Travellers have enough to juggle with over-stuffed luggage, misplaced passports and sky-high food and drink prices when they visit an airport. However, they may never have heard of some of the more unusual regulations in 2024 that may leave them scratching their heads in wonder.
Time limit on New Zealand hugs
Emotional times for families are now limited at Dunedin International Airport, New Zealand. Many enjoy a lasting hug before relatives embark on a flight, but the airport on South Island is capping those long goodbyes.
Officials have brought in a three-minute limit on cuddles as part of an effort to improve safety and keep traffic flowing at its drop-off zone. There's even a sign in the airport's drop-off zone warning: "Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells, please use the car park."
Dunedin Airport chief executive Dan De Bono said warning messages at airport drop-off zones can be "quite intense" and include threats to clamp wheels or impose fines – something the airport wanted to avoid.
"We're trying to have fun with it. It is an airport and those drop off locations are common locations for farewells," De Bono told RNZ, adding that too many people were taking too long in the drop-off zone.
"There's no space left for others," he said. "It's about enabling others to have hugs." De Bono said the airport will not have a special unit of hug police enforcing the rule, but staff may politely ask lingerers to move into the car park.
Emotional support animals
Passengers might be agog to know that travellers can, depending on the airline, travel with an emotional 
support animal. In 2014, a passenger was removed from a US airline as her emotional support animal - a pig – wasn't allowed in the cabin.
British Airways only allows assistance dogs, but US airlines are more lenient. However, the US Department of Transportation rolled back some protections previously in place for the carriage of emotional support animals. Different airlines operate different rules, so check them out before you fly.
Body odour
Even your personal odours can throw up a potential issue with airlines. Famously, in 2019, American Airlines ejected three passengers from a flight at Miami International Airport after fellow passengers complained about their body odour.
The carrier said: "The passengers were removed from the flight when several passengers complained about their body odour. They have been booked into a hotel for the night and given meal vouchers. They have been rebooked on a flight."
Other offending
Since 2002, Korea Air has used electric stun guns to combat disruptive passengers at least five times. It's believed to be the only major airline to utilize them.
Passengers may also be refused from boarding if they opt to go barefoot or not wearing clothes thought to be offensive to fellow passengers.
If you're having a bad hair day, then sympathize with airline employees. Airlines generally require flight attendants to have a "groomed look that meets conventional standard", as British Airways describes.
Other airlines take a strong stance, even United, which has a strong stance on facial hair on male flight attendants - "trendy facial hair styles are not permitted, and moustaches may not extend more than ¼ inch below the sides of the mouth".
Conclusion
Just be happy to get on your flight without the additional drama that might be unravelling for someone else.
Andy Probert is an independent journalist and PR writer. He writes about travel, aviation, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Telegraph, Hurriyet Daily News and other newspapers worldwide.
