Originally published on HARMAN Newsroom

Ahead of the holiday season, JBL, the leading audio brand known for pushing boundaries through sound and innovation, set out to learn more about how Americans will combat the biggest travel stressors. Amid all the chaos that comes with flying across the country and commuting from city-to-city, 83% of Americans say that the right pair of headphones/earbuds will get them through most travel challenges.

Headphones are a Must-Have for Holiday Season Travel 

Most Americans will find themselves in cramped and tight spaces this holiday season – 82% of Americans will hit the road and get to their destination via car, while 40% of Americans plan to fly and will book economy seats. The most common stressors Americans will face are misplacing important documents like an ID or passport (28%), missing a flight (27%), and losing luggage or a phone (20%).

• Through it all, high-quality music or audio will be essential in alleviating stress. Americans will use earbuds or headphones for streaming content (24%), pass the time with apps (22%), with the goal of drowning out as many distractions as possible (20%).
• Americans have a surprising definition of airline "comfort.” Earbuds and headphones (42%) are ranked as a travel item they cannot live without, with extra leg room (11%), in-flight meals (9%) and travel pillows (12%) trailing far behind.
• Friendships will be tested. The next time you realize you’ve forgotten an item at the airport, don’t expect friends to be so generous - Americans are most unwilling to lend a pair of earbuds/headphones (47%), toiletries (36%), and clothing (34%).

A Noisy Seatmate is a Major Travel Nuisance 

From delayed departures to lost luggage, plenty can go awry during the busiest travel season of the year. When it comes to flying 30,000 feet in the sky, Americans prioritize space and silence above all. The most common airplane annoyances are when the person sitting ahead reclines their seat all the way back (29%), a neighbor doesn’t use earbuds/headphones on their computer or phone (27%), or when a person chooses to sit next to them on a nearly empty flight (18%).

Noise canceling audio will be an essential earbud feature this season, with Americans admitting that they’d go to great lengths to avoid noisy seatmates. If given the choice to sit next to someone who listens to their audio aloud or switch with someone else, a whopping 68% would choose an aisle seat, 33% would take on the responsibility of sitting next to an emergency exit, and 22% would resort to a seat next to the airplane restrooms.

• Are headphones the universal “do not disturb” sign? Maybe. 21% of travelers admit that they will wear earbuds/headphones to avoid speaking to people while traveling, while the majority are just passing the time with entertainment (51%) or drowning out the noise (24%).
• Americans are sick of overhearing strangers' conversations. People who take phone calls on speaker phones in airport restaurants (24%) and conference calls in airport lounges (19%) are the most irritating.
• Noisy neighbors are (unfortunately) becoming more and more common. 35% of Americans admit to listening to audio without headphones in public when they really need to hear something, 26% consistently do but keep their volume low, and a shameless 6% do it all the time and see no problem with it.

The Key to Quiet Travel

Ultimately, Americans believe fellow travelers should wear earbuds/headphones in public to simply be considerate of others (83%). With music or podcasts being the optimal way to tune out a long flight or bus ride, it only works effectively when it doesn’t interfere with the comfort of seatmates.

• Americans want more airport and train signage to discourage playing audio or music aloud. 76% of Americans would like to see more “use headphones” signs in public places with 58% saying that we’ve reached public crisis levels and more action should be taken to create more quiet spaces.

• Who’s in charge of keeping audio volume low? Americans say it should be airline staff. 66% of Americans want airline staff to step in when someone plays a movie without earbuds/headphones on a plane. 72% think the easy-fix is that staff should suggest they use a complimentary pair of wired headphones.