Flight Seat Companions that Send You Barking Mad!

Gone, it seems, are the days when people dressed up and behaved well on flights.  There was a time when the worst problems you faced were screaming babies and smokers in the back.  Whatever happened to manners and etiquette? 

These days when you’re stuck in a cramped seat on a plane you may find yourself faced with a variety of inconsiderate and annoying seat companions.  Many of us have been victims of the drooling seat companion… We sit grimacing, teeth clenched, and glare at them as they twitch and mutter themselves into selfish, dreaming, slumber… 

This poor dog is an extreme example, but he might be preferable to some human passengers!  Judging by comments posted, you may have been a victim of any combination of the following flight annoyances: 

• The middle seat battle for the armrests
• Seat kickers behind (adult and child)
• Passengers who pull themselves up using your headrest 
• Mealtime seat recliners (sending your drink flying)
• Broadsheet newspaper hogs and shufflers
• Passengers with dubious personal hygiene, or reeking of perfume
• Those who hit on you or won’t stop boring you with their life story
• Canoodlers, making out and kissing with irritating slurping noises
• The mobile phone obsessed 
• Gum-smackers
• Passengers with smelly, sweaty, socks and feet
• Drunks
• Smokers reeking of stale smoke
• Or the latest (much publicised) gripe… the seriously obese…

Perhaps one positive outcome of the swine flu scare is the pre-flight weeding out of the germ-ridden, truly horrific, phlegm snorters and hackers!

All things considered (excluding the pooch in the video) many of us might prefer the company of our well-behaved pets as travelling companions.  Unfortunately, most of us have to leave our best friends behind and deal with unruly and barely house-trained humans on flights. 

If flying has become a nightmare, at least you can travel with peace of mind knowing that your pets are being cared for in your absence.  Kennel and cattery fees can be expensive, however, so before purchasing travel insurance check to see if cover for additional kennel and cattery fees is included - in the event that your return journey is unavoidably delayed.  (Tip:  Seatguru.com is a great website to check seating arrangements on the airlines).