Aer Lingus Announce Travel Trends for 2024
Irish airline Aer Lingus has recently unveiled its travel trends for 2024, based on a comprehensive survey ahead of their January sale. The airline's January sale, offering over 4 million discounted seats, is set to conclude on the 15th of January at midnight. The sale features significant discounts of up to 25% on flights to Europe and the UK with North American airfares also discounted.
Key Findings from Aer Lingus' Travel Trends for 2024:
Increased Travel: 60% of Irish adults took two or more holidays abroad in 2023, a trend expected to continue in 2024.
Popular Destinations: The top European destinations for 2024 include Spain (60% of travellers), Portugal (30%), and France (26%). Other favored destinations are the Greek Islands, Turkey, and Sicily. In North America, New York (61%), Florida (29%), and Boston (21%) are the most popular.
New Routes: Aer Lingus plans to introduce new routes to Crete, Sicily, and Turkey in Summer 2024, catering to the growing interest in exploring new locales.
Travel Motivations: The main reason for travel is leisure (57%), followed by visiting friends or family (16%) and seeking adventure (15%).
Preferred Activities: Lounging at the beach (55%) and city exploration (53%) are the most anticipated activities. There's a strong preference for self-guided and impromptu experiences (57%), over guided tours and structured activities.
Travel Inspiration: Recommendations from friends and family (54%) are the primary source of travel inspiration, followed by Instagram (30%), review websites (28%), TikTok (39% for Gen Z), and Instagram (38% for Gen Z).
Influence of Loyalty Programs: Nearly one-fifth of respondents are influenced by loyalty programs and rewards offered by airlines in their travel booking decisions.
Decision Factors: Cost is the primary consideration for 36% of respondents, followed by the desire for sunshine (24%) and the appeal of the destination (17%). Interestingly, cost is less of a concern for those aged 65 and older.
This research, commissioned by Aer Lingus and conducted by 3Gem in December 2023, surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 people travelling abroad in 2024.
