We’re laughing about the things that give us “the ick” while traveling. Make sure YOU are not doing any of these travel faux pas.

Travel Icks – Episode Transcript

0:35

And get ready to embark on a new adventure with us around the globe.

Hey Squaddies, Travel Squad Podcast is back with Just the Tip, our Friday mini episode series where we gave you quick travel stories, hacks and recommendations to set you off until the weekend, right.

Today we’re going to talk all about Travel X.

0:52

Like the things as a traveler that you see experience that just make you go, EW, gross.

You know, I’m a little timid to talk about this because somebody once told me one time I gave them the ick.

So I’m talking about other icks here.

Now I’m just joking about that, but that’s the type of ick that we’re talking about.

1:10

You know, girls deep down we’re like, oh, this person gives me the ick.

We’re talking about travel icks, these little things here.

But I don’t know if somebody has said that I give them the ick.

I hope not.

I hope not.

OK, good.

Good to know.

But we have a whole bunch of travel licks lined up for you guys.

1:25

And I know a lot of you have probably experienced we’re seeing this too.

And if there’s anything that we missed comment let us know because I’m curious to know too what other things people find really annoying.

We’re going to have fun with it too.

We’re not just going to complain.

We’re going to poke a little fun at the ICS out there.

1:41

Yeah, Kim, you really wanted to do this episode, So what inspired you to create this one?

Well, I’ll just jump in with the very first IC.

I was scrolling social media and as you do, you see these crazy Karen like people.

1:56

And I’d saw one, this lady, it was so crazy.

She was in the booking area, not past security, right when you’re checking in, right?

And she’s literally going wild, running around screaming and there are security guards chasing her.

And I love when security guards chase people and they fall down themselves while they’re trying to catch him and the person keeps running.

2:18

It’s the funniest thing ever.

But she was running for a good couple of minutes and I’ve never seen anything like this in real life.

I’ve only seen on videos.

But wow.

Ick.

And it’s an ick, but it kind of makes me laugh too.

Yeah, some of them do make you kind of laugh.

Like it’s so cringe worthy that you just have to laugh through it.

2:35

Yeah, so I guess point being, don’t be a Karen, you know, what do you think having that type of attitude or demeanor is really going to get you in that situation?

Other than banned from the flight, arrested or like kicked out?

So you’re just ruining the experience for everybody else and making yourself look like a clown, quite honest.

2:52

So don’t be a Karen.

Or what’s the male equivalent?

Is it Kyle?

I always say Kyle, but what is it I’ve?

Heard Chad Kyle but.

I like to keep it with the case.

Let’s go with Kyle.

Chad and Kyle’s, they can’t do it like a Karen can.

They can’t.

Karen’s are crazy.

They got the special haircuts and attitudes and all sorts of things too.

3:10

Another ick.

I want to talk about this one because I have a personal ick here.

Airports with no services, like when everything is closed.

And I’m specifically talking to you Chicago Midway.

Oh yeah, you had like a late night flight there, didn’t you?

And everything was closed after like 9:00 PM it.

3:27

Yeah, it wasn’t late.

It was 9:00 PM.

The entire fucking airport is shut down like it’s COVID.

We were there one time too.

I would say probably the same time, 9:00 PM and we’re looking for food to eat.

And the one or two decent options that they had were actually closed at that hour.

3:45

And what was left open are just horrendous options.

You’re right, there’s nothing good about Chicago Midway.

I’m sorry to rag on you, Chicago Midway, but there’s nothing good about you.

I hope that you change it, but there’s lots of other airports too that makes your travel experience completely uncomfortable.

4:02

Just because of what’s around here, not just food, but just the type of chairs, seats, space, cleanliness, how big the restrooms are, how many there are.

Again, you can’t really change anything about that other than ideally try to avoid those airports if you can.

4:17

Shame them.

Yes, but it’s just one of those things that we’re going to come across.

But yeah, I absolutely hate airports like that.

Gives me the ick.

Another ick that I have is when your flight gets rebooked to a different or worse time or when you have a nonstop and they add a connection in when you had a perfectly amazing flight.

4:38

I know this just happened to me for my flight to Iceland.

I have a flight from Austin to Boston and it was perfectly timed with just a four hour layover to then go to Reykjavik.

They moved it up to the crack of dawn and now I have like a nine hour layover in Boston on Christmas Eve.

4:55

EW 9 hour layover.

Yes.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself.

Well, there is a Sapphire Lounge in the Boston an airport.

Like 3 lounges, there’s priority pass two.

I’m going to go to all three, I think.

Yeah, I was going to say, I don’t know if they’ll let you in nine hours early before your flight because some of them check that to make sure you’re not hanging out there all day, but at least ideally you can hop and do something.

5:15

But that is a terrible situation when that happens.

I understand flights change, but when it’s so dramatic that it really alters your whole travel day, it’s just horrendous.

Were there any other flights that you could book to instead?

I’ve been looking maybe as it gets closer something will show up but nothing as of right now.

5:34

Well, it might be good to get there because it’s Christmas Eve, your flight might get delayed because of weather or something like that, so it could benefit you.

OK, All right.

Silver lining.

But yeah, it’s typically.

Ick.

Another travel ick that we all can’t stand, especially now as we’re really trying hard to get into the point game, is when airlines block you from seeing certain flights when you try to select booking that flight with your points for redemption.

6:02

Like, I get it from a business perspective, you can’t have certain things available or there’s only so many redemption and point seats available per flight.

But if you find that really good one and you have the points and you can’t use it because now they’ve blocked it because you’re not paying cash, Ick gross.

6:20

Like, come on, you know, I like, let me use my points that I’ve earned for flying with you.

Major Ick and it just makes the research and booking process longer than it needs to be.

Well, this isn’t anything that’s like an ick in the sense of like they cancel.

Well, I guess they did cancel it and make it not available because they limited how many redemption seats were available.

6:41

Brittany and I are going to Hong Kong here very soon.

We have a flight Los Angeles to Hong Kong.

We were about 5000 points away from having enough for both of us to book business class one way.

OK.

So I was really excited about that.

6:57

And as a matter of fact on the next billing statement on our credit card because we were going to transfer the points, we were going to hit it.

The billing statement just needed to close and then we could have booked it.

Well, I looking at the flights continuously like every other day to make sure it’s available.

7:13

And then a few days before our billing cycle closed, the point redemption for those business class flights were now unavailable and gone.

And and now we’re flying premium account, which is still something.

But I was like, we were like 5000 points away.

And I remember even telling Brittany at some point, like I’m willing to just buy it now and pay the difference of the lack of 5000 points like in cash, but we didn’t do it.

7:37

So kind of on me.

But again, a situation to this where ick like why you taking away the flights?

Because if you go to book it with cash, there are tons of seats available in business class right now.

Squatty’s we have resources on our website about how to maximize points, travel credit card so that you can hopefully get in there and book your stuff with points just like we’re trying to do.

7:58

Head on over to our website, travelsquadpodcast.com.

You can see a page for every episode we’ve ever done.

We have our travel itineraries, both free and paid ones there.

We have our podcast course there.

We have the newsletter that comes out twice a month that you can sign up for over there and tons of other resources, so go check it out.

8:16

Another big ick that I have is when loyalty programs reduce their perks.

Like recently the Chase Sapphire Reserve got rid of the dining options that they had with the Priority Pass, and you used to get $28.00 a person for dining up to two people, so like 56 bucks.

8:32

And they totally got rid of it.

They reduced their perks and they’ve previously increased their annual fee.

They did.

Well, I mean, from when we started with the Chase Sapphire Reserve now the last couple of years they did have an increased fee.

They haven’t hit with another one, but I think the trend, what Brittany is trying to say is as lots of credit cards are sometimes increasing their fees, they’re also decreasing their perks.

8:55

Or if they’re actually decreasing a perk that’s really, really good, they’re adding a couple other smaller ones that are, I don’t want to say meaningless, but don’t have that same type of value, you know, So that is rather annoying when they’re doing that.

Or maybe a airline kind of doing the same thing where they lower their point redemption value that they have, you know, so lots of things of where they reduce perks is a real travel ick, especially when that’s the incentive for you to be loyal is their loyalty programs and things.

9:25

Yeah.

Ick ick, ick, ick.

Here’s another real ick of mine is rude TSA people like, excuse me, this is your job and none of us want to be here.

None of us want to be treated like peasants in a prison.

But your attitude is just making it worse and it’s ick.

9:42

The worst one was the London.

Lady, Oh my God, she haunts my dreams.

Well, technically they’re not TSA.

They’re not TSA.

And I think we have something talking about London coming up as an ick.

So maybe you should save it for that.

But let alone airport security just in general, right?

You should have a little bit more composure with your job, right?

10:00

You know, people are traveling, some people don’t know the rules, especially if you’re going international, you’re dealing with people with different home country rules and now you’re experiencing a new one.

But speaking on the TSA front, I had ATSA agent almost like blow up in my face one of the last times I flew.

10:16

You know, now they want you to take your photo along with handing over an ID or just your photo is now the ID and it can check with all this facial recognition stuff.

Of course, I already know my face is in the database.

I have global entry, TSA pre, they already have it.

But I don’t want my photo taken every time I go in.

10:34

So I told the person I want to opt out of this.

And then he got like really upset at me and said you needed you needed to tell me that before you handed me your ID.

Now I got to start the whole process over.

I’m like, well, I’m sorry, I just don’t want my photo taken.

10:50

And he was like, so annoyed by it.

Like, I couldn’t believe it.

And then, you know, TSA is one thing, but maybe even coming back through immigration, sometimes those immigration officers just have a little bit of attitude and like, come on, guys.

You know, especially if I’m an American coming back in America, Like, I get that you have to ask your questions for security reasons, but why are you giving me the third degree?

11:13

You know, like, where’s the respect?

I know they’re always hot too, and I want to flirt with them, but then they’re like so rude, like, OK, never mind.

I will say though, the Austin airport has the nicest TSA agents.

They’re always in the best mood.

They’re like, how are you?

11:28

It doesn’t even matter.

Early morning, late at night, they’re great.

Well, at least there’s that.

That’s your hometown airport, so most of the time you get good TSA agents or security workers.

You know, like just real quick, because I don’t want to stay on this too much, but this really irks my chain because the last time Brittany and I crossed the border into Mexico and drove back across again, we have Global Entry.

11:50

We handed them our Global Entry ID cards.

And then the first question they asked is where are you going?

And my thought is like, what do you mean, where am I going?

You can see I’m an American coming back into the United States.

So I tell them I’m going home.

Well, where’s home?

None your business.

12:06

I mean, I just don’t get it.

You know what I mean?

Like, where are you going?

Like, it’s not like somebody is asking me as I’m going into another country.

I’m an American coming back to America.

Like, what kind of question is that?

Like, this really irks me.

I’m just sorry for repeating it.

But like, yeah, this one gets me the most.

12:22

Maybe he was hitting on you.

Just wanted to know what you’re up to.

I doubt it.

I doubt it.

Another ick that we have, and this is kind of a loaded one because it’s talking about a lot of different things on flights, is one when people walk around the plane barefoot.

That’s your ick?

I don’t mind that at all.

12:38

Really.

I don’t care, it’s your feet.

People go to the bathroom barefoot.

That is disgusting.

Whatever.

You want a little pee pee in your toes?

Well, what about this one when people bum rush the aisle and won’t let you get out when it’s your turn off the plane?

Yeah, China Airlines worst one.

12:54

Well they were bad about it but it’s gotten worse here in the state since COVID.

I mean people are coming from the back.

Not even any common courtesy or etiquette of having the rows in front of you go first.

I mean, if you’re in the back of the like, I get it.

Maybe if you are in a rush, tight connection, but you know, a lot of these people aren’t.

13:11

They just don’t want to wait and like push their way through or you clearly have the right away and then the person behind you is trying to push first.

I’m like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Like we’re just talking one row now.

Like I’m ahead of you.

Why are you trying to push me?

Right, so.

Yeah, that’s it.

And when people listen to their phones without their headphones on and watch like a full TV show or movie right next to you cannot stand.

13:33

It actually happened on my last flight.

They were in the road next over and I like cocked my head around and was staring at him like in disbelief.

Like no fucking way are you going to watch your phone?

Like I thought it was the plane was playing music or something.

But the flight attendant did come over and say something because she was icked too.

13:49

Well, on the theme of people and their feet on the plane, I know we kind of bypassed that.

And you said you don’t really mind people going barefoot, but what about when they take their shoes off and then they put their feet up on the airplane wall or use the armrest in front of you as a leg rest?

I’ve seen that and it’s like what is wrong with?

14:06

You know I don’t care because I’m short and I have done that.

Oops.

Yeah, if somebody’s in front of you though, like in that scene in.

Front of you putting my feet to where they go past where they could actually see it or touch it, then no harm, no foul.

14:21

Yeah, yeah.

No, I’m talking like full extension if people could put it through on the side or like.

To like pull their toes or something cuz game on.

It’s game on at that.

Point.

OK, I have a big ick with this one.

London Heathrow.

First of all, I don’t like you, especially because of their stupid liquid in the bag rule.

14:42

I can’t stand this, it’s so inefficient.

Well, and this is where Brittany was saying earlier when we’re talking about like TSA and London and that Lady being rude.

So you’re up now, Brittany, This is what we’re talking about.

Yeah.

So at the London Heathrow Airport, if even if you’re connecting flight, you have to go through their security, you have to pick up one of their approved plastic bags and transfer all of your toiletries into that bag and it has to fit and close.

15:10

If not.

The TS lady I got, she was opening the bags up, throwing it all out and saying repack it and then making people throw things away and just was absolutely super rude and crazy.

Major Ick Martha Stewart would not approve of this inefficiencies.

15:29

Another thing that we really hate is when lounges get stingy on you.

And what we mean by that is if you have priority pass, of course, you get to an airport, you’re really excited to go to the lounge, utilize its services.

But there are some now that have become so popular that they make you pay for reservations or they only allow certain people in if it’s really crowded, if they have that priority pass or have paid with certain credit cards.

15:54

So it’s like you’re restricting my access to something that you say is Open Access access with this perk.

And I really don’t like that and it ruins the experience.

I remember one time we went through London and we had a long layover and one of the lounges in London was pay for a reservation, have a guaranteed spot.

16:12

Otherwise you’re probably not going to get in because the lounge itself is rather small.

And I’m like, you’re giving me a small lounge and one of the busiest airports in the world and now I have to pay like £15 per person for my reservation gross.

I have an ick when an airplane that is not fully booked forces everyone to sit together.

16:32

I really really had the ick for this during COVID because there was hardly anyone on a plane and so most people who book are booking.

Economy right?

The economy section would be packed full of people during the peak of COVID.

The middle section with the extra comfort whatever completely empty and they wouldn’t fucking let people move and spread out in the peak of COVID.

16:55

Yeah, I even Remember, Remember that they would like keep 3 or 4 rows between the last seat of the plane so the flight attendants didn’t have to be near anyone because it was COVID or whatever, but wouldn’t let you spread out backwards.

It’s all around for many reasons.

17:11

And why are they stacking us on top of each other if there’s extra room on the plane?

Like leave a middle seat open?

Have a little courtesy.

No one’s going to sit in that row like no one’s upgrading in the middle of the flight.

They’re money hungry, which gives me the ick.

They’re putting health at risk which gives me the ick and like you clearly don’t care about your passengers comfort which is very icky.

17:32

Another ick that I have is when they announced before the flight that the flight is going to be full and for everyone to put just their carry on in the overhead bin but put their personal item under the seat and you see people putting both of their items in the overhead bin.

17:48

Find them, Brittany.

Should I?

Maybe I will take next flight.

They said only put your carry on up.

There the Karen from the start of the episode.

That’s basically what you’re asking me to do though.

All right, do it.

18:03

Fuck it.

No, no no, the Karen would be yelling at them saying it.

The passive aggressive Karen, the more polite one if you want to do something, is calling the flight attendant over and being like, hey, I saw them put their carry on up there or their personal item.

I should say.

18:19

That’s what you got to do.

You got to let the flight attendant get involved to enforce the rules.

OK, that’s how it’s done. 1 ick I have on certain flights when all the windows are shut, like long flights especially.

18:35

You shut the windows because you’re trying to get some sleep if you’re on a plane for 12 hours.

But there’s always that one person who keeps their window open.

I remember there was a time I was sitting there and the light was blinding me.

It hurt my eyes so bad.

I had put a pillow up, one of the free pillows that they give you, and I was blocking my face.

18:54

And the flight attendant actually came over and told the person to close their window because it’s just like ick like stopping.

So rude.

Like, I get it, if you’re on a long haul flight and you happen to be flying for, you know, 10-12 hours and technically it’s not an overnight because you’re flying with the light, you know what I mean?

19:11

But for you from your home time, it really should be overnight.

You need that sleep.

Like I get that in general.

I know people like to have the window closed sometimes, but I like to open it up every now and then in a situation like that, look outside, see what I’m seeing.

19:27

I think it’s really aggressive though, when it’s daylight and, and whether it be an overnight one or not and you’re trying to get some sleep.

But we all know there’s that certain time of day where the sun just comes through that window real perfectly and it’s more like a shining light, like right on your face.

19:45

That’s when it really bothers me when people don’t close it more so than, oh, it’s just like open.

But when it just beams in and it hits you and you could feel the burn because of how it’s magnifying through the window, that’s a problem.

Yeah, read the room.

You’re giving us all the ick.

Our final ick of this episode is for you, TSA.

20:03

Again, we have a lot of icks with TSA.

We all have TSA Pre.

And one of the benefits is you don’t have to take your jacket off your shoes off your laptop app.

But sometimes TSA will say your boots are too big or your jacket’s too puffy.

Or the other day I was going through and I was wearing a puffy vest when we were coming home from Napa.

20:22

Nope.

You got to go back out, strip down and walk through like a peasant.

What ick?

Yeah, sometimes my shoes, my shoes mostly is like it flagged.

But I was in TSA pre line once and there was a guy who was just wearing a hoodie and they were like, you have to take it off.

20:39

And he was like, I don’t have anything underneath it.

So they didn’t make him take it off because he pulled up the hoodie and like showed he really didn’t have anything underneath it.

But like it’s so annoying.

I do have a hack for you squatties.

If you walk through the X-ray machine very slowly, the shoes will not go off.

20:59

And I’ve done this with big boots before where it goes off and then other times where I walk slowly and doesn’t go off it works.

Why do you think that is?

I honestly don’t know the science behind it, but it’s a glitch in the matrix and it works.

Well, I’m going to have to try it because I have one pair of shoes, more particularly my Timberlands, that have metal in them.

21:20

And of course those ones always go off and I don’t really like having to take them off.

But it’s hit or miss.

Sometimes they will, sometimes they won’t.

I don’t think.

I don’t think it has anything, at least on my end.

I don’t think it has anything to do with the speed, but I will try it.

You know, even TSA had told me it doesn’t matter how fast you walk, but I know it does.

21:37

I have anecdotal evidence of doing it.

Well, I’m going to have to try it then.

But there you have it, guys.

That is our collection of things that give us the ick when we travel.

If there’s anything like I said, that gives you guys the ick we didn’t touch upon, we want to know about it.

21:53

So just DMS message us once this episode airs and keep us posted on that.

You can also also leave it in the comments on this Spotify episode.

And thanks so much for tuning into this week’s Just the Tip.

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on all the socials at Travel Squad Podcast.

22:09

And have fun travelling this weekend.

Bye, squaddies.