‘Barefoot Brigade’, ‘Gate lice’ and ‘Bin Bandits’. Flying habits driving travellers mad in 2026

Air travel brings out the best and worst in people. As we head into summer and planes become fuller, baggage charges continue to rise and passengers spend time in crowded airports, frustrations are stronger than ever. In a world of social media and online chats, a whole new language has been created to describe the passengers they dread sitting next to most because of their flying habits. With ‘gate lice’ and the ‘barefoot brigade’ taking to the skies, recent surveys show that many of us are running out of patience.

Gate Lice, those who queue way before being called

Perhaps the most famous modern travel insult is “gate lice”, the name given to passengers who crowd around boarding gates long before their flight has been called. The term has become so widespread that some airlines have even introduced technology designed to stop passengers waiting to board before their designated time. The sight of dozens of people standing around the gate while boarding hasn’t even started, is enough to raise blood pressure levels in some people before the holiday has begun.

Aisle Lice, the travel habit so many people hate

The phrase exploded online in 2025 and refers to passengers who leap out of their seats the moment the aircraft lands, crowding the aisle despite having nowhere to go for some time.  One Reddit user complained – “I can’t tell you how uncomfortable it is to have someone’s rear end standing beside my face while waiting to deplane.”, with another adding, “I’ve been on planes where they announce there are passengers with tight connections, and idiots still crowd the aisles.”

Main Character Syndrome, trying to get the best video to share with your followers

Social media’s favourite phrase has also found its way onto aircraft. “Main character syndrome” describes passengers who act as though the entire plane revolves around them. This includes everything from filming TikTok videos and making loud video calls to ignoring headphones and conducting conversations at full volume. Lots of people view this behaviour as the decline of basic travel etiquette.

The Airport DJ that nobody wants to hear

Rubbings shoulders with main character syndrome is the rise of the “airport DJ”, passengers who insist on sharing their entertainment choices with everyone else. Videos, films, games or voice notes played through phone speakers. Surveys consistently rank noise pollution as one of the most irritating aspects of modern travel.

The classic seat recliner

The argument over reclining seats has been around for years and shows no signs of ending. Suddenly reclining your seat without warning remains one of the biggest in-flight irritations, with more than half of respondents saying it ruins their flying experience. The phrase “recline assassin” has become popular online to describe passengers who aggressively throw their seats backwards without politely asking first.

Seat kickers, the original flight villains

Long before social media came long and invented new names for annoying passengers, there were seat kickers. Despite all the new travel trends and irritations, repeated kicking, pushing or grabbing of the seat in front is still one of the most universally disliked behaviours on an aircraft. Parents often receive criticism when children are allowed to continue kicking seats throughout long flights.

Seat Squatters hoping no one notices

Another growing frustration involves “seat squatters”, passengers who occupy seats they haven’t paid for and hope the rightful owner either doesn’t notice or doesn’t challenge them. Stories about passengers helping themselves to exit rows, window seats and even premium cabins regularly go viral online. This also links to annoyances where families who wish to sit together, that haven’t paid for the correct seats expect other people to move.

The Overhead Bin Bandits

As airlines charge more for checked luggage,  and only taking hand luggage on board has increased, competition for overhead locker space has become fierce. “Overhead bin bandits” are passengers who use multiple compartments, store bags several rows away from their seats or spend several minutes reorganising their belongings while everyone else waits behind them. Recent surveys found that delays caused by hand luggage are among passengers’ biggest frustrations.

Carousel Campers or Baggage Lice

The lice spreads to arrivals where the irritation doesn’t stop once the plane lands. “Carousel campers”, also known by some travellers as “baggage lice” are the people who stand directly against the luggage carousel in groups, preventing everyone else from seeing or retrieving their bags. As one Reddit user observed “If everyone could just stand three feet away from the carousel, everything would be a breeze.” with another joking “These people HAVE to be the first person to wait for their bag at the carousels!”

The Barefoot Brigade

Few travel habits divide opinion more than taking shoes off during a flight. Some passengers see it as a comfort issue, others believe walking barefoot around aircraft cabins or putting feet on seats crosses a major line. Complaints about poor hygiene are a regular feature on travel forums and passenger surveys.

The Yappers, when all you want is a moment of peace

Another phrase gaining traction on Reddit is “the yapper”, the passenger who talks continuously throughout the flight, regardless of whether anyone wants to listen. As one flyer wrote after a long-haul flight. “Everyone had assumed he was her dad or with her. Nope, just an unwilling audience and enabler to a Yapper.”

Why does flying etiquette feel worse than ever?

Perhaps the biggest reason these behaviours cause such strong reactions is because modern air travel has become more stressful for everyone. Planes are fuller, seats are tighter, baggage costs have increased and passengers are spending longer navigating airports than ever before. This means even minor acts of selfishness can feel much more irritating than they might have done a decade ago.

In 2026, an entire vocabulary has been developed to describe the people they least want to be travelling alongside them, and that dictionary seems to be growing. What would you add to your list?