings, cruise deals and in-destination activities, attractions,
services and travel apps. With the Expedia® Best Price Guarantee,
Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for
all types of travel.
© 2017 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Expedia,
Expedia.com and the Airplane logo are either trademarks or
registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other
countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be
the property of their respective owners CST # 2029030-50.
Web site: https://www.expedia.com/
About GFK
GfK is one of the world's largest research
companies, with more than 13,000 experts working to discover new
insights into the way people live, think and shop, in over 100
markets, every day. GfK is constantly innovating and using the
latest technologies and the smartest methodologies to give its
clients the clearest understanding of the most important people in
the world: their customers. In 2012, GfK's sales amounted to €1.51
billion. To find out more, visit www.gfk.com
GfK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications is a division
of GfK. The group specializes in customized public affairs and
public opinion polling, media and corporate communications
research, and corporate reputation measurement in the US and
globally, in addition to delivering a broad range of customized
research studies.
Web site: https://www.expedia.com/
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-flight-turbulence-expediacom-airplane-etiquette-study-shows-seat-kicking-edges-bad-parenting-as-most-aggravating-behavior-300391067.html
SOURCE Expedia.com