Many Americans traveled far and wide across the U.S. throughout 2024. Some travelers may have also participated in hot travel debates that emerged in 2024.
As 2025 begins, here is a roundup of some of the biggest travel talks that have circulated the internet.
Middle-seat hack on planes
A content creator shared a video detailing how to “avoid the middle seat when flying travel hack.”
Jorden Tually shared that when it comes to booking with budget airlines, travelers should wait to check in and open up another browser.
In the additional browser, click on the middle seats and pretend to book them by typing in random words into the information page.
“When you do this, the system is going to hold those seats for about 10 to 15 minutes, and that’s when you book yours,” Tually says in his video.
TRAVELER’S VIRAL FLIGHT BOOKING HACK TO AVOID DREADED MIDDLE SEAT IGNITES DEBATE
Adam Duckworth, president and founder of Travelmation, told Fox News Digital via email that “this middle seat hack is not going to save you enough money for the time it’ll take to make it happen.”
Arriving at the airport ‘6 and a half hours early’
A viral TikTok video posted by a comedian has grabbed the attention of social media users who travel.
In the video, the user says, “I get to the airport six and a half hours early.”
Other TikTok users took to the comments section to debate what time is appropriate to arrive at the airport before a flight.
AIR TRAVELER SPARKS DEBATE AFTER REVEALING HE ARRIVES AT AIRPORT 6 HOURS BEFORE FLIGHT; TSA WEIGHS IN
“I’ve never felt so safe and understood,” one user wrote, appearing to agree with the video message.
Another person commented, “I come 40 min before the flight.”
“I’m late to everything EXCEPT the airport,” said one user.
“I’m a 2-3 hours early person,” another user commented.
A TSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “We recommend that travelers arrive at the checkpoint two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.”
Plane ‘trash talk’
A traveler took to social media to discuss why fellow passengers aboard flights are not properly discarding their trash and shared a way to fix the problem.
Posted in the “r/SouthwestAirlines” forum, the note was titled, “Favorite trick for people that put trash in seatback pockets.”
“While we are waiting to disembark, I will mention, ‘Hey, I think you left your AirPods in the setback pocket,’ which forces them to acknowledge the trash,” the person wrote.
The user added, “The 4 times I’ve done this, 2 times they took the trash, one time the guy said, ‘I don’t own AirPods,’ and the last guy said it wasn’t his job.”
Users took to the comments section of the post to discuss the issue.
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“They need to pass a trash collection around like they do the money collection at church – for the same reason. Guilt people into filling it up as it passes by. Problem solved,” suggested one person.
“There will always be idiots/morons/low-lifes that just do not care,” said another.
Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” told Fox News Digital that trash is often scattered in the seat pockets and left on the floor.
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“Increasingly, carriers spend little time cleaning up between flights. They don’t schedule planes with enough time on the ground to do it – and when a flight runs late it’s one of the first things that gets cut,” said Leff.
Flight ‘seat switches’
A viral post on Reddit sparked a heated debate over airplane etiquette and personal boundaries after a passenger admitted to refusing to give up an aisle seat when another traveler requested it.
Posted in the “r/AITAH” forum on Reddit, the note was titled, “Not giving up my aisle seat on a 15hr flight for an older lady with mobility issues.”
The user said he or she believed the woman just did not want to sit in her assigned seat since the passenger next to her spilled into her seat.
FLIGHT PASSENGERS DEBATE ‘SEAT SWITCHES’ ON PLANES AS ONE REFUSES TO SWAP WITH OLDER WOMAN
The “seat switch” refusal had people divided online, with some defending the passenger’s decision and others showing concern for the older woman.
“I have to book two seats or fly first class because I have a large frame … Old lady can do the same, she was just being cheap and trying to take your seat,” commented a user.
One person suggested, “Just look the flight attendant in the eye. Smile politely. And say, ‘I’ll swap seats if my alternative is business class or higher.’”
“Former cabin crew here: People with reduced mobility are usually supposed to be seated [at] a window seat for safety reasons,” claimed one user.
California-based etiquette expert Rosalinda Randall told Fox News Digital that “no one has the obligation to switch their seat.”
Randall said making a polite request to switch seats is OK, though it may frustrate other passengers.
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