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The Bad Habits That Might Be Driving Your Fellow Travelers Nuts

A new Expedia study lays out the need for good etiquette on the road—and the behaviors that are most likely to frustrate your neighbors. Despite the complaints, travelers don’t want to start a fight.

Are you the kind of traveler who switches seat for the sake of another passenger? Or are you more likely to kick your fellow passenger’s seat or fail to cover when you sneeze?

It turns out that bad traveler behavior matters a lot to folks, according to a new study from the online travel website Expedia.

There is a bit of Good Samaritan behavior taking place on trips—42 percent of Americans are willing to change seats just to let a passenger sit with their party, and 48 percent say they assist fellow passengers with putting bags in the overhead bin. And while there’s a tendency among travelers to share tips with their fellow passengers, there are still problems with annoying behavior.

Among the biggest annoyances are those who spread germs (40 percent), those who kick or bump seats (36 percent), drunken passengers (35 percent), passengers who smell (32 percent), and passengers who fail to keep an eye on their children (30 percent). (On the kicking and bumping seat issue, spare a thought for those whose personal space has been invaded by passengers who aggressively recline their seats.)

Despite these annoyances, passengers are not in the mood to create in-air conflict—of passengers from around the world, the Expedia report notes that Americans are the least likely travelers to get in a fight with another passenger and will often take steps to help dissipate the issue.

The report also notes that rental homes (think Airbnb locales) also generate frustration for owners when the guests do things that are out of bounds. Fortunately, travelers tend to know that certain things are off-limits, such as going through a host’s personal items (75 percent say they know not to do this), taking items from the rental (61 percent), and inviting extra people to stay (57 percent).

The report serves up a series of tips for helping keep the peace, including offering an extra hand and keeping in mind the personal space of others.

What big frustrations do you run into on the road? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

(MediaProduction/E+/Getty Images Plus)

Ernie Smith

By Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. MORE

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