From bare feet and bedbugs to stinky seat kickers, Canada's travel pet peeves are out

TORONTO, April 30, 2018 /CNW/ -- Today Expedia® released the results of its annual 2018 Airplane and Hotel Etiquette Study, polling more than 18,000 global respondents to reveal Canadians are quite particular when they travel, with a wide range of quirks and behaviours jeopardising their holiday happiness.

The 2018 Airplane and Hotel Etiquette Study found Canadians almost universally agree that being bare foot is a flying no-go (96%), it's ok to wake a fellow passenger who is snoring (46%) – this was highest amongst Quebecers (56%) – and hotel bed bugs are extremely annoying (80%). But that's not all.

"The average Canadian takes three flights and spends twelve nights in a hotel per year, so it's not surprising airplane and hotel etiquette is a topic of hot debate," said Jennifer Callegaro, Head of Brand Marketing for Expedia brand in Canada. "Our data shines a light on the sometimes small, yet impactful actions travellers can take to improve the journey for others around them – especially within such close quarters."

Bad behaviour on board
Fellow passengers play a big role when it comes to the in-flight experience, and Canadians are firm on what they can't handle:

• Hands down, the 'seat kicker/bumper/grabber' is the most annoying passenger on a flight; according to more than half of Canadians (53%). In fact, this led world-wide.
• The 'aromatic' passenger ranks second (48%). This is the individual that exhibits poor hygiene or is in some way giving off a strong scent.
• Coming in third is the 'inattentive parent' (41%).

Annoying hotel guests
A night in a hotel can turn into a nightmare pretty quickly, according to the Canadians who found these three types of hotel guests especially intolerable:

• The 'hallway hellraiser' (47%) running up and down the halls.
• The 'inattentive parent' (46%) with kids getting up to mischief.
• The 'in-room reveler' (45%) bringing the party back to the hotel for the night.

Shhh… Do not disturb 
Whether in flight or in bed, Canadians are looking for peace and quiet. It turns out Canadians don't talk to their neighbours – nearly 90 per cent prefer to keep to themselves during the flight, especially those from the Prairies (94%). Those in the Atlantic provinces (74%) are the least likely to keep to themselves.  On a global scale on average just over 80 per cent of travellers felt this sentiment, demonstrating that contrary to stereotypes, Canadians may not be as friendly on board a plane as travellers might expect them to be. Instead of chatting, Canadians prefer to watch movies (81%); read (70%) and sleep (69%). And when it comes to a hotel stay, these preferences continue, with half of Canadians using the privacy indicator to prevent hotel staff from entering the room. 

Regional travel preferences & peeves
Seat wars

• Most Canadians prefer the window seat (62%), with nearly a quarter of passengers happy to take the leap and climb over the seat with their back to their fellow sleeping neighbour. Almost 40% of Canadians said they would wake the individual and ask them to move.
• Nearly two-thirds (63%) would notify airline staff on the plane if a fellow passenger were misbehaving. Regionally, residents from British Columbia and Ontario would be most likely to report bad behaviour (66%).
• Residents from the Atlantic provinces are most likely (32%) to ask another traveller to switch seats so that they could sit with their travel buddy.
• When it comes to being intimate on board, the provinces are divided. A whopping 78% of those living in the Prairies said they would never be intimate with a travel companion or someone they just met on a flight, but interestingly only 67% of those in Quebec had such reservations.

Perks rule
Perks and amenities were also top of mind for Canadians, whether on a plane or at a hotel:

• Almost eighty per cent (77%) of Canadians agree free beverages, snacks and checked bags on a flight are of high importance.
• When booking a hotel room, the number one reason to choose a property is the inclusion of complimentary Wi-Fi (72%), with price coming in a close second (71%).

Savvy travellers, but sticking to old school habits   
Leading up to a trip, Canadians have preferences and tendencies when it comes to planning:

• Over half tend to book accommodation at big chain hotels (53%);
• The majority of travellers check-in online in advance for a flight (53%);
• Only 20 per cent will use a boarding pass on a mobile device only, with more than half continuing to print a copy (53%);
• Over 40 per cent of Canadians simultaneously book a flight and hotel together as a package, a great way to make your dollar go the furthest. In fact, on Expedia travellers can save up to $590 on package deals when bundling.

To read more results from the study, please visit the Expedia Canada Travel Blog.

About the 2018 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 February 22-March 19 among 18,229 respondents across 23 countries across North America, Europe, South America and Asia Pacific using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. For the Canadian specific data, a sample of 1000 random adults who travelled by airplane and stayed in a hotel in the past year was surveyed. Those that had not travelled by air or stayed in a hotel were disqualified.

About Expedia.ca 
Expedia.ca is one of the world's largest full-service travel sites, helping millions of travellers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.ca aims to provide the latest technology and 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. ©2018 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Expedia and the Airplane logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.  Visit our web site https://www.expedia.ca or use our mobile app to book cheap flights, hotels, and packages.

SOURCE Expedia.ca

Mary Zajac, Expedia Canada, [email protected], [phone]., https://www.expedia.ca

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