Navan (NASDAQ: NAVN), the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform, today released findings from a new survey conducted by Talker Research that explores the habits, pet peeves, and unwritten rules shaping travel.

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Navan releases findings from a new survey conducted by Talker Research.

Navan releases findings from a new survey conducted by Talker Research.

With the busy holiday travel season approaching, the findings offer a timely look at travelers’ routines and the behaviors they notice in others. Nine in 10 Americans who travel say they judge passengers who clap when a plane lands or hurry to be first off, yet 82% admit they’re guilty of these peeves, according to the survey.

“Travel can stress out a lot of people. Half of travelers check their flight status or look for delays before a trip to avoid surprises at the airport,” said Erika White, chief marketing officer at Navan. “Preparing well ahead of time also helps people deal with some of the uncertainty. On average, travelers start packing three days before their trip, yet many still leave home without a charger or toothbrush and end up spending $363 replacing these essentials. Gen Z does this even more, spending nearly three times the amount on forgotten items as boomers.”

Key Trends:

Travelers plan ahead but still forget essentials.

  • Respondents said they begin packing an average of three days before departure and forget three items.

  • Toothbrushes and chargers were the most commonly forgotten items, each cited by 32% of respondents.

  • Gen Z respondents forget four items on average, compared with two among baby boomers.

  • Respondents estimated they had spent an average of $363 replacing forgotten items. Gen Z respondents reported spending $427, compared with $154 among baby boomers.

Many travelers arrive at the airport close to departure time.

  • Respondents said they arrive about an hour before a domestic flight, on average. Just 10% said they arrive around two hours or more beforehand.

  • For international flights, respondents reported arriving an average of 75 minutes before departure.

  • After passing through airport security, 36% said one of their first priorities is checking that their gate is where they expect it to be.

Passengers judge — and admit to — airplane etiquette violations.

  • The most frequently cited airplane pet peeves were sitting near someone with body odor or poor hygiene (35%) and hearing loud or personal conversations (31%).

  • Loud snoring and spreading legs into another passenger’s space were each cited by 26%.

  • Nearly three in 10 respondents (29%) said they would rather have a flight delayed by two hours than sit near someone committing their biggest airplane pet peeve.

  • Nine in 10 said they judge passengers who clap when a plane lands or hurry to be first off, while 82% admitted to doing so themselves.

Wi-Fi matters to travelers’ in-flight experience.

  • More respondents said they would prefer a delayed flight with perfectly working Wi-Fi to an on-time flight without Wi-Fi (51% versus 42%).

  • On average, respondents said they would pay an additional $376 for their version of a “perfect flight.”

Data and Methodology

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 people who travel for business and/or leisure and have access to the internet. The survey was commissioned by Navan and conducted online from Oct. 5 to Oct. 14, 2026.

About Navan

Navan (NASDAQ: NAVN) is the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform that makes travel easy for frequent travelers. From finding flights and hotels to automating expense reconciliation, with 24/7 support along the way, Navan delivers an intuitive experience travelers love and finance teams rely on. Learn more at navan.com.

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