Elvis has been voted as the most desirable person to sit next to by Irish passengers when going on our travels, according to a survey by London City Airport, which reveals some interesting stats on our pet hates and preferences when it comes to travelling.

The survey, which involved a total of 2,500 participants from Ireland, the UK, Spain, Italy and Switzerland, was designed to understand our attitudes and behaviours when it comes to travelling and how they differ from our European counterparts.

The airport near Canary Wharf in London’s Docklands asked 500 Irish people who they would most like to find sitting next to them on a plane, with the most popular category being actors, with one third choosing this option. When it comes to desirable flight companions, George Clooney is our favourite actor it transpires, followed by Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp.

Musicians were the next most popular category, with Elvis coming out on top as our overall preferred companion for a long flight, and special mentions also going to John Lennon, Beyonce and Rhianna.

Topping the list of the most undesirable passengers to sit beside, was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a person with strong body odour (53% of Irish responses).

We are also far less patient than our European counterparts when it comes to naughty children – 20% of Irish rated a child kicking  their seat as their top pet hate on flights, compared to just 11% of Swiss, 13% of Italian and 14% of Spanish respondents.

On the other hand, we don’t seem to mind public displays of affection or people talking business, with just 4% and 2% of surveyed passengers in Ireland describing these as pet peeves.

The Irish are the least keen on having to put up with a stranger trying to make conversation on a flight – 5% describing it as a pet hate, compared to just 3% of the Swiss.

A spokesperson for London City Airport, which commissioned the survey, said:  “When 30,000ft up in the sky, we get pretty up close and personal with our fellow passengers and if you’re sitting next to somebody you’re not keen on, it can make for a long flight.  Consider those around you.  We suggest that if you are ever lucky enough to find yourself jostling for the armrest with George Clooney, Graham Norton or Beyonce, make sure you’re smelling fresh, don’t fall asleep and keep chewing to a minimum.”

When it comes to what we feel we can’t travel without, forget switching off from busy lives on our holliers, as half of us rate our smartphone as our most prized possession to bring when travelling. Aside from necessities such as local currency and debit cards; also high on the agenda, in particular for Irish, UK and Swiss passengers, were painkillers, with 40% of respondents rating them as a top priority.

Passengers were also asked what facility they would most like to see at airports, with the majority of participants in all countries answering that they would like sleeping pods made available (37%  of Irish respondents) followed by a library and a cinema.

Top ten people Irish would most like to sit next to on a plane:

1 - Elvis (20%)

2 - Obama (12.5)

2 - Nelson Mandela (12.5)

2 - George Clooney (12.5)

5 - Albert Einstein (11%)

6 - Brad Pitt (10%)

7 - Johnny Depp (9%)

8 - Princess Diana (8.5)

9 - Marilyn Monroe (8%)

10 - Stephen Fry (8%)

Top five types of people Irish would least like to sit near to on a plane:

1 - Person with body odour (53.4%)

2 - Child kicking your chair (19.8%)

3 - Person snoring (5.8%)

4 - Stranger trying to make conversation (5.4%)

5 - Person eating loudly (4.8%)