Every year, people travel for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s to visit family and friends, explore what a new city has to offer, or for business purposes, airline flights are a convenient way to travel. Given this, it’s not surprising that airline travel is expected to increase over the next few years. Since 96% of employed Americans value their vacation time, one of the many reasons for this may be because they are planning a trip.
In 2016, for example, there were a considerable number of individuals that took trips for business, leisure, or both. This amounted to roughly 218 million passengers flying internationally to or from the United States alone. In addition to international travel, there were 458.9 million domestic business trips throughout the United States. It’s expected that by 2020, business travel may increase up to 478.2 million trips a year.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) conducted a survey in 2016. The results showed that Baby Boomers were motivated to travel for three main reasons:
- To get away from everyday life: 39%
- To relax and rejuvenate: 38%
Even though the AARP survey found that 49% of the survey’s participating Baby Boomers didn’t claim to experience any challenges when planning their trips, others did experience a few. The survey showed that budgeting was the most significant challenge for 15% of these participants. Cost was also an issue for other age brackets, however. Over half of the Millennial and Gen X participants stated that leisure travel was challenging for this reason. Whether or not the cost of travel is prohibitive for Millennials, 76% of these participants stated that they preferred spending money on experiences rather than material objects. Hence, their choice to travel.
When planning a trip outside the United States, Latin America was the first choice for 41% of the Baby Boomers. Europe, however, was the most desired location for 34% of the overall participants. It’s interesting to note that many Millennials chose their travel destinations based on social media influences. The survey showed that this was the case with 23% of the participants that claimed social media had a significant influence on their decision-making where travel was concerned.
Whether you’re traveling on a budget, or the expenses associated with travel aren’t a concern, you may be interested to know about airlines deals. There are a variety of airline flights that are available at a discount, and this can make a difference in how often you travel for business or leisure. Once you speak with a representative, you can learn more about these economical airline flights. Since you may be open to when you want to travel, a representative will be able to provide you with several options, including the best times to travel to your chosen destination. If you have an upcoming meeting or other business-oriented event, it’s always a good idea to schedule ahead when possible.