What is the most annoying thing about traveling and how do you deal with it gracefully? Expedia researched it, and this year's report shows some clear dos and don'ts when it comes to airplanes, hotels and vacation rentals.
Do's and don'ts
* Lend a hand. If a fellow traveler seems to have their hands full, offer to help and see if there's anything you can do to make their lives easier. This can be as simple as helping with heavy luggage or paying attention to a restless child.
* Most travelers are trying to achieve vacation nirvana. Be polite, don't start arguments or be confrontational.
* Take into account the space around you. If you think you'll need more space to rest during the flight, consider paying a little extra to upgrade your seat.
* If you are sick but have to travel, make sure others don't get infected. Clean around yourself whenever possible and ask to be placed separately from fellow passengers – everyone will appreciate your efforts to keep others healthy.
* When you stay in a vacation rental, you must treat it as your own and respect the host. Don't leave a mess, don't touch personal belongings or take things that don't belong to you.
Goodwill on the road
Sharing travel tips and recommendations is a common way we help each other – worldwide 25% of people have given tips to airline passengers and 35% to other hotel guests. Traveling is about making personal connections, but sometimes it's helpful to dig deeper and follow the wisdom of the crowd.
The disease spreader is now the most annoying passenger
Imagine this scenario:you sit down in your chair and the person next to you is visibly sick, coughing or sneezing. What would you do? It seems like a cold on the plane is something most travelers really want to avoid, but they deal with it in a respectable way. Nearly 50% would ask the flight attendant for another seat, 40% would offer them tissues or cough drops if they had them, and another 31% would apply hand sanitizer during the flight.
The top five most annoying flight passengers are:
The Disease Spreader (40%)
The Kicker/Pushper/Grabulator (36%)
The Drunk Passenger (35%)
The Aromatic Passenger (32%)
The inattentive parent (30%)
Holiday home etiquette is a two-way street
Holiday apartments are becoming increasingly popular. For families or larger groups of friends, they offer many home comforts – including more privacy and less chance of being annoyed by loud guests or partying in the hallway. When you stay in a vacation rental, most agree that a few things are prohibited:
View the host's personal items (75%)
Pee in the pool (73%)
Wear the host's clothes/shoes (64%)
Take items from the vacation rental, such as a book or movie (61%)
Take household items such as spices, towels, etc. (58%)
Invite more people to stay without the host's permission (57%)
