My Biggest Travel Icks (And How Not to Be ThatTraveller)

Some of the biggest travel picks are at the airport and on the flight.

After more than 20 years of travelling, chasing bucket-list adventures, and squeezing epic trips into annual leave… I’ve seen a lot. Incredible destinations. Life-changing moments. And… some truly unforgettable travel behaviour 😅

These are my biggest travel icks. Not said with judgment, but with the hope that we can all travel a little better, a little kinder, and a lot more consciously.

Because at the end of the day, the goal is simple: don’t become someone else’s travel ick.

Flight & Airport Travel Icks

Aggressive Seat Recliners

Reclining isn’t the issue, it’s the sudden launch.

One minute I’m typing on my laptop, the next my screen is folding in half and the seat in front is being jammed into my knees.
Recline slowly. Give the person behind you a moment to adjust.

Smelly Food in the Cabin

Tuna. Fried chicken. Anything that could clear a food court. If you’ve just bought it in the airport, eat it before you board.

Planes are enclosed spaces. Your meal choice impacts everyone.

Loud Packet Eaters on Planes

Speaking of food… If you bring a family-sized packet of chips onto a flight and spend four hours rummaging through it like you’re panning for gold… please know this rattling echoes through the entire cabin.

Eat the snack. Enjoy it. Then put the packet away. Your seat neighbours will silently thank you.

Armrest Invaders

Everyone pays for one seat. Not one-and-a-half.

Armrests exist for a reason. Hogging the armrest is one thing, but going one step further and having a strangers elbow in your seat space, physically touching you is a definite travel ick. Encroaching into someone else’s space for hours is uncomfortable, unnecessary, and avoidable.

Shoes Off + Smelly Feet

Long-haul flights are uncomfortable… I get it. But if your shoes or feet smell, keep them on.

Pro tip: I always travel with clean socks specifically for long-haul flights. Sandals off, socks on, straight into the wash at the destination.

No Headphones, Full Volume

Movies. Games. TikTok. FaceTime calls. If it makes noise… wear headphones.

This applies everywhere, but especially on planes where no one can escape.

Seat Swappers Who Get Mad

You can ask to swap seats, politely. If someone says no, that’s the end of the conversation. Making it awkward, calling flight attendants, or sulking for 15 hours is wildly uncomfortable for everyone involved.

If sitting together matters, choose seats in advance.

Sick on a Flight Without a Mask

This one matters.

If you’re visibly sick, coughing, spluttering, and using half a box of tissues, you probably shouldn’t be on the flight to begin with. If you are, wear a mask.

I travel with one on every flight because someone near me is often unwell. For those travelling with chronic illness, even a mild cold can be serious and wipe them out for weeks. But honestly? No one wants their trip ruined by getting sick mid-flight.

Airport Behaviour That Makes Everyone Miserable

Unprepared at Security

Getting to the front of the queue and then starting to empty pockets, discover liquids, and remember aerosols exist… is wild. We’ve all been behind someone who’s been through the scanner 5 times, each forgetting another item in their pockets.

Yes, rules differ by airport, but basic preparation doesn’t.

Taking Up Multiple Seats in Busy Airports

If the terminal is empty and it’s 2am, stretch out. If the airport is busy and people are standing because there are no seats, don’t lie across four of them.

It’s awareness. That’s it.

Flying into Hobart, Tasmania.

Destination & Cultural Travel Icks

Influencers Who Hog the Space

I love photography. I create content too. But if you spend 10 minutes blocking a spot while cycling through every pose and angle possible (and then swap with your friend to do the same), it’s disrespectful.

Let others grab a quick shot. Then continue.

Sitting in Front of Iconic Photo Spots

If you’re scrolling your phone in front of the one place everyone wants a photo of… please move a few steps aside. Especially when there’s plenty of space elsewhere.

I have vivid memories of everyone trying to get a shot of that one iconic door in Morocco, and there was someone resting up against it eating their lunch.

Being on Your Phone Instead of Being Present

Checking maps? Researching your next stop? Totally fine.

But travelling halfway across the world just to sit at an epic site scrolling TikTok blows my mind.

Be where you are.

Refusing to Embrace Local Culture

Travelling to Thailand and eating Maccas every day. Complaining about local coffee styles. Expecting to get a burger and fries in a rural village in Fiji.

Why travel at all if you don’t want to experience somewhere new?

Treating Culture as an Inconvenience

Bartering. Dress codes. Local customs.

If you complain about the very culture you chose to visit, that’s not culture shock, that’s being underprepared.

Joining Activities You’re Not Capable Of

Snorkelling tours when you can’t swim. Then expecting guides to hold your hand the entire time.

This doesn’t just put you at risk, it ruins the experience for everyone else on the tour.

Coffee in the Sahara.

Group Travel Icks

Budget Issues That Aren’t Communicated

If your budget is tight, say it upfront. What’s not okay is agreeing to plans, then getting upset when others go ahead with activities you can’t afford.

Opting out is fine. Guilt-tripping isn’t.

Hangovers That Derail the Trip

Drink. Have fun. Live your life.

But don’t expect the group to cancel plans because of a self-inflicted hangover. Rest if you need to, let others continue.

The Over-Planner With Zero Flexibility

Planning is great. Overplanning with no room for spontaneity? Not so much.

Some of the best travel moments are unplanned. Leave space for magic.

The Underprepared Traveller

The ones who just show up… and expect everyone else to have planned everything.

No apps. No ideas. No input. Just, “What are we doing today?”

Group trips work best when everyone contributes.

All the Gear, No Idea

Selfie sticks. Gadgets. Accessories you don’t know how to use. Then holding up tours while you figure it out.
Less stuff. More experience.

The Simple Rule That Fixes Almost Every Travel Ick

Be conscious.
Be respectful.
Consider the people around you.

If you travel with awareness… of space, culture, and shared environments… you’ll avoid becoming someone else’s travel ick without even trying.

Now I want to know…

👉 What are your biggest travel icks? Share them in the comments.