Confined space, a lack of legroom, stress-provoking boarding procedures and airlines’ cost-saving measures are a recipe for conflicts among air passengers, observers have said, after another heated dispute on a Hong Kong flight.
Experts also said on Sunday that social media had fuelled a “copycat effect” in which people imitated disruptive behaviour and aggressive responses they had seen online.
Hong Kong Airlines issued written warnings to four passengers and alerted Korean law enforcement authorities following a dispute on flight HX628 from the city to Seoul on Friday.
A video circulating online shows a man and a woman speaking Mandarin arguing with a Cantonese-speaking pair, and flight attendants trying to break up the fight, which involved pulling and grabbing.
The Mandarin-speaking woman is heard in the minute-long clip repeatedly yelling, “he hit my son”, while grabbing another passenger.
It was just one of the latest clashes seen mid-air that had authorities involved.
Clinical psychologist Amos Cheung Chuen-yih said pre-flight and boarding procedures were stress-provoking, with crowds, security checks and the constant fear of being late all contributing to passengers’ anxiety and making them more reactive subconsciously.
Cheung said that being in a confined space like an aircraft, along with air pressure changes, dehydration, alcohol consumption and potentially lower oxygen levels could also heighten people’s stress response and make them more irritable.
“Travellers sitting in economy class often feel they are paying expensive ticket prices for a poor level of service that fails to meet their expectations,” Cheung said.
“The cramped seats, narrow space and lack of legroom make for an uncomfortable journey. These frustrations, combined with other factors, such as someone bumping your seat or a person in front reclining, create a build-up of tension that can cause people to snap over seemingly trivial matters.”
But he said social media might also play a role by amplifying people’s emotions.
“For example, if someone does something, it immediately reminds you of a similar incident you saw on social media,” said Cheung, president-elect of the Hong Kong Psychology Society.
“There is also a possibility that this social media exposure can lead to a copycat effect. When I see someone do this, I do the same. This applies to both disruptive behaviour and aggressive responses.”
Earlier this month, a reclined seat on a Hong Kong Airlines flight from Sanya sparked an intense argument between a mainland Chinese woman and a Hong Kong man, leading to police intervention upon arrival.
A viral video captured a dispute last month on HK Express flight from Vietnam to Hong Kong, in which a woman angrily confronted a man over a child kicking her seat, with police also called to the scene when the aircraft landed in the city.
A Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong to London last September was the setting for a similar confrontation. The carrier banned a couple for life for allegedly harassing and making defamatory comments to a woman who reclined her seat.
Jason Li Hanming, a US-based independent aviation expert, said such incidents were not unique to Hong Kong flights, attributing the widespread trend of shrinking economy class seats to airlines’ pursuit of profitability in an economic downturn.
“The primary issue is the worsening conditions in the economy class cabin with seat density increasing while legroom is decreasing,” Li said.
“This creates a situation where when a passenger in front reclines their seat, the person behind them is much more likely to become frustrated or angry.”
He said that aircraft design was a reflection of the overall economic environment, with airlines forced to reduce their outlays and operate more like low-cost carriers because people had less money.
“Lowering costs also means reducing the number of flight attendants on a plane. This leads to an increased workload and a decrease in salary for the crew, with less quality service making for unhappy passengers,” Li said.
Cheung also pointed to a psychological shift from self-restraint to an emphasis on personal rights as a potential cause of increased conflict.
“People used to focus more on whether their actions might make others uncomfortable. The new mindset, however, is a focus on asserting one’s personal boundaries,” he said.
“This psychological impact is significant. If everyone is only focused on their own rights, their own space, and their own boundaries, that creates a very disharmonious situation.”
Cheung stressed the need to promote travel etiquette and best practices for travel procedures from a cultural point of view. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
