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My fundamental traveling annoyance is feeling ripped off.
On my last trip, I met my part of my bargain with the travel industry in full. ALL my dollars arrived on time, complete, and each with 100 cents in it. I arrived well in advance of every step, as agreed (or at least advised) on the various websites/tickets/etc. Literally, not a single entity in the chain met their part of the agreement. Every flight was late, changed gates, or even terminals. My seat was not available, despite early reservation, and I was charged a fee to change it. The car rental agency declined my discount (which they had agreed to on the website). The hotel put me in a noisy room next to the ice-maker. The coffee maker was broken and staff spent two days trying to fix it. Two nights of sleep were ruined by an errant fire alarm. The supposed "6am complimentary breakfast" was almost always late or incomplete.
In short, I view the travel industry as completely broken and I don't use it any more. I have zero interest in seeing anything overseas (been there, done that) so I can travel entirely in my own vehicle. We use our RV exclusively now. It is far more comfortable and roomy than any other method. So far, every park and resort has been able to provide the few things I need (hookups). And the best thing is, I don't have to endure the crowded h*ll described by Sartre (other people). I swore off airplanes and hotels a long time ago.
And- "gate lice"- the wonderful term someone on FlyerTalk used to describe people who crowd the gate even though their boarding group hasn't been called yet.
Food prices in airports- highway robbery.
High-end brands of liquor in Duty-Free made "exclusively for the Duty-Free market"- so you can't get on your phone and check prices elsewhere to see if it's a good deal. And, on that topic- having to walk past miles of "retail space" to get to the gate, No, I do NOT want to buy luggage, a new coat, souvenirs made in China or costume jewelry at the airport.
The airlines' increasing practice of finding that some aspect of flying is desirable and charging extra for it. Yes, front-to-back loading is more efficient but when they found people were willing to pay extra to board first, that all changed. Same with aisle seats, exit row seats, any seat choice at all. Basic Economy stripped it bare- you pretty much get a seat. Period. I realize that some of these charges go away with Elite status but that has a cost of its own.
Having said that- I've seen some pretty spectacular destinations in my life that I couldn't get to by car or train- maybe by a VERY long cruise. Air travel is what I endure to get there and back. Sometimes I enjoy that part, too, sometimes I don't.
passengers should not be allowed to store their luggage in overhead in Row 5 when their seat is located in Row 35.
You fit more stuff if you let the natural balance of things fit in the space, regardless of position.
If row 21 has four people who happen to not have baggage it doesn't make sense to leave that empty when others could use it to stow their things. The people with less offset the people with more (to a point) but that doesn't work if people are assigned set areas for baggage.
It seems air travel is the biggest annoyance so far.
Although the name is taken, nowadays AIRBUS is appropriate to describe aircraft. The availability of seats and people willing to pay has brought newer, inexperienced travelers to the skies. Those that dont bother to read the TSA rules, gate lice, the DWKWIA's that think that paying for a upgraded seat makes them a god.....The list goes on. I love flying and do so every chance I get but, I try my best to block out the nonsense to enjoy the ride.
Kids who kick the back of your seat with no clue you can feel it.
Their parents who have no idea what the kid is doing, or don't care.
The person sitting in front of you who insists on reclining their seat the entire way, thus giving you limited room to lower your tray for reading or computer use.
The person who sits next to you and once in the air pulls out a tuna fish sandwich loaded with garlic and eats every bite.
One thing I noticed recently while flying. We were running behind and I had a connection to make which I knew would likely be at an airport that would require me to go underground to another area of the airport (Detroit). If I miss the connecting flight I'm sleeping at the airport.
On the upside, if you're connecting through Detroit, there's a 98% chance you're flying Delta and they pad the heck out of their schedules. I'd say 2/3rds of the time, my flights out of my home airport-VPS- involve a 15-20 minute hold at origin before departure because Atlanta air traffic control is trying to manage airspace congestion issues, and yet we typically manage an on-time arrival, even when landing on a runway that seems to effectively be in Tennessee.
When we were coming back from Amsterdam last week, our inbound Delta flight was late an hour due to weather at its origin in Detroit, and the airline managed to claw back time until we had our own on-time arrival in Atlanta, even after I think we got stuck with the 'Polderbaan' runway outbound at Amsterdam, which requires the plane to taxi to somewhere around Belgium before takeoff.
I would agree about boarding back to front first. The only reason I'm not in favor of that is they'd have to do something about luggage first. I'd be pissed if I paid more for a ticket & had no where to put my luggage.
But honestly when I have an assigned seat. I'm not in a hurry to get on if I know I'm just putting my lap top bag under the seat. Less time I'm sitting down the better.
First class reserves their overhead bins for the first class travelers so that wouldn't be an issue.
Also note, first class luggage is labeled "priority" with a special tag (American Airlines uses bright orange) so the bags come off first on the luggage carousel.
I can't stand it when I'm trying to read, or close my eyes and relax, and the person next to me wants to talk and quite literally tell me their life story. I don't mind small talk and chit-chat as we settle in, and I've had some very nice conversations with other passengers over the years, but sometimes I just want to be quiet and read. I've had to resort to using headphones a few times to shut up a few Chatty Cathies. I hate feeling like I have to apologize for not wanting to converse..."I'm sorry I'm at a very intense part of this book and I really would like to get through it. I hope you understand."
The worst was someone who really wanted to talk as I was flying cross country to help my sister whose husband was dying. I found out 5 minutes before boarding that my BIL had just passed away. I'm trying to hold my s*** together and seatmate wants to chat. I really didn't want to have to explain my mood, or answer any questions at that time because I knew I would just lose it.
I don't like when places charge different prices for foreigners than they do for locals
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