The Growing Fury Over 'Premature Risers' on Flights
Imagine settling into your window seat, enjoying an entire series of your favourite show, and finally touching down at your holiday destination. All that stands between you and that first refreshing drink is disembarking the aircraft. Yet, this simple process is increasingly marred by a phenomenon that has travellers fuming: premature rising.
What Exactly Are 'Premature Risers'?
This particularly aggravating travel habit occurs the moment the plane's wheels hit the tarmac. Despite clear announcements and illuminated seatbelt signs instructing passengers to remain seated, a select group interprets this as a mere suggestion. They immediately unbuckle, stand up, begin rummaging through overhead lockers, and start jostling for position in the aisle.
These individuals are singularly focused on one objective: retrieving their carry-on luggage and securing pole position for passport control. Their behaviour is often described as ruthless, cut-throat, and intensely motivated. Some commentators have even suggested their strategic, self-serving approach would make them formidable contestants on reality television shows like The Traitors.
International Crackdown and Calls for Bans
The commotion caused by premature risers has escalated to the point where governments are taking action. In May 2025, Turkey announced it would introduce fines for airline passengers who stand up, unfasten their seatbelts, or open overhead compartments before the aircraft has come to a complete stop at the gate.
The proposed penalty, believed to be approximately £50, aims to deter this unsafe rush and ensure aviation safety protocols are properly followed. This move has been welcomed by many in the travel community. Influential travel creator @travelwiththeharmony publicly supported the decision, going so far as to suggest that chronic premature risers—especially those seated at the rear who push forward upon landing—should be 'banned from flying' altogether. The influencer expressed a desire to see similar policies implemented in the United States.
Passenger Perspectives: Stress and Overstimulation
For frequent flyers, this behaviour transforms the final moments of a flight from routine to intensely stressful. Amelia Jackson, a 26-year-old shop owner from Brighton, shares her frustration. 'After we land, I tend to just sit there until either everyone’s got off or there’s a good gap for me to get up and grab my bag,' she explains. 'There’s nothing more overstimulating than trying to put my shoes back on and grab my jacket and bag, and there’s a person right behind me trying to rush me.'
Amelia also questions the logic of the rush, particularly for those with checked luggage. 'If you have a suitcase checked in, you’re going to be waiting by the conveyor belt anyway, so why rush out? Just chill people.'
This sentiment is echoed by Med Abdallah, a 33-year-old social media strategist. 'I can’t stand the people who stand up the second the plane lands. It’s as if they want to sprint off and save the day,' he says. 'The plane hasn’t even parked, the doors aren’t open and somehow you’ve decided that now is the moment to shove your way into the aisle. Just sit down for thirty seconds, let the crew do their job.'
The Etiquette Expert's Verdict
Laura Windsor, widely recognised as a leading authority on etiquette, weighed in on the debate. While she firmly agrees that passengers must remain seated while the seatbelt sign is on—calling it both 'logical and appropriate'—she also advocates for a degree of understanding.
'It is understandable that passengers would be eager to disembark,' Laura notes. 'By that stage, most people are simply keen to leave a journey they have endured.' Her key advice centres on mutual courtesy. 'A degree of understanding in such situations is essential from both sides. Anyone who has had to retrieve luggage stored further down the aisle will know that a certain amount of courteous shuffling should be tolerated. However, collecting one’s belongings should, of course, be done with the utmost consideration for others and with minimal disruption.'
A Broader Context of In-Flight Annoyances
The discussion around premature rising exists within a wider conversation about passenger behaviour. Veteran flight attendant Cher Killough highlighted another major irritant: manspreading in middle seats. She described this habit, typically exhibited by men, as 'unacceptable,' noting it unfairly encroaches on the personal space of neighbouring passengers.
Despite airlines and authorities adopting stricter approaches, the consensus among weary travellers is that the determined premature riser will always seek an advantage. The debate rages on between those demanding fines and bans, and those pleading for a simple return to basic courtesy and shared consideration at 30,000 feet.
