What has changed in travel since I last travelled 50 years ago

&#x20;<br><br>A friend of mine used to like to tell me that I travel too much. He had a point. I travelled to 46 countries in almost 40 years and usually took three trips a year, two weeks on each trip. However, I’m 70 now and I took the bold decision in January that I wouldn’t be flying any more (I hate flying) and that my days of long-distance travel are over.<br><br>I lasted three months before the print fell apart. I know that travel habits are constantly changing so I wanted to know how travel has changed since I last travelled in January because on my three trips since then I have noticed quite a few changes.<br><br>I live in Europe, so I have been to three European countries since March. Here are some of the differences I’ve observed<br><br>Baggage drop-off: previously it was possible to drop off your full cabin bag at the airport. Now you have to remove the liquid bag, the electronics bag and the travel charger bag from your carry-on and then you put them through the scanner and then you add it all back to your carry-on. I assume this is in the name of security but I’m not aware of any instances of anything illegal being in any of these bags. So it’s a waste of time. Furthermore, I’ve been asked twice at airport security this year for my travel adapter. What’s the point of this? Am I going to use the adapter as a weapon?<br><br>Hotel minibars: previously it was normal for hotels to have minibars. Now they are usually empty or occasionally stocked with water and fruit juice. You can order items from reception and they will stock your minibar but who does that? It kind of defeats the purpose of the minibar.<br><br>Room keys: previously they were cards. Now they’re your phone.<br><br>Airport security: sometimes you need to remove your shoes, sometimes you don’t. I have a pair of shoes with no metal in them that I always wear to airport security. So I don’t know if it’s me or the airport.<br><br>Some airport lounges are now charging extra for certain drinks like champagne.<br><br>Passport control: on my recent trips from Europe, when arriving back in my home country, there was no passport control and no one examined my passport. So why do I need a passport to enter this country?<br><br>Hotel check-in time: I used to be able to check in up to 48 hours before a stay and choose my room. In recent years they only let you check in 24 hours beforehand. Giving you a smaller choice of rooms.<br><br>Food allergies: I am allergic to hazelnuts. So if I order a meal at a restaurant and the print on the menu says ‘may contain nuts’ I will ask the waiter if they can change their recipe. Usually they say yes but sometimes they say no. However, twice in the last two months a waiter told me that this is because they are allergic to nuts and they can’t change the recipe.<br><br>Some restaurants are now asking for a credit card in case you don’t turn up. I’ve been to hundreds of restaurants and this is the first time I’ve encountered this.<br><br>More flights are being cancelled at late notice and more flights are being diverted to other airports.<br><br>I’m not really sure what else to make of all these changes but I’d be curious to know if you’ve noticed any changes in travel. Also, what changes in travel would you like to see?<br><br>&#x200B;