Only a third of S'pore travellers will wake aisle seat passenger to get to the bathroom: Survey

New Paper

14-05-2025

Singapore travellers tend towards thoughtfulness and practicality in-flight, findings from a travel survey by international insurance company Allianz Partners suggest.
On May 14, the company released its first Asia-Pacific (Apac) edition of the Allianz Partners Travel Index, a survey it has been conducting in the United States since 2009 and in Europe since 2012.
This latest version includes insights from 502 respondents in Singapore, alongside travellers from Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Hong Kong and Japan.
Among its key findings is that a third of Singapore travellers will wake a passenger in an aisle seat to use the washroom - the same proportion as respondents from Australia and India.
At 38 per cent, New Zealand has the highest proportion who will do so. In contrast, Japanese respondents are the least likely to do that (18 per cent).
Dr Amy Lim, discipline lead for psychology at Murdoch University Singapore, explains that in such moments of urgency, travellers typically face two awkward options: "Climbing over or waking the aisle passenger."
"From an evolutionary-social psychology lens, we avoid unwanted physical contact with strangers. Respectfully asking someone to move - instead of brushing past him or her - honours that need for distance," she says, suggesting that it may be why a third of Singapore travellers choose to wake the passenger in the aisle seat.
Singaporean travellers speaking to The Straits Times list being considerate among the reasons for preferring not to awaken the aisle passenger.
Professional photographer Lee Aik Soon, 30, says: "I think I'd be disrupting their rest or bothering them, since they have to unbuckle their seat belts and stand to let me out.
"If I were sitting at the window seat and the flight is more than six hours, I'd probably allow myself to go to the washroom only twice, so I don't disturb passengers in the middle and aisle seats."
Fitness trainer Carissa Wong, 26, has taken multiple flights - some up to 12 hours long - without using the washroom and prefers a window seat.
"Moving around in-flight is too troublesome. Window seats come with a wall to lean on and sleep, and no one needs to climb over me to get out," she says.
The survey also found a notable gender divide when it comes to giving up seats on board for families to sit together. In Singapore, 38 per cent of male travellers say they will do so, compared with 26 per cent of women.
"Maybe guys are less picky with seats? Or women are tired of giving in elsewhere and want some me-time on holiday?" Ms Wong wonders, surprised by the finding.
A third of respondents from Singapore, Australia and India say they would wake a passenger in an aisle seat to use the washroom during a flight. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Dr Lim says an analysis of the composition of demographic variables will help with arriving at fuller conclusions. For instance, are the families travelling with young children and are the respondents parents?
She adds: "The fact that more men are stepping aside suggests another layer: Fathers may experience stronger kin-care motivations and greater sensitivity to family needs.
"Would we observe men who are not fathers, or females who are mothers, giving up their seats? Only by exploring how single men and mothers behave in this context can we arrive at a fuller explanation of the gendered dynamics at play."
The survey, which primarily focuses on identifying macro trends in the travel industry, does not record the personal information of respondents, such as age or marital status.
Mr Vinay Surana, managing director for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Allianz Partners, says: "While the survey doesn't explore the underlying motivations behind each behaviour, these insights offer a glimpse into cultural nuances, social expectations and the unspoken rules of travel etiquette in different countries."