An American Airlines First-Class Passenger Complained About Another Traveler. Things Got So Bad on a Similar Flight That Flight Attendants Had to Intervene

There are plenty of things another passenger can do to ruin your flight, and some are so inconsiderate that I genuinely wonder what goes through people’s minds when they do them.

I came across a complaint from someone traveling in first class on American Airlines, and although I’ve read about far more outrageous passenger behavior, I can understand why this person was frustrated – I would be, too in a similar situation. Especially since their flight had already been delayed.

But what interested me even more was what happened when the passenger shared the complaint with people who might have been expected to defend the behavior. I also found stories from other travelers, including one involving several passengers and flight attendants who eventually had to intervene.

ID 157142427 | Airline ©Grafner | Dreamstime.com 

An American Airlines First-Class Passenger Complained About Another Traveler’s Cologne

On October 7, a Reddit user shared a post titled “Flying while fragrant” in the American Airlines subreddit. The passenger complained about another traveler wearing Dior Sauvage Eau de Parfum, a men’s fragrance they said overpowered the entire first-class cabin. – The discussion that followed is quite interesting – and there is even body odor mentioned so keep reading as things ger even more interesting! Solutions are shared too, even one from a flight attendant.

“So here I sit, in a first class cabin on American Airlines, (domestic route) and the ENTIRE CABIN IS REEKING OF DIOR SAUVAGE EDP.”

The passenger added:

“Pretty it is not to be confined in this man’s fumes.”

In later comments, the traveler identified the flight as October 6 from McAllen, Texas, to Dallas-Fort Worth and said it was delayed by nearly 90 minutes.

One commenter jokingly asked whether the person wearing the cologne was Johnny Depp, who has famously appeared in Dior Sauvage ads.

But others sympathized with the passenger, especially those who had experienced headaches, breathing difficulties, or nausea around strong fragrances. When the same passenger posted the complaint in a fragrance-focused community, the discussion became even more interesting.

Even Fragrance Enthusiasts Said Some Places Are Better Without Perfume

The passenger shared the experience in r/fragrance, where members regularly discuss their favorite perfumes, colognes, and fragrance collections.One of the most popular responses, receiving more than 270 upvotes, was:

“Planes, doctor’s appointments, and exercise facilities are for skin scents or nothing. IMO”

Another commenter asked what fragrance would have been acceptable on the delayed flight. The answer was brief:

“Unscented deodorant”

Others shared examples of people wearing far too much perfume at the gym, including a commenter who complained about strong vanilla fragrances:

“The vanilla skunks at my gym are an enigma to me. Idk how they survive their own mushroom clouds when I’m choking five treadmills down”

Someone else criticized influencers who recommend fragrances specifically for workouts:

“The only gym scent you need is deodorant.”

But Some Fragrance Lovers Thought Wearing a Little Cologne Was Fine

Not everyone believed passengers should avoid fragrance entirely.

One person said they preferred light, fresh scents in enclosed spaces, while another said they used just a couple of sprays of a mild fragrance under their shirt when traveling.

Another commenter said they wore Bleu de Chanel Eau de Parfum when flying and limited themselves to three sprays.

Some also pointed out that airports sell perfumes in duty-free shops, where travelers can sample fragrances immediately before boarding.

One commenter joked:

“If they didn’t want us to reek on an 11 hour flight they wouldn’t put the duty free perfume counter right next to the gate lol”

Another recalled witnessing someone at Heathrow Airport apply what they estimated to be around 20 sprays of a powerful fragrance from a tester bottle.

The disagreement mostly centered on how much perfume was acceptable, though several commenters said the best option was to wear none at all.

Other Travelers Shared Their Own Experiences With Unpleasant Smells on Planes

In the American Airlines discussion, several people described flights where another passenger’s smell became impossible to ignore.

One Flight Had Body Odor, Perfume, and Someone Doing Their Nails

A traveler recalled flying from New Orleans to Washington, D.C., three weeks earlier and being seated beside someone with a strong mildew and body odor smell. The situation worsened when the man leaned forward to sleep on his tray table.

“He’d lower the tray table, and put his head on it to nap, this would spread his arms open and then assault my olfactory senses.”

But that passenger’s smell wasn’t the only problem.

“Someone else, elsewhere, was spraying perfume to try and cover it up. Another person was performing a manicure on themselves.”

Eventually, according to the traveler, the crew intervened:

“Eventually the flight attendants told people to stop making the plane stink. I appreciated that.”

Another commenter, apparently speaking from flight attendant experience, responded to the manicure detail:

“Nail polish is banned. Tell us if we are elsewhere and miss it.”

I’ve previously written about passengers clipping and filing their nails during flights, including a separate discussion about someone painting their nails aboard an aircraft.

One Passenger Said Strong Fragrances Had Triggered Their Asthma

For some people in the discussion, perfume was more than an unpleasant smell.

One commenter wrote:

“That would be me and I have asthma. Have had to use my inhaler multiple times on flights.”

They added that other passengers complained that they looked sick as they struggled to breathe.

“People have bitched at me more than once about coming on an airplane sick because I am choking.”

Another traveler described standing behind a heavily perfumed woman in Paris while waiting in line for the Moulin Rouge. Within 15 minutes, they said their eyes were watering, their nose was running, and they were sneezing uncontrollably.

Other commenters mentioned fragrance sensitivity and the frustration of being unable to move away from a smell while flying.

Some Passengers Said They’d Prefer Cologne to Body Odor or Smelly Food

Not everyone was sympathetic to the original complaint.

One commenter joked:

“Could’ve been Eau de Armpit instead. Take the win.”

In the fragrance community, someone said they would prefer sitting beside a passenger who had enthusiastically sampled duty-free colognes over someone eating an egg salad sandwich immediately after takeoff.

Another traveler recalled a recent flight where the person next to them had brought a tuna sandwich.

Someone else wasn’t impressed by the comparison:

“Those are not the only two options”

Another American Airlines commenter described sitting beside a passenger who ate a very smelly meal and then spent the journey burping and passing gas.

Strong food smells, body odor, and overpowering fragrances were all competing for the title of the most unpleasant thing to endure in an airplane cabin.

A Commenter With Apparent Flight Attendant Experience Shared an Unusual Tip

One of the more interesting responses came from a commenter who appeared to have experience working as a flight attendant.

They suggested asking the crew for a bag of coffee if another passenger’s smell was making the flight uncomfortable.

“Let us know and worst case scenario we can give you a coffee bag to sit with in your lap or discretely wave it about for those times you are sitting next to someone stinky.”

The commenter also said crew members sometimes placed coffee bags in lavatories after someone had been sick.

They claimed the coffee could absorb unpleasant odors, although the discussion didn’t establish its effectiveness as an odor-removal method.

Other travelers suggested carrying a face mask or using the adjustable overhead air vent to make strong smells easier to tolerate.

Other Airplane Passenger Behaviors That Have Sparked Similar Complaints

Strong cologne is far from the only thing travelers have complained about while sharing a cabin with strangers. I’ve covered several other situations where passengers’ personal habits affected the people sitting around them.

Clipping, Filing, and Painting Nails During a Flight

One passenger was filmed clipping and filing her nails aboard a plane, prompting disgusted reactions from travelers and flight attendants. The discussion also included complaints about nail polish, with commenters objecting to both the smell and the idea of turning an airplane seat into a personal grooming station.

Making Fresh Pasta on an Airplane Tray Table

Another passenger attracted widespread attention after deciding to make fresh pasta on a plane, using the tray table as a workspace. The video prompted concerns about hygiene, flour spreading around the cabin, and the potential consequences for passengers with food allergies.

Bare Feet on Seats and Other Passengers’ Personal Space

Then there are the countless arguments about bare feet on airplanes. One viral video showed a man resting his bare feet on a seat, while another incident involved a passenger placing her feet on the cabin wall and in-flight entertainment screen. Beyond hygiene concerns, other travelers have complained about smelly feet and someone else’s feet intruding on their space.

A Passenger Curling Her Hair Mid-Flight

A woman apparently using a curling iron at her seat became the subject of another airplane etiquette debate. Some commenters thought she was being inconsiderate, while others defended her for making productive use of her travel time.

Flight Attendants Have Their Own Lists of Passenger Red Flags

Flight attendants have shared their own complaints about passenger behaviors they hate, including bare feet in lavatories, poor hygiene, strong smells, and passengers doing things that leave crew members dealing with the consequences.

As for the American Airlines complaint, I’m curious where you stand. Would strong cologne bother you during a flight? And which would you find worse: overpowering perfume, unpleasant body odor, or someone eating a very smelly meal beside you?

Note: you can see the two Reddit posts here and here.

Violeta Loredana

Violeta-Loredana Pascal is a communications expert, business mentor, and the founder of Earth’s Attractions and PRwave INTERNATIONAL. A pioneer in the Romanian digital PR landscape since 2005, she holds a degree in Communication and Social Sciences from SNSPA Bucharest. Violeta is a senior trainer at AcademiadeAfaceri.ro, where she leverages over 20 years of experience to teach professional courses in PR strategy and workplace productivity. By blending high-level business consulting with a passion for holistic travel and wellness, she empowers solopreneurs to overcome procrastination, build profitable brands, and design a life of purposeful adventure.