2026 Travel Grievances
I’m oddly tardy with this fifth edition of annual travel complaints. Perhaps this means things have been going swimmingly the past 12 months or so. Or maybe I’m just traveling less. Yeah, that’s it. Nonetheless, newer beefs abound. And they’re mostly fresh ones, as travelers find new mostly-unintentional ways to irk me. Here are my front-of-mind 2026 travel grievances.
My Top 2026 Travel Grievances
I’ll Just Put My Trash in the Hallway People
I most recently faced this at the Holiday Inn Resort Surfside in Myrtle Beach, a delightful property well-maintained for its age. That’s why neighbors throwing their takeout trash in the hallway particularly stood out. Well, that and the fact that they kept putting more out, almost reaching the midpoint of the hallway’s width. Fortunately, the elevators were in the other direction, so the inconvenience was relatively minor. I’m just as bothered at the disrespect this shows toward the hotel staff, particularly housekeeping.
I Swear I’m Not in the Way People
First, I want to give these individuals credit, as I consider this a slightly-less serious offense than those committed by “the airline gate boarding area is my personal lounge” people I described back in 2021. I feel that’s a more intentionally selfish act than what I describe below.
The group I’m referring to now are the travelers who stand a considerable distance away from the gate, probably thinking they’re not in the way. I briefly brought them up last year but feel the need to return to the topic again. Since they’re not as in the way as those above, they may feel they’re actually helping. But unfortunately, they’re often more in the way than people closer to the gate. Travelers standing in the middle of the terminal walkway may not be bothering individuals at a specific gate, but they’re impeding exponentially more travelers simply trying to get by to another part of the terminal.
Even worse, this behavior compounds startlingly fast. A few travelers stop in a walkway, and others start filling in the gaps, thinking it’s well within societal norms to do so (if they’re thinking at all). It’s like the people just trying to pass are suddenly the a-holes interrupting the walkway-squatting seminar or phone-staring competition. Ugh.
Flushing in the Lavatory Is Optional People
These individuals are a more sinister subset of “every restroom apparatus is automatic” people I described back in 2023. I’ve experienced a concerning amount of air travelers who refuse to flush the lavatory toilet. I don’t personally meet them, of course, although some have oddly made eye contact as they subsequently walk down the aisle. Seconds later, I’m harshly introduced to their human waste as I prepare to take care of my own business. I close the lid again and flush while wondering if these are the same individuals who fouled toilets at Wing Bowl (IYKYK). Uncool.
How Dare You Recline People
This is a first for me. I’m broaching a topic I haven’t yet personally experienced during travel. Perhaps I’ve been lucky up to this point. Based on what I’ve read and heard, I understand that many travelers loathe passengers in front of them using a chair’s recline feature.
Full disclosure, I’m a recliner. I probably take advantage of those few extra inches, at least partially, on about half of the flights I take. Naturally, I’m understanding when people in front of me want to recline. I take it in stride even when the guy in front of me feels like he’s reclining his malfunctioning AA first class seat not far from my lap.
From my perspective, reclining should be generally acceptable because the seat offers the capability. Airlines have tacitly blessed reclining by accepting seats which do so. Why are certain travelers so offended when others recline? In order to obtain more space themselves, they have the option to recline, also. That is, unless their seat doesn’t – which is something easy to verify before flying. What am I missing here?
Is There Anything I Can Do For You People
I’m faced with these individuals infrequently but reliably over the years. Of course, I’m not talking about genuine actors here. I’m referring to situations where I’ve reported a concern – most often to hotel staff, in my experience – and the worker shows a general disinterest in resolving the situation.
Everyone has a different style, but I generally avoid making any statement which could come off as a demand. Overall, I’ve found that most hotel staff want to make things right after I describe a particular concern. In these situations, employees suggest a solution or simply take care of it.
But every once in a good while, I share a concern, and a worker will wrap up their response with some version of an apology and “is there anything I can do?” I find this statement hollow. Instead of simply resolving the concern with an obvious solution, the worker feigns assistance without actually providing anything meaningful. In most cases I hear this, I think to myself, “okay, we’re done here.”
This Is My Personal Coffee Area People
There’s never enough room in the coffee area. Whether in airport lounges, hotel lobbies, or – egads – a Starbucks, I regularly issue that lame line among fellow travelers preparing their fix. All sorts of milk products, sugars, sweeteners, napkins, and stir tools exist, but hardly any counter space.
The issue compounds when a single coffee drinker manages to take up the entire area. They’re spread out or have a general disinterest in moving to the side to allow just one other person start their process. Of course, they have no idea the line has multiplied behind them – not that they would care, anyway. Barry Petchesky nails the general topic in this masterpiece over at Defector.
Other people exist.
Conclusion
That’ll do for this year. Indeed, some readers have probably already given up on this article. Congratulations (and thanks) to those who made it through this one. While all this stuff matters to me in the moment, I try to remember to step back and just let things be. I do my best to exhibit grace in my own clumsy way. Knowing I can complain about it once each year here helps. I encourage you to do the same!
So then, what are your biggest 2026 travel grievances?
The guy at the gate is also the guy at Costco who turns his cart sideways and blocks the aisle. Or, the guy who stops in the middle of a doorway to pull out his phone to go through his email and messages. Or, the guy who goes into an Amex lounge, loads up his gym bag with food, and spreads out his stuff to occupy an entire seating area.
You run into this same guy a lot, Tom. 😉 Thanks for chiming in!
A little judgy but interesting. Just to hit some high points:
Where would you suggest people leave their trash? Hotel trash cans are normally far too small for the purpose.
I’m 6’4” so if the person in front of me reclines then they get my knees in their back. That isn’t malice, it’s a lack of other places to put my knees. As not to be a hypocrite I don’t recline either unless I’m in first class.
Not on the hallway floor, Christian. I’m confident people can figure it out, if they care to.