Flying—especially during peak summer travel season—can be a huge hassle. With long lines at security, frequent flight delays, tiny seats and a slew of other inconveniences, the journey is not something that most travelers enjoy—by a long shot. Unfortunately, fellow passengers can make air travel even more annoying than it already is. A new study by SolitaireBliss has identified the most offensive travel habits and the states whose travelers are among the worst offenders.
To conduct this study, SolitaireBliss surveyed Americans from every state to find out what bad behaviors they frequently witness at airports and on planes. The survey then asked respondents to admit what behaviors they have been guilty of committing to determine which states have the naughtiest travelers.
Of all the annoying behaviors witnessed during travel, respondents said that reclining a seat without asking is the worst. More than 75 percent of those surveyed cited unauthorized reclining as the most annoying behavior. This transgression is closely followed by loud phone use in the terminal, putting luggage on terminal seats, leaving garbage in the seat pocket and asking to switch seats as highly offensive habits. Other offenses include strong-smelling food, passing gas and going barefoot on a plane.
The survey also found that one in three Americans admit to passing gas on a plane. Most respondents associate Spirit Airlines with bad behavior. Spirit Airlines is most closely associated with bad behavior and Gen Zers are the generation most likely to commit travel offenses.
So which states have the worst-behaved travelers, those who admit to these bad travel habits? Residents of Iowa, Illinois, Virginia, Texas and Georgia are most likely to commit these various flight faux pas. Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Ohio and Kansas are the least likely offenders (assuming they answered the survey honestly). So if you happen to notice that the person seated next to you on your next flight is from Iowa, you might have to become a badly behaved passenger yourself and ask to switch seats with an unsuspecting fellow traveler.
Find the full results of the survey here.