Common Travel Dilemmas Lead to Americans Answering "What Would You Do?"

Travelers weigh-in on saving beach chairs at resorts, kids at adult-only pools, tipping bellman and hotel maids, and more, in survey by Travel Leaders Group.

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Travel Leaders Group

May 20, 2014, 10:59 ET

PLYMOUTH, Minn., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- While air travel etiquette – or lack thereof – is a frequent topic of conversation among travelers, there are myriad more common travel scenarios warranting discussion about how best to resolve or defuse a situation. In a recent survey, Travel Leaders Group asked Americans how they would handle uncomfortable – yet fairly common – travel dilemmas such as tipping hotel and resort bellman and maids, saving unoccupied beach chairs at resorts, and bringing kids to adult-only pools at resorts and hotels, along with vying for overhead storage bin space on airlines. The series of "What would you do?" travel dilemma questions were part of a survey conducted by Travel Leaders Group – a $20 billion powerhouse in the travel industry – from April 6 to April 28, 2014, and includes responses from 2,719 consumers throughout the United States.

"Our 'What would you do?' questions have yielded some very intriguing responses over the past two years – and this year is no different. For example with airplane overhead bin space at a premium, it may surprise some that nearly 75% of survey participants insist they try to get as close to their assigned seat as possible before placing their carry-on in the overhead space. Resort-goers have a low tolerance for others who save beach chairs and then leave them unoccupied – over 66% of those polled said their limit would be two hours or less before they seized the unoccupied chair. Children at adult-only pools prompted a wide variety of responses," stated Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben. "Some of the questions in our survey may seem humorous, but they can have a real impact on one's overall travel experience. Since there's no official playbook or handbook on proper travel etiquette, this survey – along with the sage advice from our professional travel agents – can assist travelers so they are able to face these uncomfortable travel scenarios with confidence."

Key Statistics and Findings

When asked, "If you were on vacation at a hotel or resort and someone 'saved' a beach chair yet was nowhere in sight, how long would you wait before taking that chair if no others were available?" the responses were:

Less than 1 hour	24.1%
1 hour	28.7%
2 hours	13.8%
3 hours	2.5%
4 hours	1.2%
More than 4 hours	29.8%

When asked, "If a bellman at a hotel/resort grabbed your luggage and started taking it to your car/cab or room without you asking for assistance, would you still tip the bellman?" the responses were:

Yes, the usual amount I would normally tip	48.8%
Yes, but less than the usual amount I would normally tip	32.4%
No, I wouldn't tip because I didn't ask for assistance	18.8%

When asked, "Tipping maid service at hotels is increasingly common and the norm in many destinations. When staying at a hotel or resort, do you tip the maid service?" the responses were:

Yes, every day regardless of the length of my stay	35.0%
Yes, but only if I'm staying more than 1 night	17.6%
Yes, but only if I'm staying more than 2 nights	21.1%
I never tip the maid service	26.3%

When asked, "If you were enjoying an adult-only pool at a hotel or resort and another guest brought their child/children into that pool area, what would you do?" the responses were:

Alert the hotel/resort staff only if the child/children are disruptive	27.8%
Alert the hotel/resort staff regardless, because it is adult-only	27.2%
I would do nothing; it wouldn't bother me a bit.	18.2%
I would do nothing but hope someone else would address the situation	11.6%
Say something to the parent(s) only if the child/children are disruptive	9.5%
Say something to the parent(s) regardless of their child/children's actions because it is adult-only	5.7%

When asked, "When staying at a hotel or resort, if there are loud noises coming from the room next door (or above/below your room), what would you do?" the responses were:

I would call the front desk and ask that they deal with the issue	87.5%
I would do nothing	8.9%
I would bang on the wall/floor/ceiling to get the message across	1.9%
I would call that room and directly ask the individual(s) to be quiet	1.4%
I would be as loud as I could to get the message across	0.2%

When asked, "Many hotels and resorts indicate they are trying to conserve water and energy and ask guests to consider reusing their towels. Do you …" the responses were:

Always try to reuse towels	49.8%
Sometimes throw the towels on the floor and sometimes reuse towels	38.8%
Always throw the towels on the floor	11.4%

When asked, "When flying, if you were concerned about overhead bin space for your carry-on bag in the area where your seat is located, would you place it near the front of the plane as soon as you got on?" the responses were:

I'd at least try to get as close to my assigned row as possible	74.8%
I'd go all the way to my assigned row and then ask the flight attendant for assistance	20.9%
Absolutely!	4.3%