I’VE experienced my fair share of mid-flight travel horrors.
Be it an argument over reclining seats or the time I was splashed in another passenger’s vomit.
Kids on planes get a lot of bad press. But what about bratty Boomers?[/caption]
The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor, Sophie, gets comfy in Premium Economy[/caption]
On another jam-packed flight, the aircraft had seemingly doubled as a creche and I spent the duration fetching a stranger’s toddler as they made relentless bids for freedom down the aisle.
None of these circumstances quite compare to a recent flight, though.
I have never been more relieved to touch down on tarmac after a torrent of aggressive demands from one couple sitting behind me.
It culminated in a one-way screaming match and having my seat intentionally pummelled every five minutes for the remainder of my nine-hour journey.
No, these were not primary-school aged children. Add another 60 years, or there about.
Most surprising of all, perhaps, was that none of this horridness came as a shock to me.
After all, I was flying in Premium Economy.
This is a cabin class that’s notorious for, every so often, attracting a self-righteous passenger who, despite having flown in economy on every other family holiday, feels they deserve far beyond what their additional £150 has paid for.
I’d just stumbled upon something even worse than a premium economy passenger though.
That is: a premium economy passenger… flying on a budget airline.
I won’t name the airline I flew with. They can’t be held responsible for the actions of one vile couple – let’s call them Jim and Jane.
I do, however, appreciate staff refusing one such demand.
This was to request my cousin and I sit in silence with our window blinds shut for seven hours so that they could enjoy a lunchtime siesta without the need to wear earplugs or an eyemask (naturally, this would have caused Jim and Jane disastrous levels of discomfort).
“You wouldn’t get this on British Airways,” Jane scoffed overzealously as I asked my cousin what she might like to eat for dinner once we landed.
Jane was right, in all fairness.
There is no upper-class cabin on the budget airline I was flying with, only economy and premium economy.
But I had never experienced such obnoxiousness in Club World, British Airways’ business class cabin.
I feel very fortunate to say that I’ve flown in business class on several airlines, in fact, and hadn’t experienced anything like this before.
The most common type of business class passenger are those who fly regularly and are content with largely being left alone to take advantage of the flat bed before their five-hour-long meeting upon landing.
Then there are those who are flying business for a special occasion and are simply thrilled to be experiencing a slice of la dolce vita in the clouds (NB if you’re sitting near this passenger, you may be asked to take a quick snap for social media while they pose in their larger-than-normal seat with a champagne flute tilted towards the camera).
All in all, they’re a pleasant bunch.
I had a feeling that Jim and Jane, however, had never had the privilege of flying Club World.
The airline I’d been flying with operates on a budget business model, so my seat in premium economy cost a similar sum to its Virgin Atlantic counterpart in economy class.
That means the passengers around me had actively chosen to ditch a more sophisticated airline, for a slightly larger seat but with not-as-efficient service and pricier luggage fees.
Sophie and her cousin (pictured) had badly-behaved boomer passengers behind them on their budget flight to Florida.[/caption]
According to Sophie, Premium Economy is rumoured to be worse than Economy for entitled passengers making demanding requests[/caption]
It could be because the flight times were better, but in Jim and Jane’s case the decision was made to fuel an inner snobbery.
The level of attention that Jim and Jane demanded of the crew on my flight far exceeded what they’d shelled out. But let’s leave Jim and Jane alone for a moment (if only they’d granted me that same grace).
They are two of a fair few passengers who’d behave this way in the same situation, I’ve learned.
It’s all down to a sense of entitlement.
They have paid a fraction more, so they believe their needs should be prioritised over everyone else’s including those who have paid to sit in the same class as them.
The budget-premium passenger loves nothing more than watching that grey polyester curtain close behind them shortly after take-off, separating them from the riff raff of economy.
They will press the call button as much as they deem necessary, because walking to the galley to ask for another glass of cheap white wine is, frankly, beneath them.
They’ve been given the meal that they pre-ordered, but is there not something that can be done about the seasoning because, at the end of the day, they normally eat their chicken breast with tarragon, not parsley.
And yes, the sound-quality on this free pair of headphones really is dire and they really must test out several pairs, even though they won’t end up using them.
Personally, I’d have found it all amusing if Jim and Jane hadn’t plonked an angry target on my back.
In all honesty, I’d rather have flown in the middle seat of economy.
To Jim and Jane: if you’re reading this, please take a look at my article about how to score big with Avios points.
That will ensure you never need to fly with anyone other than British Airways again, if that’s what you want.
For more irritating passenger habits, check out these new plane seat dividers that have resulted with flight attendants threatening a flight ban.
Plus, these passengers were left fuming after paying for extra-legroom seats on flight, only for bizarre family to ruin it.
Make sure you’re not committing any of these in-flight faux pas
Don’t be a tyrant after take-off and stick to the social etiquette
Don’t be a bag bandit: On low-cost airlines, in particular, the free carry-on that comes with the basic fare is a backpack-sized bag designed to fit under the seat in front.
Boarding early and stashing this in the overhead delays the boarding process and takes up the space that other passengers have paid for. This can lead to arguments in the aisle as people are trying to get to their seats and a general ill-feeling by all.
Once boarding has commenced or the flight is in the air, it’s fine to store your bag or coat in the overhead locker. Waiting until then is more considerate to passengers who embark the airline after you.
Bringing fast food on board: It’s actually not against the rules to bring a Burger King on board an airline, but it is anti-social.
No one wants to be squeezed into the seat next to you as you stuff a Whopper in your mouth and slurp on a super-size coke. And the smell of the food is offensive for anyone not eating. If you don’t get to the airport with enough time to eat a meal, a classic sandwich or something less stinky is less unpleasant for your cabin mates.
Don’t be a dodgy DJ: You may love the thumping pulse of 90s Trance, but not everyone does.
Likewise, Taylor Swift might have been the soundtrack of your holiday, but those around you probably just want to tune out and nod off.
Playing your phone out loud on any type of public transport should be against the rules, but especially on planes when you are wedged in next to a stranger for hours in the air. Keep the volume down and your headphones on and you can enjoy the Smallest Man who ever Lived without being one.
Keep Peppa Pig in the pen: The same goes for kids and their tablets. Only a few people complain about the presence of kids on planes. Most, normal, people know that kids might get upset or fidgety in-flight and they have as much right to be there as any other passenger on-board.
However, try not to ignore the noise that comes with your kid – aka, the yapping voice of Peppa and friends, or the plinky plonky music of night garden. Before your holiday, invest in some good quality, comfortable headphones for your little ones and ensure they use them to watch their screens.
There will always be times when your kid won’t comply, but if they flat out refuse to wear the headphones, keep the volume very low or play the video with no sound as courtesy to your fellow passengers. Alternatively, you could load up some fun games to play that don’t involve sounds.
Feet on seats. Don’t take off your shoes and socks and put them on the arm rest or the headrest of the seats in front of you, or in another passenger’s space.
Don’t spray it: Personal hygiene is a must in any public space, and everyone wants to freshen up before they land.
However, it’s extremely frowned-upon to spray perfume, deodorant or hairspray in a pressurised cabin. Even in the toilet. Airplanes work on recycled air and the family in row 63 don’t want to inhale your Elnett.
Don’t get up and block the aisle as you disembark: Pushing past the passengers seated in the rows ahead of you to get off the plane is the ultimate self-serving behaviour.
We know you want to get off – everyone does. But if people just let the row in front of them out and give them space to get their bags down, the process is calmer and, actually, speedier for everyone.
Passengers travelling in premium economy on a budget flight can be difficult[/caption]
