Although most travelers encounter high prices, long waits and other problems when traveling, the problems apparently don’t deter them from spending beyond their comfort zone, a new survey reveals.
Survey by financial comparison website Bankrate.com shows that 79% of adults who took an overnight trip outside their region this year experienced at least one travel-related problem. Still, 52% of adult travelers are willing to spend more than they’re normally comfortable on when traveling this year.
Nearly 8 in 10 travelers this year have experienced at least one travel-related problem, including … [+] canceled flights, long waits and higher prices, according to a new survey. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)
The age group with the highest percentage of travelers with issues is Gen Z (18-25). Nearly 9 in 10 Gen Zs reported issues, including 51% bothered by higher prices, 40% who encountered long waits, and 23% who experienced poor customer service.
About 8 in 10 Millennials (26-41), 77% of Gen Xers (42-57), and 75% of Baby Boomers (58-76) reported at least one travel issue.
The survey, which was conducted online from June 15-17 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2%, sampled 3,378 adults, including 2,046 who have traveled or plan to travel this year. The results, according to Bankrate.com, are representative of all US travelers.
Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com, estimates that a higher percentage of Gen Zers and millennials report trouble because they’re more likely to travel than older adults.
“The more dice you roll, the more likely something bad will happen at some point,” he says. “That’s especially true this year. For example, FlightAware says around a quarter of flights were delayed in June and around 3% were cancelled. The more you travel, the more likely you are to experience one of these issues.
With so many travel issues, including higher prices, why are travelers willing to spend more than they normally would on travel this year?
“I think it speaks to the pent-up demand that has built up during the pandemic,” Rossman says. “A lot of people say, ‘Inflation is sacred – I have to get out of the house. “They want to reconnect with family and friends and see the world after being locked down for the past two years. It also helps that many people have saved more money over the past two years.”
The survey found that younger generations are the most willing to spend beyond what they would normally be comfortable spending.
“A lot of young adults like to travel,” says Rossman. “They have that YOLO (you only live once) spirit, are very social and plan group trips with friends to celebrate weddings, hen parties, etc. They are also less likely to be tied down by having young children. It’s a time in their lives when they really want to travel, and that desire overcomes the high prices.
Rossman offers strategies to reduce or defray travel expenses.
“Look in your credit card rewards, airline miles, and hotel points,” he says. “You may be sitting on more value than you realize. I also like the idea of letting the deal dictate when and where you go. So many times we do the opposite. We focus on a specific place at a specific time, but it can be very expensive. If you can be flexible, use a tool like Google Flights to find deals for different places at different times to maybe land a good deal.
