As travellers eagerly embark on new adventures, Agoda's Travel
Bugbears Survey 2023 sheds light on the less glamorous aspects of air
travel. The survey, spanning 10 markets in Asia, unveils in-flight
annoyances that can turn even the smoothest journey into a frustrating
experience.
Invasion of personal space tops the list of pet
peeves among flyers. Passengers from South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan
express the most discomfort due to personal space invasion, including
armrest battles and unpleasant smells from uncovered feet.
Flight delays are the second major grievance for
passengers in Asia Pacific, with travellers from the Philippines,
Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam expressing particular frustration.
Loud passengers, including overly chatty seatmates
and disruptive groups, rank as the third biggest annoyance. Australians
and Malaysians are less bothered by noise, while Taiwan and South Korea
value quieter flights. Japanese passengers appreciate tranquility but
strongly oppose disruptive behaviour towards cabin crew.
Zooming in on market-specific respondents:
India: Delayed flights, loud passengers, discourteous behaviour, and wrestling over the armrest.
Malaysia: Flight delays, discourteous passenger behaviour, loud passengers and rudeness to airline staff.
Philippines: Delayed flights, rude passengers and discourteous behaviour.
Indonesia: Flight delays, discourteous passengers and noisy travellers.
Thailand: Discourteous travellers, flight delays, rudeness to service staff and loud passengers.
Vietnam: Delayed flights, discourteous travellers, and loud passengers.
South Korea: Discourteous behaviour, loud passengers, and seat recline.
Japan: Passengers being rude to service staff, discourteous travellers and loud passengers.
Australia: Discourteous travellers, flight delays and sitting near a crying baby.
Taiwan: Discourteous behaviour, loud passengers, flight delays, and sitting near a crying baby.