THERE is a type of rude passenger behaviour hated by the crew that can even delay a flight.
Airports and boarding planes can be stressful but there is one type of behaviour by customers that particularly irritates airline crew.
And that is when customers will not stop using their phone as they check in and even board the aircraft.
Cinzia Pascale, a customer service agent at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, said the use of mobile phones by passengers was problematic.
Speaking to Anchorage Daily News, she said: "I’ve lost track of how many times I’ll be checking in a person or boarding a person for their flight, and they’ll hand me their phone to scan . . . and then all of a sudden I’d hear someone start talking from their phone.
"If everyone is on their phones, it’s consistently adding time to the boarding process. “It’s especially shocking to me because I’ll start working at 3:30 in the morning, and I’m always wondering who is even up and willing to answer these FaceTimes."
Cinzia said that the this type of behaviour could lead to delays. She added: "This can actually cause delays for the flight. I’ve experienced people sitting at the gate having full-on conversations on speaker while I’ll be paging them to come to the gate for a message or to board the plane because we’re about to close the flight."
Former flight attendant Brian Hart Hoffman agreed that the use of mobile phones at airports was anti-social.
He said: "No one - and I mean not one single person - wants to see or hear your FaceTime chat in airline lounges, boarding areas, or onboard the airplane."
Making calls and sending texts aren't permitted once the plane has taken off but there are other phone functions that could now get passengers in trouble.
Some airlines have put a new line in its "conditions of carriage" - the code of conduct passengers agree to whenever they purchase flights - banning the taking of photos and filming people without permission.
Australian carrier Qantas has now told people that they have to ask before filming of photographing flight attendants or other passengers.
It reads: "Seek consent before filming or photographing Qantas Group staff, contractors or other customers."
It isn't clear what the punishment would be, but it is likely that passengers would be politely asked to stop.