Cases of Air Rage are 'Sky High'

It seems that going on holiday can often bring about stress and anger rather than alleviate it, a poll has suggested.

The poll taken at the end of summer this year reported that 56% of those asked said that they felt "more stressed" organising and going on holiday than they have done before, mainly due to contrived check-in processes and cramped spaces on the plane.

Back in the early days of commerical air travel people loved the experience of flying in the plane as much as they did the holiday itself, meaning that most fliers were happy and contented in their sardine-can conditions.

But a lot has changed in commercial aviation over the last few decades, especially in airport security and travelling conditions.

Most notably though, the rise of cheap airlines has opened up the world to the masses, with millions of people a year jetting out of the UK to all corners of the globe without giving it a second thought.

At the same time, however, some aspects of airline travel have rapidly gone downhill.

Most notably, passengers are no longer on their best behaviour at the airport and on the plane. Many experts attribute this to the stresses of holiday preparations and the availability of alcohol both on the ground and in the air.

Flying has become so routine that growing numbers of people are treating air travel in much the same way they approach driving their car to the local shops and, perhaps unsurprisingly, some of the worst habits of the roads are now becoming commonplace at high altitude.

According to the latest figures from the Department for Transport, the number of 'air rage' incidents being reported by UK airlines is soaring.

Some 3,529 incidents of bad behaviour were reported by carriers over the 12 months to the end of March 2009, up from 2,702 over the preceding year, with alcohol now playing at least some part in around four in ten cases.

"Alcohol is readily available for the passenger whenever they want. What is worse is that the effects of flying mean that alcohol has a quicker and more noticeable effect on those who consume it, resulting in a lot of drunken behavior."

"Many people believe that hitting the bar prior to their journey will ease their pre-flight nerves, but this is only applicable if you drink in moderation. If you appear to be too drunk to fly then the airport staff are likely to turn you around and send you away before you even get on the plane,"

What's more, the government figures show that 29 passengers had to be restrained as a result of their behaviour, while in 13 cases, aircraft had to be diverted due to the perceived threat to safety.

Although these numbers are relatively small in terms of the number of flights that leave airports in a year, the effect of people behaving in a disruptive manner is bad for both financial and security reasons for all travellers.

"The problem may seem rather isolated as the majority of flights pass without problem, but it is a problem that needs to be stamped out nonetheless."

Although the angry state that some fliers get themselves into is totally unjustifiable, most consumers will acknowledge the fact that flying has become increasingly stressful over recent years, with demanding security processes and long check-in queues contributing to holidaymakers soaring stress levels.

On a global level, passenger numbers rose by three per cent this September opposed to the previous year, however it was noted that the industry is still very vulnerable to the economic twists and turns that surely lay ahead.