Seat Kickers Are Officially the Worst Kind of Airplane Passenger

by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 5:30 PM ET, Wed December 10, 2014

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Now isn't this a real kick in the pants.

Literally.

People who sit behind you on an airplane and kick your seat tops the list - bottoms the list? - of Expedia's 2014 Airplane Etiquette Study, released Tuesday. The online travel agency commissioned a study by research firm GfK that asked 1,000 Americans to rank the most annoying on-board behaviors of fellow passengers.

More than 67 percent of study respondents tabbed the "Rear Seat Kicker" as the worst offender - meaning two out of every three passengers rates these people as worst. "Inattentive parents," last year's worst offender, came in at 64 percent, followed by the "Aromatic passenger" at 56 percent, the "Audio Insensitive" at 51 percent, and the "Boozer" at 50 percent.

Ironically, the survey noted that while one out of every two passengers rated "The Boozer" as worst, only 12 percent of Americans report that they drink more than two alcoholic beverages during air travel, while on board or in the airport. Which means you can extrapolate from there that "The Boozer" is really socking it away.

"Expedia's Airplane Etiquette Study is a lighthearted reminder that few places require more attention to etiquette than the inside of an airplane," said John Morrey, Expedia's vice president and general manager, in a statement. "You're in a tight space at 30,000 feet with hundreds of fellow travelers, so even the small things - helping your neighbor stow a bag or switching seats to put a mom next to her child - can make a huge difference."

Expedia also said it's worth noting that despite some of the study's individual findings, American fliers remain largely upbeat as 78 percent agreed that "for the most part, fellow passengers are considerate of other passengers."

Here's the full list of the most annoying folks.

1. Rear seat-kicker (67%)

2. Inattentive parents (64%)

3. Aromatic passenger (56%)

4. Audio-insensitive (talking/music) (51%)

5. Boozer (50%)

6. Chatty Cathy (43%)

7. Carry-on baggage offenders (39%)

8. Armrest hog (38%)

9. Seat-back guy (aka seat recliner) (37%)

10. Queue jumper (35%)

11. Overhead bin inconsiderate (32%)