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Bothered by a Farting Airline Passenger? There's an App for That! +VIDEO


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)


SAN DIEGO - January 20, 2016: The Seateroo app, which is available in the App Store, offers a solution for air passengers seeking to find a better seat or avoid aggravating passengers.

Seateroo creates an online market where ticketed air travelers can swap seats in exchange for electronic payment. With this two-sided market, buyers are unhappy with their seat location and are willing to pay to swap for a desired seat. Sellers, in return for being paid, are willing to swap for a less desired seat.

Even for passengers who are able to select a desired seat for a flight, unexpected and unwelcomed passenger behavior can greatly diminish their in-flight experience. For instance, Expedia's 2015 Airplane Etiquette Study found that the top three aggravating passengers are rear-seat kickers, inattentive parents, and aromatic passengers.

When booking a flight, the location of aggravating passengers will not show up on a seat chart. "Booking a desired seat is helpful, but passengers still face uncertainty regarding the in-flight behavior of other passengers," said Brad Pursel, Founder and President of Seateroo. "Short of eliminating aggravating passenger behavior, the next best option is to offer passengers an 'on-demand' tool to find a more pleasant seat, which may include using the Seateroo app to pay a passenger willing to swap seats."

As indicated by Expedia's study, aromatic passengers were near the top of the list of aggravating passengers. This week, a passenger's handwritten note complaining about another passenger's offensive in-flight flatulence went viral, which suggests this is not an isolated incidence. Indeed, a professor from the University of Copenhagen found that the drop in air cabin pressure increases the frequency of flatulence.

Would the Seateroo founder swap seats to get away from an aromatic or farting passenger? "I would definitely pay to swap seats to get away from that situation," said Brad Pursel. "My willingness to swap seats near an aromatic passenger would depend upon the length of the flight and the amount of money offered."




About Seateroo: The Seateroo app launched in the App Store on January 11, 2016. Visit www.seateroo.com to learn more. Seateroo has created videos about using the app in a number of situations, including farting.