What we hate about flying

By staff writers

NEWS.com.au

June 26, 2009 08:55am

Stranded ... travellers revealed flight delays as the top air travel grievance. Picture: Dean Marzol

More than 1700 Australian travellers took part in the Travel.com.au survey, which revealed flight delays as the top air travel grievance.

Other annoyances include chatterboxes, poor passenger hygiene and reclining seats.

"Instead, nowadays it seems the biggest flying frustration comes before passengers have even boarded the plane," Ms Ferrari said.

Lack of information about a delayed flight was the most annoying part for passengers.

"As far as I am concerned they can apologise for a delay all they like, but unless you tell me what's going on and how long it's going to take to fix it, I'm gonna (sic) get annoyed," a survey respondent said.

This result reinforced the findings of a survey conducted by travel.com.au last year, which found 53 per cent of Australians thought obese people should have to purchase two economy class tickets if they couldn't fit into one.

"Evidently this remains a contentious issue for Australian travellers," Ms Ferrari said.

Ms Ferrari said she also agreed with the 48 per cent�of respondents who�were frustrated by people who reclined their seats all the way back on short flights.

"Given that it can severely cut into your already limited seat space, I'd throw my support behind a decision by the airlines to regulate when you can and can't recline your seats."

"Extenuating circumstances aside, I'm just not sure it's necessary on an hour flight," Ms Ferrari said. �

Australian Travellers' top 8 Flying Frustrations�
1. Flight delays
2. People putting their seats back during short flights
3. Being trapped in your seat by a sleeping passenger
4. Overweight passengers who encroach on your own seat
5. The poor hygiene of fellow passengers
6. Being stuck next to a passenger who won't stop talking
7. Dirty toilets
8. Rude flight attendants

Yonkers.