The trend is clear and has repeated itself for several years: people like reading bad news. I guess it is not a surprise in our clickbait culture, but the results are clear well beyond the top-10 list below. As you will see, only two positive stories (Thai introducing a new lie-flat seat in premium economy and Mexico’s clever new alternative to the Panama Canal, both written by Kyle) made the top-10 list, though sevearl of the stories this year were more policy driven than simply a recounting of poor passenger behavior.
That’s the difference I’m seeing: people still like to read bad news, but the most popular posts in 2025 included stories on TSA lapses, police stings, new exit controls when leaving the USA, and the detentino of a U.S. citizen at the border at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport…it wasn’t just drunken debauchery onboard.
Although my incredibly time-consuming trip reports never make the top-10 list, I have to remind myself that I actually write to myself first and foremost and that it must always be that way. I’ve continued to be more overtly political and religious this year, which is not so much for clicks (frankly, this turns off many readers and is not great for short-term or long-term business) but rather feeling comfortable enough to risk offending some readers. But I don’t aggressively sell you credit cards that you do not need and even if you disagree with me, I hope you can at least appreciate how I come to my worldview on a number of topics we have discussed this year. I make mistakes and always try to own up to them when I do. Sometimes I say things that I wish I could take back and will ask for forgiveness. That, I hope, is what sets this blog apart from the pack.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
