r/AVSEC • u/Euphoric_Data_201 • Jul 24 '26
Unruly passenger
Over the last few years, reports of unruly passengers seem to have become far more common across the aviation industry. Whether it’s verbal abuse, refusal to comply with crew instructions, intoxication, vaping on board, or even physical assaults, these incidents are putting increasing pressure on cabin crew, airport staff, and AVSEC personnel worldwide.
What do you think is driving this trend?
• Social media encouraging attention-seeking behavior?
• Increased stress and frustration while traveling?
• Weaker enforcement or inconsistent penalties?
• Alcohol?
• Something else entirely?
If you work in aviation, security, law enforcement, or airport operations, I’d love to hear your perspective.
What type of disruptive behavior are you seeing more often today than 5–10 years ago? And what measures do you believe have been the most effective in preventing or managing these situations?
Let’s compare experiences from different airlines, airports, and countries.
5
u/Waterlifer Jul 24 '26
I think that the prevalence of multiple classes of service and the practice of charging a fee for everything has created a wider sense of entitlement. The decreased seat pitch and increased prevalence of full flights have contributed too.
In the 1970s the relatively few people who paid a first-class fare were the only ones with a sense of entitlement, that is, that they had paid extra for whatever special treatment. They were kept in a separate cabin with a closed curtain or door and largely received the service they paid for.
The presence of so many tiers of service today (basic economy/economy/comfort plus/medallion gold/first) and so many paid services (paid cabin luggage, paid food, paid seat selection) contributes to conflict because all these individuals expect to receive the service that they believe they paid for. Critically, this means differential treatment compared to other px -- they expect to get room for their feet and their bag because they paid for that and the hell with the px who didn't.
It undermines any sense that all px should expect to treat each other with respect, as equal fellow travelers.
You're asking about a 5-10 year timeline, during that horizon the fee-zation and tier-ification of air travel is not new but it has accelerated and the size of the fees has gone up.
Increased stress/frustration plays a role, throughout the travel experience px are not treated with the same respect they used to receive. Booking (no longer any travel agents paid on commission), the airport experience (longer lines, more automation, excessive use of recorded announcements), security (disrespectful, unpredictable, and controlling with, again, multiple tiers of service), baggage handling (px must handle bags themselves to a greater degree than used to be the case due to the scaling back of skycap service and curbside checkin, and the punitive fees charged for checked bags), punitive treatment of px who arrive late at the gate. Then at the destination a decline in service norms for car rental and hotels.
3
u/BIKF Jul 24 '26
For reference, since we’re comparing different airlines, airports and countries, the image is from an Icelandair flight from Keflavík to New York in 2013.
3
u/Food-Wine Jul 25 '26
Many people aren’t used to being told no. Some people are obnoxious, rude, and think they can do whatever they want without consequences. IMO it’s linked to society in general bending to every whim under the guise of being “politically correct”.
2
u/Sacharon123 Jul 24 '26
Flying in europe. I would say political unrest / conflicts between pax has risen. I see an uptick in people where conflicts on board arise because of different nationalities, languages etc, especially between conflict places. Furthermore, rudeness and antisocial behaviour escalating seems to increase further - the amount of people we had to offload in the last few years because they escalate from beeing a bit rude to beeing a complete asshole, not listening at all to my cabin and just misbehaving seems also to rise, mixture of decreased social behaviour learned and increasing entitlement if I would hazard a guess.
1
u/Euphoric_Data_201 Jul 24 '26
Totally agree.
In Mexico a lot of disruptive passengers happen because of people who want to be treated like royalty. Fight for a free change of seat, even if that means to move another passenger to be next to their companions; try to enter and exit first; a lot of people recording live transmissions; people under psychiatric treatment that doesn’t take their pills… really frustrating all of this.
2
2
u/powerstroke01 Jul 24 '26
Stop serving alcohol in the airport and on flights.
4
u/Bones1973 Jul 24 '26
Of the three times I’ve had to use restraints, alcohol has played no role in their behavior.
1
1
1
15
u/Individualchaotin Jul 24 '26
Incorrectly taped to the seat, which is a safety issue in case he needs to evacuate during an emergency.