Americans reveal their top 10 pet peeves when traveling: survey

Three in ten Americans said a stranger has fallen asleep on them during a flight in a recent travel survey.

And nearly a fifth (18%) confessed they are actually guilty of leaning on a stranger and snoozing while on a plane in the past.

With almost a quarter of respondents (24%) taking a spring break trip this year, and about three-quarters (73%) having a summer vacation on the books, Cabeau commissioned the survey of 2,000 American travelers with Talker Research to look at travel etiquette dos and don’ts, as well as travel day “must-haves” to make travel days as painless as possible. 

Uncovering people’s top travel day pet peeves, respondents said that children kicking the seat in front of them while flying (59%), people ignoring others’ personal space (58%) and taking loud phone calls on speaker phone (58%) are the worst offenses that fellow travelers can commit.

Along with those, respondents reported some truly heinous travel crimes they’ve witnessed in action, citing things like nose picking, hair tweezing and toenail clipping in public travel spaces. 

Other annoying and common occurrences include things like people taking their shoes off on flights, disagreements between passengers and rudeness to staff.

These travel nightmares line up with survey respondents reporting that the worst thing about traveling is having to deal with other travelers (39%). 

People also said that staying organized and making sure they have everything they need (38%) and the physical aches and pains that come with travel (37%) make travel challenging and exhausting. 

In fact, in the study, most respondents (72%) said, “A long travel day feels as tiring as running a marathon,” and nearly all (78%) agreed that travel would be less stressful in general if they could sleep well during the journey. 

Looking into the little things that make travel a bit less painful, the study investigated travelers’ “must-haves.”

Most (65%) said that having all their travel day “must-haves” is quite literally “make or break” for a trip or vacation, with their top picks being a neck pillow (42%), a refillable water bottle (44%), hand sanitizer (50%) and, of course, snacks for the journey (67%). 

Thirty-eight percent of travelers typically take a neck pillow with them while traveling because they prevent neck pain (56%), make sleeping easier (49%) and because they need neck support, in order to prevent their heads from falling forward, or to the side, while trying to rest (47%).

However, not all neck pillows are created equal.

People said a neck pillow is completely useless to them if it doesn’t actually reduce neck strain (26%), or if it’s not supportive of their neck or head in all directions (22%). 

Over half of respondents (55%) also said that they’ve woken up abruptly after dozing off while traveling because their neck has fallen forward or to the side, emphasizing the need for the right type of neck support.

“Long travel days can cause increased muscle tension, stiffness and discomfort in the neck muscles, due to remaining in a fixed, seated and unsupported position,” said John Gallucci Jr., MS, ATC, PT, DPT and chief executive officer of JAG Physical Therapy.

“Whether you’re a regular traveler or not, it’s important to use neck support, like a pillow, to prevent strain on the neck and spine and help keep them in a neutral, supported position.

“The right neck pillow will provide full support by providing full 360-degree support, not just the sides of the head and neck. It should be comfortable, but limit excessive movement forward or to the sides, so that your muscles are never straining in any direction. It should be firm enough (like high-density memory foam) to provide that support without being so compact that it limits normal movement. If it helps your ears stay aligned over your shoulders, then it’s providing the right amount of support.”

In the study, more than one in five travelers (21%) reported that a previous trip or vacation of theirs has been completely ruined due to back or neck pain from traveling to get there.

And when such neck or back pain occurs, people said it takes at least a day to go away, on average, taking away from their vacation and enjoyment of planned activities.

“According to the data, the No. 1 reason people travel with neck pillows on their trips is that it prevents pain in their neck, and the top reason people don’t travel with neck pillows is that they don’t find it to be useful,” said David Sternlight, chief executive officer of Cabeau.

“At Cabeau, science and data fuel our innovation, and we design products that define what comfort and support should feel like. From the beginning, our foundation has been rooted in science-based research and real consumer insights. By understanding the body’s natural pressure points and common pain areas, we design products that deliver long-lasting comfort — not just on the journey, but long after you arrive. 

“Every product we make is born from curiosity, engineering and a relentless commitment to quality. We test, refine, rebuild and rethink every detail until it genuinely improves someone’s life on the move. At Cabeau, we believe that when people travel better, they live better.”

TOP 10 TRAVEL PET PEEVES

1. Letting your children kick the seat in front of them (59%)
2. Ignoring personal space (58%)
3. Talking loudly on the phone / taking a call on speakerphone (58%)
4. Treating employees disrespectfully (flight/train attendants, hotel staff, etc.) (56%)
5. Playing audio without headphones (50%)
6. Hogging the armrests (on a plane, train, etc.) (47%)
7. Reclining your seat as far as it can go (42%)
8. Taking your shoes off on public transportation (a bus, train, plane, etc.) (38%)
9. Taking more overhead space than you’re allotted (34%)
10. Falling asleep on a stranger while on a plane (30%)

Top 10 travel day “must-haves”

1. Snacks (67%)
2. Hand sanitizer (50%)
3. Refillable water bottle (44%)
4. Neck pillow (42%)
5. Tissues (41%)
6. Disinfecting wipes (40%)
7. Extra charging cables (38%)
8. Portable power bank (38%)
9. Noise-canceling headphones (38%)
10. Copies/photos of any important documents (35%)

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American travelers (those who plan to travel in the next 12 months) who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Cabeau and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between March 6 and March 16, 2026.