The most annoying things that happen on planes: ranked
Top 40 air rage inducers

40. Not getting seats together

39. Dry skin, dry mouth

38. People turning their mobile phones on before the landing gate
37. Leg shaking

36. Playing games at full volume

35. Too hot or too cold

34. Blanket too small, cushion too thin

33. Never-ending toilet queues

32. Bare feet

31. Latecomers

30. Seatbelt sign being left on & no turbulence

29. Eating smelly food on board

We all know that airplane food is not the best, but did you really need to bring tubs of odorous home-cooked dishes? Surely a few sandwiches, raw vegetables or fruit would be a more sociable choice in such close quarters? Read our top 12 hacks to create the perfect (and neighbour-friendly) in-flight meal.
28. Noisy & messy eating

27. Dirty toilets

26. Legs in aisle, feet in between chairs

25. Excessive hand luggage

We understand that airlines are becoming very mean when it comes to checked-in luggage but banging people's ankles as you struggle down the aisle with an overstuffed suitcase will not endear you to your fellow passengers. And there's nothing quite like getting whacked in the face by a bulging backpack as someone turns to find their seat to get those anger levels soaring. Read up on an expert's guide to packing efficiently here.
24. Flatulent flyers

Sitting near a flatulent passenger is far from ideal but potentially hard to avoid. According to a study by the University of Copenhagen, flatulence increases significantly in the air. The gas in your intestines expands as the plane rises and cabin pressure drops. So we may have to accept the fact that flatulence is part of flying. Here are more effects that flying has on your body and how to deal with them.
23. Jostling to get off the plane

22. Noisy kids & chilled parents

Unruly children and inattentive adults are a lethal combination when you're hurtling through the sky. As much as we sympathise with parents travelling with children, if you let little Johnnie sing at the top of his voice for the eleventh time while jumping up and down on the back of our seat, we'll be the next ones to have a tantrum. Here are 40 great family travel tips to make your holiday go as smooth as possible.
21. Eye rolling at noisy children

20. Useless headphones

19. Entertainment system being rebooted

18. Bad movies

You're in luck, your headset is working and so is your screen. But a quick flick through the in-flight magazine and you realise that the selection of movies is quite frankly rubbish. We've seen all of Friends ten times over and the last time we looked, The Lion King was not a new release. Back to the book...
17. Someone kicking your seat

16. Being woken when you're finally asleep

15. People getting up and down
14. All the good meals going

13. Boarding before group number is called

12. Hand luggage hogs

11. Seat recliners

10. Aisle seat snoozers

9. Drunk people

8. The snorers

7. People coughing & sneezing

6. Hogging spare seats

5. Over chatty seatmates

4. Being delayed on the tarmac

3. Broken or slow entertainment system

One of the (few) joys of flying long-haul has to be the uninterrupted movie or TV-fest that you can indulge in. So, imagine the rage that a troublesome touchscreen incurs. A slow and sluggish screen or sticky control panel might be exceptionally irritating but imagine the prospect of 12 hours in air with no entertainment system whatsoever. Then imagine you have a bored child next to you... Pure horror.
Read more: Surprisingly brilliant airlines to fly with in 2019
2. Personal space invaders

You're wedged into a tiny seat with your legs pressed against the seat in front and the person next to you hogs the armrest. Cue intense feelings of irritation. Limb-spreading, excessive and frequent stretching, and falling asleep on a neighbour's shoulder are also unacceptable flying behaviour. Not invading on a fellow passenger's space is travel etiquette 101.
Read more: The strangest things that have happened on planes
1. Passengers with bad bodily hygiene

From smelly feet and bad breath to general body odour, you can be subjected to some pretty offensive smells on board a plane. Sitting in close proximity to someone who's on the whiffy side tops our list of all-time most annoying things on an airplane. Just pray they get off at your transit stop.
Read more: The world's most beautiful planes
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