Airline Madness: Inattentive parents of crying babies vs. Obese people who take up two seats

by Mike Barish on

Airline Madness is Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances. You can catch up on all of the previous tournament action here.

The two Cinderella stories of Airline Madness meet in the second round’s most intriguing match-up. #12 seed Inattentive parents of crying babies won its first round contest without breaking a sweat. Similarly, #13 Obese people who take up two seats simply dominated in its contest and racked up an astonishing number of votes. Now they face each other in a battle to determine which controversial annoyance advances to the Final Four. What bothers you more when it comes to ear-splitting cries being ignored by parents and heavy passengers spilling into your seat? Read on and vote!#12 Inattentive parents of crying babies
Look, we’re not pointing fingers at the babies here (because it’s rude to point and babies will put your fingers in their mouths). The problem is the parents who either aren’t prepared (with toys, activities, diapers, etc.) or don’t seem to care that their child has become a 110-decibel problem. Take the kid to the bathroom, bounce him on your knee, give him a bottle. Exhaust every option and then start over again from the beginning. Show everyone that you’re aware of the problem and, at the very least, offer some acknowledgement of (and apology for) the disruption.

#13 Obese people who take up two seats
Not all obese people are created equally. Some overeat, others have genetic disorders, while many suffer from crippling medical issues. Regardless of the reason, however, there is no excuse for taking up someone else’s space. I paid for my seat and only I get to use it. If you can’t fit in one seat, shouldn’t you have to pay for the space that you do need? It’s not a punishment; it’s just common sense. Once a child becomes too large to sit on his parent’s lap, he needs his own seat. Shouldn’t the same hold true once your waistline is too large to fit in a single seat?

One of these upstart lower-seeded combatants is going to advance to the Final Four and find itself one step closer to possibly being named Airline Madness champion. Which one will it be? What annoyance bothers you more?
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Second round voting ends at 11:59PM EDT on Friday, March 23.

More Airline Madness:
Second round match-ups:
#1 Annoying Passengers vs. #9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #3 Lack of free food/prices for food
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #2 Legroom issues
First round match-ups
#1 Annoying passengers vs. #16 Disgusting bathrooms
#2 Legroom vs. #15 Inefficient boarding procedures
#3 Lack of free food/prices for food vs. #14 Cold cabin/no blankets
#4 Baggage Fees vs. #13 Obese people who take up two seats
#5 Lack of overhead space vs. Inattentive parents of crying babies
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #11 Lack of personal entertainment/charging for entertainment
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #10 Having to turn off electronic devices during takeoff & landing
#8 People who recline their seats vs. #9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
Hotel Madness: Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances

Catch up on all the Airline Madness here.

Airline Madness: Annoying passengers vs. People who get mad at people who recline their seats

by Mike Barish on

Airline Madness is Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances. You can catch up on all of the previous tournament action here.

Our opening match-up in the second round of Airline Madness pits the tournament’s top seed, Annoying passengers, against #9 seed People who get mad at people who recline their seats. Annoying passengers received the most votes of any pet peeve and won by the largest margin. It was a dominant performance by some abhorrent people. They advanced to face People who get mad at people who recline their seats, who advanced in the first round’s closest contest. Ultimately, voters decided that people who whine are worse than people who recline. But which of these annoyances has what it takes to reach the Final Four? That, of course, is up to you so be sure to vote in the poll below.#1 Annoying passengers
Annoying passengers come in all shapes, sizes and aromas. Sometimes they’re the chatty seat companions who don’t know how to take the hint when you’ve put on your headphones, opened up your computer or closed your eyes for a nap. Why won’t they just shut up? Other times they’re loudly talking to their friends and preventing you from hearing your own thoughts. Worse yet, they can be gassy or just downright malodorous. Did they roll around in manure before boarding the flight? Why are they’re clothes stained? Frankly, everyone on the plane is crazy and all that you can do is hope that you have a row to yourself.

#9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
You know who paid for that seat-back? The person sitting in that seat. The airline has put in the recline feature and we’re entitled to use it. Frankly, it’s one of the few amenities that’s still free on airlines. We don’t need anyone’s permission to recline our own seats. We can use that seat however we damn well please (well, within reason, of course) and reclining is our right! Our seat, our choice! Now shut up so we can enjoy our reclined seats in peace.

Only one of these competitors can reach the Final Four. Which one gets your vote?

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Second round voting ends at 11:59PM EDT on Friday, March 23.

More Airline Madness:
Second Round match-ups:
#12 Inattentive parents of crying babies vs. #13 Obese people who take up two seats
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #3 Lack of free food/prices for food
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #2 Legroom
First round match-ups:
#1 Annoying passengers vs. #16 Disgusting bathrooms
#2 Legroom vs. #15 Inefficient boarding procedures
#3 Lack of free food/prices for food vs. #14 Cold cabin/no blankets
#4 Baggage Fees vs. #13 Obese people who take up two seats
#5 Lack of overhead space vs. Inattentive parents of crying babies
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #11 Lack of personal entertainment/charging for entertainment
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #10 Having to turn off electronic devices during takeoff & landing
#8 People who recline their seats vs. #9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
Hotel Madness: Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances

Catch up on all the Airline Madness here.

Airline Madness Second Round

by Mike Barish on

Airline Madness is Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances. You can catch up on all of the previous tournament action here.

Just like in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the first round of Airline Madness saw some major upsets. The #12 seed, Inattentive parents of crying babies, and #13 seeded Obese people who take up two seats won their first round match-ups with ease against higher seeded opponents. In fact, Obese people who take up two seats received the second-most votes of any peeve in the first round. Meanwhile, we finally settled the debate between seat recliners and people who hate seat recliners, with the haters being deemed the more annoying passengers. In the rest of our first round match-ups, the higher seeded teams advanced with dominating victories. That, of course, brings us to the second round, which features some very intriguing match-ups. Read on to see who’s battling to move on to the Final Four!Voting will be open on all second round match-ups today with their own posts on the site. Here’s what you have to look forward to: [Update: voting in second round match-ups is now closed.]

More Airline Madness:
First round match-ups
#1 Annoying passengers vs. #16 Disgusting bathrooms
#2 Legroom vs. #15 Inefficient boarding procedures
#3 Lack of free food/prices for food vs. #14 Cold cabin/no blankets
#4 Baggage Fees vs. #13 Obese people who take up two seats
#5 Lack of overhead space vs. Inattentive parents of crying babies
#6 Change fees/no free standby vs. #11 Lack of personal entertainment/charging for entertainment
#7 Rude airline staff vs. #10 Having to turn off electronic devices during takeoff & landing
#8 People who recline their seats vs. #9 People who get mad at people who recline their seats
Hotel Madness: Gadling’s tournament of airline annoyances

Catch up on all the Airline Madness here.

FAA reconsiders use of electronics on airplanes

by Grant Martin on

Anyone who has tried to use an e-reader or tablet on their flight in the last several years knows about the strict rules that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) places on their operation. Taxi, takeoff and landing are periods during which most electronics are prohibited, a rule that has riled up frequent travelers and tech lovers alike. Even “Mythbusters” has an episode exploring the use of cell phones on aircraft electronics (result: busted).

Given the changes to technologies and continuous pressure from consumers, that may soon change. The New York Times‘ Nick Bilton on the Bits blog posted an interesting article this weekend in which the FAA admitted that they’re looking into revising their policy. The current policy in place, which puts the onus of testing on the airlines, is too expensive and time consuming for the industry to support. As a result, the agency is looking into methods to “bring together electronics ‘manufacturers, consumer electronic associations, aircraft and avionics manufacturers, airlines, pilots, flight attendants and passengers’ to figure out how to allow greater use of these electronics on planes.”

There’s no word on what sort of schedule the FAA has in mind or how serious they are about the initiative, but if we can believe this report, the tide may soon be turning.

[flickr image via Fly for Fun]

Check out the World’s Wackiest Vacation Rentals!
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Fliers beware: Are you at risk for deep vein thrombosis?

by Jessica Festa on

For those of you who have ever worried about the health risks associated with airplane travel, Compression Stockings has something for you. The company has created this detailed visual based on numerous studies explaining how travelers who are taking long flights are at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and how they can improve circulation in their legs and feet.

According to the Vascular Disease Foundation, DVT occurs when “a blood clot, or thrombus, develops in the large veins of the legs or pelvic area.” What’s scary is that while some cases of the condition are very painful, others go completely unnoticed. Furthermore, if the blood clot forms in the deeper, invisible veins it can immediately become fatal, possibly causing a pulmonary embolism.

While the above infographic is basically a cute advertisement for the company, it actually has a lot of useful information on it. You’ll be able to learn what the ailment is, how flights affect the body, risk factors, and prevention methods. There’s even a section for the fashion-conscious who are interested in using compression clothing. Even if you don’t choose to purchase compression stockings, it’s always good to understand the health risks associated with travel, and ways to keep yourself safe. If anything, this image should help push you to drink lots of water, elevate your legs, and walk around the plane at least once per hour.

For a better view of the infographic, click here.