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In-flight peeves and conversation starters: this is what 2 000 US travellers say about travelling by aeroplane

IF YOU are a tad bit apprehensive about flying, it is best you stop reading this now.

Around 2000 US travellers recently revealed details about their air travel experiences via a survey conducted by Genfare, a company that deals with transportation systems.

The survey asked passengers about their flying annoyances, sleep experience and the mile high club.

The results were quite disturbing and definitely something no flyer would want to endure.

Here is the breakdown:

Getting their seat kicked: 54% of the participants did not like having their seat kicked, especially when they were asleep.

Crying baby/child: 27% of travellers were not impressed by a crying baby or a child on board. Poor parents!

Body Odour: Sitting next to someone with body odour can be a turn-off, and 27% of the participants agreed.

Talkative passenger: 23% of travellers wished their fellow passengers kept their mouth shut.

Inattentive parents: First a crying baby, now an inattentive parent? Someone call the air hostess. Around 21% did not do well with inattentive parents.

Drunk passenger: 18% of travellers were not amused by drunk passengers onboard the plane. Seat pulled back or leaned on: There is nothing more uncomfortable than having a seat pulled back or a person lean on yours. It seems like 17% of travellers agree.

Snoring: With long-haul flights, the last thing 15% of passengers wanted was a snorer on board.

Rushing to get off the plane: Passengers who rush off when the plane landed have irked 15% of travellers.

Reclining seats: Another 15% were not happy with reclining seats, probably because it often cuts the leg room of economy passengers.

Other notable mentions include smelly food (11%), passengers removing shoes or socks (6%) and bright screens on phones (3%).

Conversation starters, and enders: Around 33% viewed flying as a way to meet someone new, while 57% did not like speaking with a seatmate.

If you struggle with talkative passengers, here’s how to end the conversation:

The majority of the passengers put on headphones (37%), read a book (24%) or looked at their phone (13%).

Others told their seatmate they were tired and wanted to sleep (12%); some simply went to the restroom (8%). About 3% choose to ignore their fellow passenger. The Mile High Club: The survey revealed that 23% had seen someone be intimate in a flight, while 12% admitted having had intimate relations on a plane.

Legroom: The debate of whether a passenger should slip off his/her shoes, or socks, have become an age-old debate. It seems that 64% believed it was okay to take shoes off on a flight, while 20% was okay with taking off their socks.

Sleep: Only 3 to 4% were able to sleep, while 34% needed a sleeping pill to fall asleep. Participants revealed that 30% of people snored on a flight and 68% put on headphones to drown out a snoring passenger.