- 45 per cent of travellers say they take responsibility for their group, activating ‘Airport Dad’ mode in the terminal, but 65 per cent of travellers don’t always remember to check in before arriving at the airport.
- A quarter (26 per cent) adopt a ‘go with the flow’ ‘Airport Autopilot’ mentality, following someone else’s lead when navigating through the terminal.
- People from Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Cote D’Azur are the most likely to adopt an ‘Airport Athlete‘ persona, striving to be the first on and off the plane.
- To help customers better prepare for travel, British Airways has compiled expert advice on how to become the ultimate ‘Airport Dad’ and travel influencer, The Folding Lady shares her top packing hacks and how travellers can take advantage of British Airways’ generous baggage policy.
Paris, France - Are you an Airport Dad, Airport Adventurer or Airport Autopilot? As the summer getaway continues, new research by British Airways reveals which airport personas French travellers are most likely to adopt when they jet off on their vacations. Almost half (44 per cent) of holidaymakers believe they’ve seen a family member alter their personality when travelling through the airport.
‘Airport Dad’ - Millions of French travellers admit they turn into an 'Airport Dad', arriving early, seizing control of passports, and adopting a military-style departure strategy. Almost half (45 per cent) of holidaymakers saying they prefer to take charge, with people from the Grand Est, the most likely to adopt this trending airport persona (55 per cent).
Compared to their European counterparts, just 1-in-5 (21 per cent) of French travellers like to get to the airport as early as possible, compared to 27 per cent of Germans and 1-in-3 Italian and Britons. The Americans top the list, with 35 per cent preferring to maximise their time in the terminal.
‘Airport Ambler’ - Meanwhile just 6 per cent of people surveyed said they’d describe themselves as an ‘Airport Ambler’, with the most relaxed approach to travel, taking their time to make it to the aircraft and often being amongst the last people to get onto the plane.
‘Airport Athlete’ – Contrastingly, 18-25-year-olds are the age group most likely to strive to be amongst the first to get off the plane and collect their luggage after landing. Almost 4-in-10, respondents from Southern French said they identified as ‘Airport Athletes’, treating travelling like an Olympic sport and racing to the exit.
‘Airport Adventurer’ – Just 9 per cent of French travellers said they classed themselves and an ‘Airport Adventure’, happy to break away from the pack and spend a lot of time exploring the airport, visiting the terminal’s shops and restaurants, and investigating what’s around.
‘Airport Autopilot’ – One-in-four (25 per cent) of French travellers said they preferred to ‘go with the flow’, with over 65s the most likely to adopt this persona (31 per cent). People from Bretagne are the most likely to identify as this, with 36 per cent saying, they allow someone else to take the lead.
Despite 1-in-5 (21 per cent) believing their holiday starts when they pack their case, 30 per cent are unsure about what items are allowed in their checked baggage or their luggage allowance, with a similar number (28 per cent) uncertain about what they can take in their hand luggage. British Airways offers generous baggage allowances for the entire family.
Pauline Price, British Airways Customer Service Agent, said: “Having worked at British Airways for more than 18 years, I’ve seen every type of traveller head through the airport and it’s great to know that French ‘Airport Dads’ are taking charge, allowing families to enjoy the holidays they deserve.”
To become the ultimate ‘Airport Dad’ this summer British Airways has created a dedicated page (ba.com/before-you-fly) and a new pre-travel email for customers, with useful tips on what they need to do in advance of travel to avoid being the ‘Airport Ambler’.
Travel influencer, The Folding Lady, has created the ultimate packing tips for those travelling with British Airways this summer.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
- The survey, conducted by YouGov in July 2023, polled 1,000 respondents in France.
- British Airways is trialling new digital wayfinding technology to support customers travelling through London Heathrow Terminal 5 and Terminal 3 this summer. The new technology provides connecting customers with clear instructions to help them navigate from their arrival gate to their onward departure gate.
- As a global airline and the UK’s flag carrier, British Airways has been flying its customers to where they need to be for more than 100 years. The airline connects Britain with the world and the world with Britain, operating one of the most extensive international route networks together with its joint business, codeshare and franchise partners. British Airways flies to destinations in more than 65 countries. Its principal place of business is London, with its main home at Heathrow Terminal 5. British Airways is a founding member of the airline alliance oneworld, which serves around 1,000 destinations across the globe. The British Airways press office can be contacted at press.office@ba.com. To book visit BA.com and connect on Facebook @BritishAirways and Instagram @british_airways
