Culture

483 voters

The Most Annoying Things About Air Travel

Updated June 14, 2019 4.8k votes 483 voters 8.7k views30 items

List RulesIncludes specific things that really irk you while you are in the process of traveling on an airplane

If you've had the pleasure of traveling by plane, you understand the humor in the first part of this sentence. Traveling by plane is not a pleasurable experience by any means. What are the worst things about flying? We've created a list of some of the most annoying things about airplanes, airports, and the people you're forced to share the experience with.

As airlines continue to evolve into money-hungry, leg-squishing nightmare factories that create a travel experience comparable to transporting livestock, the traveling experience as a whole declines. Air travel was once a privilege and a luxury, but it has become a chore and an exercise in discomfort. Want some pretzels while you read? Too bad! Hoping to stretch your legs at some point during that 20-hour flight to Hong Kong? Think again! If there are two things airlines are particularly good at, it's getting you where you need to go and making you miserable along the way.

Long lines, grumpy adults, crying babies, and uncomfortable seating arrangements all join forces the minute you step into an airport to test your durability, your character, and your sense of humor. Vote up the worst experiences on this list of the most annoying things about airplanes and airports. Just try not to cringe as you think about your next vacation.

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1
152
22
Being Over Six Feet Tall and Trying to Fit in Those Ridiculously Small Seats
2
198
50
Seats Are Getting Smaller in Width AND Pitch (We're Looking at You, United Airlines)
3
147
27
Paying a Crazy Price to Fly and Then Paying an Additional Price for Your Freaking Suitcases
4
123
27
The Neighbor That Aggressively Claims the Armrest
5
180
66
When You Board a Plane Only to Sit on the Runway for Two More Hours... WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING
6
176
70
That Parent Who Doesn't Stop Their Kid Kicking Your Seat the Entire Flight
7
102
21
The Person Who Brings Stinky Food Onto the Plane
8
97
31
Being Forced to Check Your Bag Because There's No More Overhead Bin Space
9
98
33
The Neighbor Who Should Be Flying First Class Because They Don't Fit in Standard Seating
10
86
26
When You're "Randomly" Selected for a Secondary Security Screening
11
134
73
That Passenger Who Boards the Plane Sick... Then Sneezes and Coughs the Whole Flight
12
91
54
Paying Insanely High Rates for Tickets and Not Even Getting a Damn Bag of Peanuts OR Pretzels
13
129
90
When There's a Last Minute Gate Change and You Have to Run Through the Airport Like a Maniac

14
119
82
People That Hold up the Security Line Because They Don't Understand the Contraband List
15
89
58
When ANYONE Near You Has to Use Their Barf Bag
16
119
91
Babies Crying on the Plane (They Can't Help It but That Doesn't Make It Less Annoying)
17
82
55
Couples Who Book The Aisle and Window Seats then Get Mad at You for Having To Sit in the Middle
18
98
73
When You Can't Get Your Ears to Pop on the Way Up or the Way Down
19
83
66
Flight Attendants Who Are Annoyed With You for Asking Questions
20
54
35
Pilots Who Like to Give Updates About the Altitude Every 15 Minutes While You're Trying to Sleep
21
82
66
Trying to Squeeze All of Your Stuff Into the Bathroom Stall When You're Traveling Alone
22
91
79
No Water Bottles Allowed... As if Flying Isn't Dehydrating Enough Already
23
76
68
That Person Who Takes Ten Minutes to Organize Their Security Trays

24
67
62
When Some Jerk Boxes You out of Your Spot at Baggage Claim and You Miss Your Suitcase
25
64
61
Airport Police in the Arrivals Terminal Who Yell at You the Second You Pull Over to Pick up a Passenger

Being Over Six Feet Tall and Trying to Fit in Those Ridiculously Small Seats

Seats Are Getting Smaller in Width AND Pitch (We're Looking at You, United Airlines)

Paying a Crazy Price to Fly and Then Paying an Additional Price for Your Freaking Suitcases

The Neighbor That Aggressively Claims the Armrest

When You Board a Plane Only to Sit on the Runway for Two More Hours... WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING

That Parent Who Doesn't Stop Their Kid Kicking Your Seat the Entire Flight

The Person Who Brings Stinky Food Onto the Plane

Being Forced to Check Your Bag Because There's No More Overhead Bin Space

The Neighbor Who Should Be Flying First Class Because They Don't Fit in Standard Seating

When You're "Randomly" Selected for a Secondary Security Screening

That Passenger Who Boards the Plane Sick... Then Sneezes and Coughs the Whole Flight

Paying Insanely High Rates for Tickets and Not Even Getting a Damn Bag of Peanuts OR Pretzels

When There's a Last Minute Gate Change and You Have to Run Through the Airport Like a Maniac

People That Hold up the Security Line Because They Don't Understand the Contraband List

When ANYONE Near You Has to Use Their Barf Bag

Babies Crying on the Plane (They Can't Help It but That Doesn't Make It Less Annoying)

Couples Who Book The Aisle and Window Seats then Get Mad at You for Having To Sit in the Middle

When You Can't Get Your Ears to Pop on the Way Up or the Way Down

Flight Attendants Who Are Annoyed With You for Asking Questions

Pilots Who Like to Give Updates About the Altitude Every 15 Minutes While You're Trying to Sleep

Trying to Squeeze All of Your Stuff Into the Bathroom Stall When You're Traveling Alone

No Water Bottles Allowed... As if Flying Isn't Dehydrating Enough Already

That Person Who Takes Ten Minutes to Organize Their Security Trays

When Some Jerk Boxes You out of Your Spot at Baggage Claim and You Miss Your Suitcase

Airport Police in the Arrivals Terminal Who Yell at You the Second You Pull Over to Pick up a Passenger