With Thanksgiving on the horizon, it’s estimated that a whopping 54.01 million travelers will be jetting off from airports across the country, making it one of the biggest travel periods annually in the US.
But we all know that getting from A to B isn’t always plain sailing, with travel-related frustrations popping up time and time again.
So, with this in mind, we decided to identify Americans’ top travel-related pet peeves! We surveyed people from nine different states to highlight the biggest travel-related annoyances. And from lengthy security lines to inconvenient delays, a multitude of things cropped up.
But which pet peeves were the most common? And do they vary state by state? To find out, dive into our insights on the top travel complaints below!
A state-by-state breakdown of the biggest pet peeves
Below we’ll offer a state-by-state breakdown of the top pet peeves travelers face when heading off on vacation, focusing on four key areas: airport-specific grievances, issues with fellow travelers, security problems, and airport amenities:
Before you go, why not check at least one thing off your travel-related to-do list by booking an airport parking reservation. This way, if you do happen to encounter any of the peeves we’ve highlighted below, at least you know one section of your journey will be stress-free.
California
First things first, what are the most common pet peeves when traveling through a major airport such as LAX?
Well, unsurprisingly, 37% of our participants said that long lines were their biggest pet peeve, with a further 26% mentioning lengthy walks between gates and terminals.
When it comes to pet peeves associated with fellow travelers, 30% said that loud or disrespectful people were their biggest annoyance, with a further 30% saying that noisy and overcrowded waiting areas were their top pet peeve.
17% of participants mentioned that they were dismayed by poor customer service when passing through security, and 14% deemed their top pet peeve a lack of cleanliness in common areas.
Finally, when asked about amenities, the biggest pet peeve was to do with food prices (with 34% of people mentioning this). Similarly, 20% mentioned insufficient seating areas, with the available seats being largely uncomfortable.
Florida
Next, let’s look at issues passengers face when traveling through major airports such as MCO. Just like the above, the biggest airport-related issue we found was inconveniently long lines (with 41% of participants putting this first). Next, a further 40% mentioned delayed or cancelled flights as their top irritant.
When it comes to fellow travelers, 28% of people said that loud passengers were their biggest pet peeve.
Finally, just like Californians, the price of food was the biggest pet peeve in terms of amenities for those in Florida, with 39% of participants putting this first.
Georgia
Georgia’s ATL is one of the world’s busiest airports, with millions of passengers jetting off and landing yearly. So, there’s no surprise that with such a huge number of passengers, things don’t always run smoothly.
We found that 37% of people were dismayed by long airport lines in Georgia, and 31% said that the lengthy journeys between terminals were their top pet peeve. Equally, cancelled or delayed flights were a big grievance, with 37% putting this first!
In terms of encounters with fellow travelers, the top pet peeve we found was rude or disrespectful behavior (with 27% reporting this). Equally, 20% of people said that unhygienic behavior was a top pet peeve.
When it comes to passing through security, 21% of people stated that poor customer service was their biggest pet peeve. And finally, in terms of amenities, the price of food topped the list again, with 42% of people putting this first.
Illinois
34% of those we interviewed from Illinois specified lengthy walks between terminals as their top pet peeve, a statistic that isn’t surprising if they are used to navigating airports such as Chicago O’Hare (ORD).
Again, we found that loud or disrespectful passengers were the biggest pet peeve, with 32% picking this option. And, a further 11% stated that their biggest annoyance was people eating loudly (or with their mouths open).
When it comes to security, poor customer service topped the ranking again (with 22%) and a further 14% mentioned the lack of cleanliness in common areas.
In terms of amenities, those from Illinois found the prices of food to be their top pet peeve (with 37% picking this option). Following closely behind were the price points of merchandise, with 27% choosing this.
Michigan
The top airport-related pet peeve for those in Michigan was delayed or cancelled flights, with this topping 46% of people’s lists. Equally, with passengers used to traveling through busy airports such as DTW, 42% also put waiting in long lines as a top pet peeve.
In terms of fellow travelers, 29% of people said that loud or disrespectful behavior was their biggest annoyance, with 16% revealing crowded waiting areas grated at them the most.
When asked about the airport security process, 19% mentioned that poor customer service was their biggest pet peeve overall. And in terms of amenities, the top pet peeves were prices of food (44%) and prices of drinks (34%).
New Jersey
Next up, let’s dive into some insights on travelers in New Jersey. With 50 million passengers traveling through airports such as EWR annually, it isn’t shocking that 43% of participants mentioned the annoyance of waiting in long lines.
When it comes to fellow travelers, the top pet peeve reported was loud or disrespectful behavior, with 29% of those we surveyed stating this.
When going through airport security, 22% mentioned that unhelpful staff and poor customer service were their top pet peeve. And a further 9% mentioned people who fail to take out their liquids…
Finally, when it comes to amenities, high food price points were the biggest annoyance (with 45% mentioning this). Only 3% mentioned queueing for seats at restaurants, so while it’s certainly not the biggest issue, it still made its way into our ranking.
New York
In terms of general airport pet peeves, the top we found was delayed or cancelled flights (43%), and another pet peeve mentioned was long lines, something which is inevitable when navigating an airport like JFK.
The top pet peeve when it came to fellow travelers was loud or disrespectful behavior (28%), and New Yorkers similarly reported poor customer service as a big pet peeve (21%).
Finally, 30% said that limited and overpriced food was their top issue, with 12% of people mentioning poor restroom facilities too.
Washington
Navigating a bustling airport such as SEATAC comes with its inevitable challenges, but what are the biggest pet peeves of those from Washington?
Well, topping the ranking again is delayed or cancelled flights (47%), and coming in a close second is the hassle of waiting in long lines (45%).
Just like many of our participants, another top pet peeve for those from Washington was crowded waiting areas, with 32% of people mentioning this.
Lastly, in terms of pet peeves associated with amenities, travelers found the prices of food to be their biggest annoyance (40%), with 9% also highlighting limited accessibility for passengers with disabilities.
Pennsylvania
Finally, let’s look at some of the biggest pet peeves when traveling through airports such as Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
Just under half of those we surveyed claimed delayed or cancelled flights were their biggest pet peeve. When it comes to fellow travelers, 33% said loud or disrespectful behavior annoyed them the most, and 28% mentioned disruptive children.
Next, 25% of people mentioned poor customer service when going through security, and somewhat unsurprisingly, food prices topped the ranking again (42%).
Finally, 10% of people also brought up a lack of charging stations, and 9% mentioned inadequate entertainment for long layovers.
Well, there we have it: the biggest pet peeves Americans face when embarking upon their travels. From delayed flights and long check-in lines to disruptive passengers and overpriced food, there are a variety of things which cause problems on the daily.
Which of the above (if any) makes it onto your list of travel-related pet peeves? And are there others which spring to mind when you think about jetting off?
