TORONTO — Canadians are known for being polite, so it should come as no surprise that we’d dislike anyone who isn’t.

The Winter Vacation Confidence Index conducted by Ipsos for Allianz Global Assistance Canada found that almost a quarter of Canadian travellers (23%) cited loud and/or rude fellow passengers as their number one vacation pet peeve.

Coming in a close second at 20% were delayed flights, followed by long check-in and security lines (18%) and lost luggage (15%).

Other pet peeves on the list included large carry-ons stuffed into overhead bins (7%), and overly chatty seatmates (5%).

“Canadians generally have a reputation for being polite, but it seems that we also value courtesy in others, particularly when travelling,” said Dan Keon, Vice President, Market Management, Allianz Global Assistance Canada.

The Index, now in its fourth year, also revealed the major concerns Canadians have when leaving the country. At the top of the list was safety and security, cited by 37% of respondents. Other concerns such as flight cancellations/delays or lost luggage were well behind at 14% each, while only 13% noted the possibility of a lost passport as their top concern.

Only three per cent of respondents said that their top travel concern was fear of being bumped from a flight or having no WiFi or cell phone coverage.

“Safety and security as a travel worry was quite consistent across age groups and genders,” adds Keon. “It’s interesting to note that a third of younger travellers, 18-34, still mentioned safety as their main concern, and a full 40 per cent of those over 55 cite safety worries while travelling. The results are a good reminder that all travellers should check Government of Canada travel advisories related to their destination both before booking a trip and prior to departing, while being particularly aware during hurricane season if visiting the Caribbean and southeast U.S.”

Keon says many concerns can be minimized by obtaining proper travel and medical insurance. “Nobody plans to get sick or injured while on vacation, but obtaining proper insurance when booking your trip may go a long way toward alleviating many concerns and give you the peace of mind that should anything go wrong, you’ll have adequate protection in place.”

He jokingly admits, however, that no insurance can protect you from “rudeness.” For that, it seems the only resolution is the polite Canadian inward sigh.