More than half of Brits admit boarding flight feeling irritable or unwell

Daily Mirror

19-05-2025

One in four Brit plane passengers admit they've skipped washing themselves to make an early departure time, while one in six confessed to leaving the house without even brushing their teeth
Fasten your seatbelts, morning flights will be very grumpy. But a better morning could mean a better flight. New research reveals an astonishing 67 per cent of British plane passengers admit they've boarded their flight feeling irritable or unwell.
And that figure rises to a whopping 79 per cent among 25 to 34 year olds. Many say it's because they've missed out on breakfast. With one in six (17 per cent) admitting to usually skipping the most important meal of the day before a flight, that's a lot of grumpy passengers.
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Missing breakfast is becoming an actual relationship issue, with over one in six say they've had a tense moment with their partner over their missed morning meals. The study, commissioned by Heathrow Express, has also revealed rushing to catch an early flight can lead to many of us failing to keep to basic hygiene measures.
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One in four (28 per cent) admit they've skipped washing to make an early departure time, while one in six (16 per cent) have confessed to leaving the house without brushing their teeth.
Meanwhile one in five (19 per cent) didn't even use the toilet before heading out the door.
The research has been done to support the launch of Heathrow Express's new 4.34am departure from London Paddington – its earliest-ever train to Heathrow, running Monday to Saturday.
Heathrow Express' business lead, Aoife Considine said: 'We know early flights can turn mornings into a scramble, and that often means the important things – like breakfast – get pushed aside.
"Our new service is designed to give travellers their time back, so passengers can focus on what really matters – arriving calm, prepared and having had the chance to start their day right.'
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The new earlier non-stop 15-minute connection between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport means you can make sure you are washed and fed before going on holiday or a business trip. With spacious seating, free Wi-Fi, and generous luggage space it's the fastest, smoothest, and most stress-free way to reach the airport.
And to launch the new 4.34am service - and help passengers arrive better prepared for their flights - Heathrow Express provided them with an early breakfast treat. The airport rail link teamed up with Quaker and food-loving TV personality David Templer to offer passengers two exclusive oat-based breakfasts.
Mr Templer said: 'I'm always looking for ways to make life more efficient – and nothing says efficient like a 15-minute train to the airport and breakfast already sorted.
"These oat breakfasts were designed for those early starts when you're short on time but still want something that hits the spot – both nutritious and delicious.'
Provided aboard was a Tropical Oat Bowl made with chilled overnight oats, coconut milk, pineapple, mango, and passionfruit – finished with toasted coconut, chia seeds, and a squeeze of lime, and Mexican Mocha Energy Balls blended with dates, cocoa, espresso, cinnamon, cayenne, and dark chocolate.