These Are the People Nobody Wants to Fly With

Everyone loves to take a vacation, whether it’s an escape from work, family or just the everyday humdrum cycle. But while the destination is the dream, you have to get there first. And sometimes that in itself is a slog. Because you never know who you’re going to wind up next to on the plane. When you did your online check-in and chose your seat, what you didn’t get to choose was who would be beside you for the next few hours. It’s truly a gamble so all you can do is cross your fingers and hope you don’t get any of those people nearby:

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Woman on plane wearing sleep mask and headphones

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1 / 10

The chatterbox

Some polite, friendly small talk is nice and all, but getting seated next to the person who wants to be besties and share their life story and know yours when all you want to do is sleep or read a book might be the most annoying thing ever. All you can do is pretend to nod off or if they're getting way too chatty, simply excuse yourself, put on your headphones, sleep mask and say night night. Even though it's 1 in the afternoon.

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2 / 10

The stinker

Whether you're stuck next to a teenager who doesn't yet know what deodorant is, beside a lady who bathed in perfume, or the guy who smells like cigarettes, you're probably going to have to bin the outfit you're wearing once you land.

Flight attendant serving man and woman champagne

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3 / 10

The carefree drinker

They're howling at the movie on the screen in front of them, chatting super-loudly, and knocking back glass after glass of Merlot when all you want to do is your crossword puzzle in peace.

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4 / 10

The nervous flyer

She's clutching the armrests, looking around frantically whenever she hears a sound, and totally loses it when there's a spot of turbulence. It only gets worse as she wonders aloud whether the plane is going down and soon, you'll start to get a little paranoid too.

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5 / 10

The giant who needs to stretch a lot

Look, it's not their fault they're built like an NBA all-star but why couldn't he have picked a front row seat, or one by the emergency exit? Nope, he forgot, and now he's behind you, accidentally kicking your seat back every time he moves and uses the top of your seat to hoist himself up from his cramped position.

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6 / 10

The man who brought his leftovers onto the plane

He ordered food at the market by the gate and saved it for the plane. That's when he busts out his tuna salad sandwich with extra onions and pickles and a bag of all-dressed chips and now you can barely breathe.

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7 / 10

The guy who has headphones on but you can still hear everything he’s listening to

Whether it's hardcore hip hop, wailing jazz, or a podcast on the buzziest crime thriller, we don't all need to hear it.

Woman stepping over sleeping man on plane

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8 / 10

The dead-to-the-world sleeper

Sometimes having a dozer next to you can be a good thing but it mostly isn't, like if her sleep is so deep that her snores are only interrupted by the catch of drool in her throat. Or if he is practically unconscious and you need to use the lavatory but have to shimmy around him because he didn't hear you say "Excuse me" for the 19th time. And if they fall asleep on your shoulder, forget about it. You're stuck.

Older man complaining about airplane food

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9 / 10

The complainer

OK, that might sound like us right now but the man who has to hit the call button every few minutes to register yet another complaint to the flight attendant is irksome — especially if you're trying to sleep and they keep talking over you.

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10 / 10

The person who thinks she’s the only one in a rush

Unless you're a cavewoman and don't know how modern society and common courtesy works, there's a system in place. You line up single file, and file out row by row, front to back of the plane. So the woman who's four rows behind you and using her pointy elbows to poke past everyone to get her duffel is simply destroying social order. That's the chick you're allowed to think evil thoughts about. Just don't say them out loud. That kind of behaviour will get you in trouble.