Queenslanders reveal most tiresome traveller habits in new study
Whether you're a seasoned flyer or a newbie to the skies, a new study has revealed you may be annoying your fellow passengers — whether you know it or not.
A new statewide consumer survey by RACQ travel insurance asked almost 500 Queenslanders to nominate their 'biggest air travel pet peeves', and the overwhelming consensus was good travel etiquette should be prioritised.
The most frustrating behaviour according to 67.2 per cent of respondents was travellers being inconsiderate of other people's personal space.
The second biggest pet peeve was travellers reclining their seats on a short haul flight, followed by the mad rush to exit the plane as soon as it has landed — with respondents rating these behaviours as moderately to very frustrating.
Sunrise reporter Georgia Costi hit the streets of the Gold Coast to discover the biggest travel peeves for both locals and tourists and how they compared to the survey.
One Gold Coast local said their pet peeve was people who stand too close to the baggage claim area.
'(They) block the space, it's so annoying,' they said.
Another person complained body odour can turn the start of a dream holiday into a nightmare.
'I once sat next to someone who was very, very enhanced in their BO,' they said.
RACQ Travel spokesperson Ashleigh Paterson said Queenslanders have to work together to ensure a positive travel experience.
'Whether it's a long haul or short haul flight, it's clear Queenslanders are increasingly frustrated by subtle, and not so subtle, travelling quirks,' she said.
Paterson said planning ahead increases the chances of a seamless experience, with 47.3 per cent of travellers rating preparation as the most important item on a holiday checklist.
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The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Forget the WiFi. Sit back, relax, disconnect and really enjoy the flight
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to It's that moment of sweet surrender I treasure. You've made it to the airport on time, checked in, hustled through the cattle race to security, browsed some duty-free, arrived at the gate, boarded, and made it to your seat. The doors close, the aircraft is pushed back and soon you're airborne. It's when that seatbelt sign comes on that you finally relax. The airport stress is over. Everything's out of your hands now. Eight hours with no doom loop of news, no social media, no emails, no nagging reminders. Just a good book, perhaps a movie, maybe a doze - above all, respite from the real and troubled world 40,000 feet below you. It's for that reason I never succumb to temptation to make use of the aircraft's wifi. The hours of disconnection are almost as precious as the tropical holiday ahead. Switching off has never been more important. Numerous studies show that too much time online can have serious mental and physical health implications. Disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression, even obesity have been fingered as side effects of the online addiction so many of us struggle with. The online lure is at its worst during times of crisis, which nowadays seem the rule rather than the exception. Wars, natural disasters, train wrecks. We want to look away but can't and are driven by the fear of missing out on that latest development or tidbit of information that keeps us in the loop. In a bid to stay relevant in the online environment, the legacy media - especially most commercial free-to-air TV - have become ever more shrill in an attempt to wrest our attention from the screen in our hand to the big screen in the lounge room. That's why they serve a diet of incessant car crash or crime porn. Is it working? The University of Canberra's 2025 Digital News Report found that while local stories about crime and accidents remain popular up to 69 per cent of Australians actively avoid the news and only 37 per cent get their news via TV. The Ten Network has noticed this shift and has revamped its 6pm national nightly news offering with a more sober bulletin featuring fewer crashes and meatier stories - viewers can still get their shouty mayhem on the preceding state-based bulletin. Ten's also running its new national bulletin on Spotify and YouTube, knowing if the big screen can't tempt you, the little one might. This is, after all, another battle for your attention. It's that never-ending and exhausting contest for my attention, which makes the prospect of a few hours cut off from the internet, in my own little space, so appealing. It's exactly why I will sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you use the WiFi when on a long flight? Or do you enjoy the break from the online world? Are you among the 69 per cent of Australians who avoid the news? How much of your day do you spend online? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Qantas has reported a major cyber security breach with data from up to 6 million customers potentially stolen. - Australians have claimed nearly $2 billion in flood, cyclone and rain insurance in six months but insurers say the bill isn't as bad as had been expected. - A second man has been charged with sex abuse crimes against children as investigators broaden their probe after allegations of "heinous" offences at childcare centres. THEY SAID IT: "Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond." - Hunter S. Thompson YOU SAID IT: Touchscreen controls in cars are accidents waiting to happen. John wants a return to good old knobs, buttons and switches. "Yes, the screens are a distraction," writes Ann. "I drive a Mazda sedan and the screen is inactive if the car is moving. There are adequate controls with knobs and buttons for essential things like volume on the radio, tuning etc. Buy a Mazda next time, instead of an MG or a Tesla." Ian writes: "I love my Tesla Model 3, but am most assuredly not enamoured with Elon Musk nor with the number of essential driving functions that have been relegated to the screen, including heating/cooling control, radio station selection, and turning windscreen wipers and headlights on or off. I agree that having to search for these functions on a screen while under way is downright unsafe." That said, he loves the Tesla's fart button, a 'dog mode', and the navigation system. "I can set the dog mode on a hot day and nip into the supermarket while Tilly lounges in air-conditioned comfort on the car's back seat." "You have read my mind," writes Elaine. "When I updated my car I spent ages reading the 'Media manual' I then asked my son to assist as he has one in his car. After 'fiddling' with it and reading the manual, he declared it to be 'not user friendly'; therefore, it is not used to its possible potential."
9 News
2 days ago
- 9 News
A quarter of drivers admit to microsleep behind the wheel
Almost one in four Australians have succumbed to a microsleep while driving, new research from the NRMA has revealed. The nationwide index survey of more than 2000 Australians showed that, of the 23 per cent of respondents who had fallen asleep behind the wheel, almost two-thirds said it occurred during the day. The shocking figure comes as the national road toll for the past 12 months to May sits at 1337 deaths. LIVE UPDATES: Thousands without power and some residents told to stay indoors as wild weather hits NSW coast Fatigue is a factor in one in five crashes on Australian roads, the NRMA says. (iStock) This is a 4.8 per cent increase from the same time last year, figures from the federal government's National Road Safety Data Hub show. The NRMA survey results also found that nearly 40 per cent of drivers are not taking a break at least every two hours when driving longer distances of three hours or more. When planning a road trip, 61 per cent were most concerned about beating the traffic and almost one-quarter left before sunrise, the research showed. NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury said too many Australians were losing their lives because they were driving exhausted. "Fatigue is a factor in one in five crashes on Australian roads, the road toll this year is already far too high and this unnecessary risk can be removed by taking a break," Khoury said. The survey results come as many Australians prepare to hit the road for their winter break. Almost 70 per cent of Australians planned to stay within the country for their next holiday, and, for those who would be travelling interstate, 45 per cent planned to drive. Khoury said as more Australians chose to travel domestically for their holidays due to ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it was vital drivers prioritised safety on our roads.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why Australia's top tennis umpire chose Windies over Wimbledon
In 2023, a video of Blom went viral when he politely asked spectators at Wimbledon to stop popping champagne bottles while players were serving. He also once told Frenchman Elliot Benchetrit to peel his own banana after asking a ballgirl to do so. Martina Navratilova retweeted a video of the incident, writing: 'What's next – grapes? John did the right thing, that's for sure.' But Blom's idea of a good time is sitting in the stands at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, drinking rum with fans and watching Australia's cricketers. Coincidentally, Blom stayed at Australia's team hotel in Islamabad during their 2022 Test tour when he happened to be umpiring a Davis Cup tie between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. He has since travelled to India and New Zealand to watch Australia play, and plans to be in South Africa next year for the team's first Test tour since Sandpapergate in 2018. 'I'm surrounded by the world's top tennis players but I get a bit nervous around the Australian cricket team,' Blom said. 'When I see them at the team hotel, I'm a bit of a fanboy. 'It's my favourite sport. Much better than tennis. I grew up watching cricket in the '80s and '90s and it was just such a golden era that crystallised my love for cricket.' The interview is momentarily interrupted by a flight attendant announcing that the descent into Grenada is two minutes away. 'We'll get a fair view of the islands of the Grenadines out the right window,' she says over the PA. 'The temperature is 30 degrees at the airport.' Blom smiles and continues. 'It seemed like there were almost more Australians than locals in the crowd in Barbados.' There's time for a few rapid-fire questions before landing. Favourite player to watch? 'Every official loved watching Roger Federer play. He had such a unique style. He was pretty easy-going and didn't complain too much.' Best match to umpire? 'Nadal and Medvedev in 2022 (Nadal won 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 in a match that lasted five hours and 24 minutes). It was an incredible experience. It finished at 2am but I was still buzzing at 6am.' Is it the dream job? 'I think it is. It's like any job that has its issues, right? No one loves their job all the time. You do have some wonderful memories and experiences that you wouldn't get doing watching tennis as a spectator. Wimbledon is my favourite but the US Open has grown on me.' Something people don't know about umpiring? 'A lot of people think that having good eyesight is the most important thing. It's far and away not. You have to have the ability to communicate well and defuse situations before they get out of hand. If you make a big enough mistake, any player is going to go nuts.' Blom says there's one question he gets asked more than any: whether he's allowed to go to the toilet during a match. Loading 'The answer is yes,' he says with a laugh. 'But you don't do it at 6-6 in a tiebreak. You go quickly at a set break. I've probably done it once in 20 years.' Blom has no regrets missing Wimbledon. With Test cricket potentially splitting into two tiers, this might be Australia's last full tour of the Caribbean. 'It really is the dream tour,' he said.
