A new offer to encourage multi-generational travel is being launched today by easyJet holidays, offering the chance for a grandparent to travel for free with family bookings to various European destinations such as Spain, Greece and Italy.
EasyJet holidays cited research showing that 51% of families had never been on holiday abroad with grandparents. 56% of survey respondents expressed regret at not spending more time with grandparents and 54% said they hoped to travel together on upcoming trips.
Matt Callaghan, managing director of easyJet holidays, said: “We’re proud to offer thousands of free seats for children, but we believe it’s time to recognise grandparents.”
The offer, which was launched in the final week of the airline’s ‘Big Orange Sale’, was conceived after easyJet holidays spotted a growing trend for travel involving three generations and above.
A trip with grandparents in the context of family detention
Limited places are available under the ‘Grans Go Free’ offer, which requires the grandparents to travel as part of a family booking that includes at least one child. A certificate of age and relationship will be requested on arrival at the hotel.
In the survey of 2,000 British adults, 59% of respondents said they wanted to spend more time with older generations of their family, while 57% expressed a desire to make memories with grandparents on holiday.
The survey found that 77% agree that the bond between grandparents and grandchildren is one of the most special relationships in the family, although 27% of Britons admit to talking to their grandparents less than once a week.
Three quarters (73%) would take the opportunity of a holiday to learn more about their grandparents’ lives, according to the survey, while 49% said they would try to benefit from the wisdom of their grandparents and 23% said they believed a holiday with grandparents would help bring the family closer together.
Popular destinations for multi-generational travel
The most popular destinations for multi-generational holidays abroad are Spain (18%), Italy (13%) and France (13%), according to the survey.
However, 54% said they would probably let grandparents choose the destination if they were planning a trip together.
Nearly half of respondents (45%) said the grandparents in the family are the biggest earners, but only 35% would expect a grandparent to contribute financially to the holiday.
If grandparents contributed, 39% of respondents would only ask them to cover their share of the holiday, while 21% would only ask them to pay for one or two meals during the trip.
In a statement Mr Callaghan said: “This research shows how important grandparent-grandchild relationships are and how much can be learned by spending time on them. We launched our ‘Grans Go Free’ promotion to tighten these important family relationships and allow travellers to have an even better, value for money all in addition to the Big Orange Sale.”
He added: “More families are choosing to holiday with grandparents, recognising that the joy of a getaway is enhanced when shared across generations. They are able to create new family memories that every generation cherishes – and for some parents, they may even have free babysitters at their disposal.”
