14 Journey Quirks That Grind A Reader’s Gears, From Pilot Commentary To Drinks

Not positive if it is a fully-finished thought–or is smart as a put up–however I used to be serious about a few of the bizarre quirks we expertise throughout our travels.  These are issues which will puzzle us in the course of the journey, however aren’t “big” sufficient to make a stink about to anybody, or warrant their very own put up.  Wondering if there’s sufficient meat there to make a put up that runs down a few of the frequent ones.  

For instance:
1. In your current put up, you talked about the one king mattress had two separate duvets (as is regular in Germany).  
– …what [the hell]?  If there’s one mattress, why would there be two comforters? 
– So one individual doesn’t pull it to their facet? 
– Because it’s German customized for [reason]?
– Presumably if two persons are shut sufficient to share a room–and a mattress–they don’t want separate duvets…?

2. What is correct “strategy” for consuming earlier than/throughout a premium cabin flight?
– We all get there early and eat/drink within the lounge.  
– But then instantly after takeoff, a full, multi-course meal is served 
– But, by definition, all of those (enterprise/first) passengers had lounge entry and presumably simply ate, instantly previous to boarding.  
– If the individual was solely going to eat as soon as, wouldn’t they like lounge meals to airplane meals?
– In my expertise, many instances it’s “now or never” with the meal as most airways are not dine on demand.  If I say “I’m not hungry now, can I have it in a few hours” that’s usually met with scorn since they solely flip the ovens on as soon as, and many others.

3. Pre-departure drinks
– Why give me something in any respect if I solely have ~5 minutes to drink it?  It principally must be slammed since they gather the glasses rapidly.
– Honestly I’d moderately simply have a bottle of water on the seat, then serve me the rest as quickly as we cross 10,000 toes.  Am I loopy?  It’s not like they’re opening something good on the bottom anyway.

4. Common meal practices 
– Maybe I’m simply dense, however lots of the “standard” elements of meal service simply don’t make sense to me
– I perceive champagne or water pre-flight, however orange juice?  It’s simply flavored sugar water.  Why would I would like that?
– Why would I need a bowl of blended nuts with my champagne, if I’m about to eat (see above) like a 3+ course meal?  Nuts are extremely filling.
– Is diet simply not a factor, or will we fake it doesn’t exist within the air?  I’m not advocating for broccoli, however that ramekin of nuts most likely has 500+ energy in it, and that’s not even the meal…but alone the appetizer.  Do they simply assume we have now limitless appetites?
– Why serve me ice cream if it’s frozen stable (Polaris) and I’ve to attend 10+ minutes to take the primary chunk?  Just–god forbid, assume forward–and take it out 10 minutes prior, then serve it to me in its supposed state.

5. Waste
– What is the correct factor to do once you don’t need a part of a meal?  
– What if it comes on one tray?  
– What if it’s a course in an individually-plated menu?  Does that course get tossed, or does somebody get to eat it and forestall waste?
– I’m most likely overthinking this however, for instance: Say you’re served breakfast on a tray- Omelet, fruit, yogurt, croissant, beverage.  
*What if you happen to don’t need the yogurt?  It’s a sealed Chobani yogurt, for instance. 
*Should you come back it the second the tray is dropped earlier than the FA leaves?  
*Will they even take it, if you happen to attempt to give it again 10 minutes later…even when unopened?  
*Even if you give it again instantly: Does it simply get tossed, or will it doubtlessly be re-deployed (to a different tray, to the flight crew, something to stop waste)?
– Why is a serviette served beneath each single drink?  (Looking at you, Southwest) Many instances–particularly home or in financial system–the cups are plastic.  Either method–glass or plastic–the armrests and tray tables aren’t fabricated from previous wooden, so what are we attempting to stop…rings?  Who cares?  It’s a plastic armrest, nothing will go away a mark.

6. Plane bedding
– Why is there a big stack of pillows, mattress pad, and comforter on my seat?  I haven’t even sat down…and now I can’t till I transfer all this nonsense.
– Passengers are simply going to shove these things someplace to allow them to…sit…of their…seat.
– Why is that this not saved within the overhead bins to start with, then introduced down on request, or provided proactively throughout sleep time?  

7. Refillable facilities
– What is the way forward for refillable facilities?  I perceive it’s/was a plastic waste factor initially, which I commend, however does that outweigh hygiene and security issues?
– Does that outweigh “authenticity” issues?  For instance, you talked about there have been [brand] merchandise in your Germany lodge, however they smelled bizarre and also you assume it was refilled with one thing else.  
– Is there not reputational injury when that is accomplished?  If I had been the shampoo firm I’d be upset.  Aren’t they paying some charge, or giving favourite pricing, for the large publicity?  Wouldn’t refilling with non-authentic stuff trigger brand- and reputational- hurt?
– How is that this any totally different than somebody filling a Dom Perignon bottle with Andre and passing it off?

8. Airplane mode
– Planes’ programs will not be “interfered with” by shopper cell telephones.  Can we finish this charade?  Dozens of individuals go away their telephone on “normal” mode and the airplane operates nice.  
– Why is that this line nonetheless repeated with out making use of logic or frequent sense?

9. Call button etiquette
– When is it applicable to press?  
– I’ve pressed it (in a premium cabin) if I would like a refill however haven’t seen a FA in 10+ minutes. Do they hate me?
– If the cabin is sizzling as hell, are you able to press it and request the A/C be turned up/down?
– What different debatable edge-cases are there that aren’t (but) agreed on?  I perceive FAs are there for security first, however the line is blurred once they greet you initially, assist load baggage, serve drinks, make small discuss typically, and many others.  Am I a monster for asking for a refill?  

10. Reprinting boarding passes
– I’ve a digital boarding cross, which “the system” may–presumably–inform the Ticket Agent.  
– With that stated, if/after I go to drop a bag, why is a bodily boarding cross all the time printed?  I by no means requested for it.  I simply wish to drop a bag, and am required to work together with this kiosk/worker to take action.  I by no means stated I wished a bodily cross, and I don’t.  

11. Pilot commentary
– Why do they inform us the flight plan?  35,000 or 38,000 toes is indistinguishable, makes no distinction to me, and has zero impact on me or the flight.  Just inform me if will probably be easy or turbulent.
– Why do they inform us the climate and the wind?  
– We aren’t pilots flying a airplane, I don’t care concerning the wind, that’s your job.
– 100% of the individuals onboard bought their ticket on-line and have web entry, not to mention a smartphone they’re observing for the whole length of the flight.  
– If we actually wished to know the climate, we’d merely look it up in lower than ten seconds.
– Even if we genuinely didn’t know the climate, telling us after touchdown throughout taxi is pointless since (1) I can’t return in time and re-pack and (2) everybody onboard has a normal concept of what the climate roughly is and, (3) in the event that they don’t know, they’re about to search out out once they deplane.  
– If It’s February and also you’re flying to Chicago, most likely not a shock it’s very chilly.    

12. TSA
– Do I hold my laptop computer in or out?  Why does this modification each day?
– Do I put my private objects (telephone, watch, keys, chapstick, and many others.) in slightly bowl on the belt, or inside my carry-on.  Are there even bowls for private objects anymore?  Why does this modification recurrently?  The bowls are gone endlessly, then they reappear per week later.
– Things like this are simple to repair/make clear however aren’t, and simply contribute towards hatred of TSA.

13. Window shade etiquette
– Why is it anticipated that every one window shades will probably be voluntarily closed on an in a single day flight?  (What if I’m attempting to regulate to the vacation spot/totally different time zone?  What if I’m considering life?  What if I get pleasure from stars?)
– Why is it anticipated that every one window shades will probably be voluntarily closed on an early morning departure?  
– I’m not a monster, I perceive frequent decency, but when it’s 7am: all people on the airplane awakened at 5am, bodily acquired to the airport, went by safety, and many others. so they’re, by definition, awake.  

14. Duty free
– How is that this nonetheless a factor?  These costs don’t make sense in any state of affairs.  
– I’ve bought one thing from obligation free precisely one time: post-security, a bottle of liquor on the best way to Bora Bora, the place all the things is famously overpriced.  Regardless of the obligation free value, something was cheaper than the costs at my vacation spot, however this most likely solely applies to 1-2% of locations on this planet (Maldives, French Polynesia).  
– Even on this instance–which is pretty area of interest–I didn’t buy it as a result of it was a great value with no “duty”, I bought it because it was post-security and I wasn’t going to examine a bottle of vodka in my checked bag.

This has form of devolved into “old man yelling at cloud”, however I hope you see no less than a pair objects above that you just agree with.  Whether or not they’re value a put up is debatable and as much as you, however simply wished to counsel some potential dialogue factors.  I journey extensively, as do you; we all know the hidden causes about “why” many points of the journey expertise occur the best way they do (dings on the airplane, FAA-mandated security briefings, and many others.)  But to me, the above are a few of the issues that “grind my gears” and, to me, haven’t any clarification as we sit right here in 2026.  I can’t be the one one.