Am I imagining things, or are passengers more irate at each other this summer?

It’s not imaginary. Travelers like Leigh Shulman resonate with this feeling. After suffering a broken ankle, she struggled while making her way through the airport, inching along painfully.

“Other passengers were pushing past me,” she recounted. “They didn’t seem to notice my walking boot.”

Shulman felt her frustration boil over and it lingered throughout her flight. “I was annoyed for hours,” she admitted, attributing her feelings to a blend of inadequate airport layouts, apathetic airlines, and increasingly self-centered travelers.

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This is likely the most frenetic summer for air travel in the U.S., leading to fully packed flights. The atmosphere is also tense, with a contentious U.S. election looming. To add to the chaos: a recent surge in flight cancellations triggered by the CrowdStrike incident.

Experts suggest we are in a volatile situation, ready for a flare-up.

This summer, travelers appear to be more anxious, stressed, and fatigued than at any time since the pandemic, according to Jeremy Murchland, president of the travel insurance firm Seven Corners.

“To deal with that tension, they are reacting inappropriately,” he stated.

Shulman, a writing coach and public speaker, mentioned that she fought the impulse to retaliate against a fellow passenger who jostled her.

“I took a few deep breaths,” she remarked. “Then I got on the plane.”

However, not everyone maintains their composure.

Incidents of irate flyers are making news again

Numerous occurrences of angry passengers highlight the trend. Here’s a brief overview:

◾ Consider the Frontier Airlines passenger who refused to follow crew instructions while seated in an exit row. Following a heated exchange, police had to remove her from the plane.

◾ There was a recent loud spat between a couple on a United Airlines flight from London to Newark. After flight attendants intervened, the male passenger threatened to “mess up the plane” and was subsequently arrested, accruing a fine of $20,638 after the flight had to be diverted to Bangor, Maine.

◾ Rapper Sandra “Pepa” Denton was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight due to a seating dispute.

◾ NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis was escorted off a United Airlines flight in cuffs following a disagreement with a flight attendant. (United has since apologized to him and is investigating the situation.)

Statistics tell a concerning story too. The Federal Aviation Administration notes that inflight disturbances are still high, signifying that more action is needed to manage the situation. (In general, unruly passenger incidents seem to be on a decline following the pandemic.)

What’s fueling passenger outrage?

So what’s causing the rising ire among airline passengers? Experts point to three main factors.

◾ Civility is on the decline: To put it plainly, people are more discourteous than ever, and this behavior intensifies when confined in a crowded space. Common courtesy seems to be fading not only in airports but in society as a whole. Etiquette specialist Rosalinda Oropeza Randall notes, “There are no repercussions.” Many incidents go unreported because they are often simply small outbursts of anger.

◾ Travel stress has escalated: Flying is more hectic than it used to be. Crowded planes and fewer spots for luggage have compounded travel frustrations. Reports of in-flight incidents to the Federal Aviation Administration remain high compared to before the pandemic, and high-profile disputes between crew and passengers seem to be happening more frequently. It’s clear—air travel is putting everyone under stress.

◾ Unexpected fees are everywhere: “A significant factor in passengers losing their patience is the perception of being charged extra for everything,” noted Beth Walter, a business communication educator at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. She indicated that additional costs for luggage and seat selection cause frustration. “Hidden fees often trigger the anger of weary travelers who’ve been planning their vacations for a long time and expect everything to proceed smoothly,” she explained.

Tips for Staying Chill This Summer

Honestly, the best way to maintain your composure this summer is to either find an alternative way to travel or simply stay put.

Travelers often wish for the perfect getaway without any stress. However, that’s simply unachievable. As someone who travels frequently, I find myself feeling anxious during the same critical moments—security checks, customs, boarding, and waiting for luggage.

According to Colleen Newvine, who leads stress management workshops, Shulman, the traveler with the broken ankle, is on the right track.

“Practice slow, deep breathing, exhaling for twice as long as you inhale. This technique signals to your nervous system that you’re secure,” she advised.

If someone is rude, don’t stoop to that level, urges etiquette specialist Nick Leighton.

“Responding to rudeness with more rudeness is never the answer,” he emphasized.

This approach only intensifies the situation—next, you might end up in one of my highlight videos. Instead, Leighton recommends assuming that any discourteous behavior isn’t intentional. Offering other travelers the benefit of the doubt could lead to a resolution.

Lastly, pack your good manners, as suggested by Thomas Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University.

“Respect and compassion are key,” he stated. “Most of the time, showing both to someone who’s getting upset can reduce rising tensions.” This applies even in crowded settings like airplanes, busy airports, or bustling baggage claim areas.

Airlines Need to Address the Coming Summer Surge

If it seems I’m pointing fingers at passengers for rising frustrations, allow me to clarify: that’s not my intent. The responsibility largely falls on the U.S. airline industry for fueling this problem. They have the power to ease the brewing tension this summer.

How? By giving passengers a bit more personal space—spreading out the seats instead of squeezing them in tightly—and eliminating irritating extra fees. Perhaps providing flight attendants with more customer service training rather than training for conflict resolution would help. But with airlines facing declining profits, good luck with that.

If airlines began treating us with the respect and kindness we deserve, perhaps we would start reciprocating that behavior.

Oh, I know, it’s wishful thinking. But it needed to be said.