Vulnerability, decreased power and control, can lead to unplanned, irrational and sometimes violent reactions. Signaling Society's Demise Whittier, Calif.-based road rage expert Dr. Arnold Nerenberg even suggests that cabin fever is the first sign of a breakdown in society. Airlines have always cared more about profits than people. And many flights, even when load factors were way down, operated at full capacity. Alcohol and cigarettes may offer one answer.
Drinks are freely available in-flight.
Flight attendants estimate that about half of the passenger-related incidents are related to alcohol consumption. But these are partial explanations at best. One of the most disturbing theories about the outbreak of cabin fever belongs to US Airways flight attendant Kenji Nozawa, the crewmember pummeled by the earphone-wearing passenger last year. He thinks frequent flier programs are indirectly triggering the aggressive behavior. The more frequent flier points they build up, the worse they get.