Cases of airport “rage” on the rise worldwide

by Christopher Elliott on September 8, 2008

Airport “rage” is apparently all the rage. A recent report in Australia’s The Age suggests that angry outbursts by passengers are close to reaching epidemic levels.

This year alone, crowds angry at delayed flights have torn up airports in China and Argentina, while model Naomi Campbell famously went berserk at another passenger in a British Airways first-class cabin, it reports.

A recent survey found that 30 percent of Australians say delayed flights, poor customer service and high prices made their “blood boil”. I reported similar issues — minus the survey — in a recent MSNBC column.

What should be done about it? One Australian union official had the following comment:

We can’t leave it to the airlines any longer — it’s gone beyond that. Employees should be taught how to defuse these situations and there should be some training standard monitored by the government. Airports are public places, and this is a key issue.

It will be interesting to see how airlines deal with unruly passengers as the busy holiday travel season approaches.

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  • Frank

    This BEHAVIOR will not only get you BOOTED OFF THE FLIGHT, you will be ARRESTED upon arrival.

    And, any VICTIMS of your RAGE will SEE YOU IN COURT.

  • Ryan

    It’s unfortunate. People need to calm down. As a former airline ticket agent, I cannot even count the numerous times I was threatened, intimidated, yelled at, cursed at and outright scared by passengers.

    What we have here is the media who gives the general public the impression that flying is awful and that they WILL be treated badly. Yes, the media incites this airport rage. That includes you as well, Mr. Elliott. You and the media blast the airlines and airline personnel. People feel like they are going to experience something awful, so they go in with the mind-set of that. Now, no matter how well that experience may be, if one thing goes wrong, it is going to seem like a tragedy to that person.

    Example: I was on a flight the other day where we experienced a 45 minute delay while bags were loaded. There was lightning on the ramp and they were backed up. The bitterness of the passengers on that airplane was something to be desired. Just in my immediate area, people groaned and complained. Now, in my experience, this is not typical. I have a delay like this maybe one in 100 flights. But because the media has made things like this seem typical, when they really aren’t, this plane full of 150 people is less understanding and will lash out toward employees.

  • Frank

    On September 10th, 2008 at 4:01 pm Ryan said It’s unfortunate. People need to calm down. As a former airline ticket agent, I cannot even count the numerous times I was threatened, intimidated, yelled at, cursed at and outright scared by passengers.
    ============================================================

    Great Post, Ryan.

    I met a Gate Agent in RDU several years ago. We got to talking and the topic of PASSENGER behavior came up. She pointed to an area on her arm and said, “see this?…a passenger BIT ME there”. SHE HAD TEETH MARK SCARS!

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