BELLEVUE, Wash., June 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Expedia.com® released the results of its 2019 Airplane and Hotel Etiquette Study, an annual check-in on what's most annoying while traveling and how to deal with it gracefully. This year's report shows some definite do's and don'ts when it comes to planes, hotels and vacation rentals.
"We are in the business of helping millions of people travel every year, and it's important to us that everybody has the best possible experience. How we interact with each other while traveling has a huge impact on how we feel about our trip, which is why we decided to dig in to some of the most common travel annoyances," says Nisreene Atassi, PR Director for Brand Expedia.
Goodwill on the road
It might come as a surprise, but Americans are some of the kindest and most considerate travelers in the world — often surpassing even our quintessentially "nice" Canadian neighbors. In fact, Americans ranked above the global average in terms of performing courtesies or acts of kindness for fellow travelers.
Sharing travel tips and recommendations is another common way we help each other — globally, 25% of people have given tips to fellow airplane passengers and 35% to other hotel guests. Travel is all about making personal connections, but sometimes it's helpful to dig deeper and follow the wisdom of the crowd. Sites like Expedia offer a wide array of travel information and local activities, all reviewed and easily accessible via a mobile app.
Americans don't like to start fights
While being confined to an airplane seat can bring out the worst in some people, American travelers do their best to not be a nuisance and prefer to keep to themselves. In addition to being among the least likely to start a fight or be confrontational towards another passenger or the flight crew, the study found:
The Germ Spreader is now the most annoying passenger
While 43% of global respondents identified the Drunk Passenger as the most annoying person on a plane, Americans zeroed in on a different offender: the Germ Spreader.
Imagine this scenario: You sit down in your seat and the person sitting next to you is visibly sick, coughing or sneezing. What would you do? It turns out catching a cold on the plane is something Americans really want to avoid, but they go about it in a respectable way. Nearly 50% would ask the flight attendant for a different seat, 40% would offer them tissues or cough drops if they had them, and another 31% would just apply hand sanitizer throughout the flight. Presumably, these anxieties around health and hygiene are also behind Americans' world-leading dislike of going barefoot on a plane (78%).
The top five most annoying flight passengers for Americans are:
Vacation rental etiquette is a two-way street
Vacation rentals are getting ever more popular. For families or larger groups of friends, they offer many comforts of home — including more privacy and less chance to get annoyed by loud guests or partying across the hallway. When booking a vacation rental on a site like Expedia, travelers can see detailed descriptions and reviews that ensure that everything is set up for a relaxing vacation.
When staying in a vacation rental, most Americans agree that a few things are off limits:
When it comes to "special touches" a vacation rental host can provide, Americans most appreciate a stocked fridge (23%) or free meal upon arrival (17%) to their home away from home. A quick in-person introduction to sights and restaurants in the area was closely behind (16%), followed by a welcome drink (14%). These results show that while personal contact is still greatly appreciated when it comes to good hospitality, food and drinks are the way to American travelers' hearts.
Want to learn which country's approach to travel etiquette matches yours? Take a quick quiz (https://viewfinder.expedia.com/quizzes/airplane-etiquette/) and find your preferred etiquette destination.
About the 2019 Airplane and Hotel Etiquette Survey
This study was conducted on behalf of Expedia by Northstar Research Partners, a global strategic research firm. The survey was conducted online from April 12-29, 2019 across North America, Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. The study was conducted among 18,237 respondents across 23 countries.
About Expedia.com
Expedia.com® is one of the world's largest full-service travel sites, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (https://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of top vacation destinations, affordable airfare, hotel deals, car rentals, destination weddings, cruise deals and in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps. © 2019 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Expedia and the Airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CST# 2029030-50. Visit our web site https://www.expedia.com/ or use our mobile app to book cheap flights and hotels.
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/expedias-etiquette-study-shows-that-when-it-comes-to-good-travel-your-manners-are-the-carry-on-that-matter-most-300865419.html
SOURCE Expedia.com