From seat hoggers, those who take up all the space in the overhead locker with a bag far too big for the space, to those kick the back of your seat throughout the flight, there are individuals who really get on other passengers’ nerves. 

It’s not just their fellow travellers that get cross with these incredibly irritating travellers – the flight crew also have their least favourite.

Now, Paula Gahan, who has worked as a flight attendant for over a decade, has revealed her least favourite types of air passengers and their most annoying habits. 

If you are guilty of any of these,  your onboard activities might be worth rethinking the next time you fly to stay on good terms with your cabin crew. 

The first are those who decide that the plane galley – the aircraft kitchen used for storing and preparing food and drinks – is the perfect place to get in some exercise. 

“I can’t adequately express how annoying they are,” said Gahan via The Telegraph. “Do I stick my Lycra-clad bottom in your face at your job? No. So please don’t do it at mine.”

Airplanes are designed for sitting, not stretching or doing anything particularly active. It can be disruptive to those around you and is often perceived as inconsiderate on long flights when most people are trying to relax or sleep. 

A better option is to get up for a quick walk up and down the aisle and save the yoga for once you’re back on the ground. 

“A friend once told me about their love for popping into the galley at night to chat with the crew for hours. ‘Oh, the crew loves me! I just stand there talking to them for ages!’”, Ganhan said.

“Let me burst that delusional bubble. Honey, the crew doesn’t love you. They endure you out of kindness.”

While working hours vary depending on the airline, a flight attendant’s average shift is around 12 to 14 hours, but maybe even longer on international flights. So, when they get a chance to take a quick break, they deserve to do so in peace.

Another conservation piece that drives Ganhan mad is the line: “I probably fly more than you do”. 

“Unless you’re planning to hop on another three flights today right after this one? I didn’t think so,” she said. 

According to Indeed, cabin crew typically log 65 to 85 flight hours a month, not including overtime. For a British Airways flight attendant, one could take up to five flights a day, depending on their schedule. 

Even if you regularly travel abroad for work, it is doubtful you would clock in this many flights a day. 

It also now seems commonplace for other passengers to take any food lying around on an aircraft: “They swoop in and swipe it without a shred of shame,” Gahan continued. Perhaps it’s best to pack your own snack box or raid duty-free before you board, for a change. 

Finally, there are those who simply dump their rubbish on the floor. This seems to be a common cause of irritation for other passengers, who have taken to Quora to express their anger. 

One wrote: “The flight attendants and the cleaning crew are not your personal maids and you should try and discard your trash before you leave the plane.”

Another said: “Because people, by and large, are selfish, entitled pigs. When they pay to be somewhere like a plane seat or a restaurant booth, it is assumed that the service staff are really there to cater to their every whim… To them, literally nothing is more important than their personal experience…”