Airplane mode: One in five Brits say their holiday begins at the airport
- One in six (16%) say they’re in holiday mode the moment they leave the office
- 13% of people say the holiday starts when they’re packing their bags
When does your holiday really begin? With longer days and sunshine making many feel holiday-ready, the comparison experts at Go.Compare Travel asked Brits to weigh in on how long it takes to start feeling the vacation vibes. For some, it’s the moment their ‘out of office’ is on, while others don’t think the holiday starts until the plane has landed.
The survey found that one in five (19%) believe holidays start when you arrive at the airport.* Meanwhile, 16% say it’s the moment you switch on your out-of-office message and leave work.
For some, however, holiday mode takes a little longer to set in, with one in ten (11%) saying it doesn’t begin until they arrive at their hotel or accommodation.
|
When does your holiday begin? |
%* |
|
When I arrive at the airport |
19% |
|
As I leave work/when I put my out of office on |
16% |
|
When I am packing |
13% |
|
When I am in the hotel/accommodation |
11% |
|
When I arrive at check-in |
10% |
|
When the plane lands |
9% |
|
When I’m in duty-free |
7% |
|
I’m not sure |
6% |
|
When I’m through security |
6% |
The research also revealed that opinions vary between different age groups in terms of when a vacation truly begins, with 17% of those who go on holidays aged 16 to 24 saying it isn’t until the plane lands, and 18% of 25-34-year-olds arguing it’s when you start browsing the aisles of duty-free. But it’s arriving at the airport which marks the start of the holiday for those aged 35 and over (18%).
Rhys Jones, spokesperson from Go.Compare Travel insurance, commented on the findings: “Whether it’s that first drink by the pool, or the moment you put the out of office on, that feeling of holiday mode is different for everyone.
“And while the holiday might not begin until you arrive in your accommodation, you should make sure that your travel insurance covers you long before your trip begins. Travel insurance doesn’t just provide you with cover for lost baggage or unexpected medical bills abroad, it also provides you with cover should anything go wrong before you arrive at the airport.
“Whether it’s the illness or unexpected passing of a close relative or your holiday provider has gone bust, knowing you have the right travel insurance in place from the moment you book can help you avoid stress and focus on enjoying your break.”
To find out more about what travel insurance covers, visit here.
Contact Information
Rubie Barker
Notes to editors
*The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2001 UK Nationally Representative Consumers, aged 16+. (1846 respondents within this sample go on holidays and were surveyed about when their holidays begin). The data was collected between 25.04.2025 - 28.04.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/