Boomers Travel Confidently and Stress-free

"New AARP Study Shows Boomer Air Travelers are less Stressed and More Confident than Gen-Xers and Millennials"

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Jul 12, 2016, 05:22 ET

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP Travel, a valuable resource for America's 76 million baby boomers who spend over $120 billion annually in leisure travel, recently released a new study providing some great insight into how Americans experience air travel and announced new resources to help travelers reduce airport stress for AARP members and non-members alike.

"Travel is the number one aspirational activity for the boomer generation, and we are seeing Boomers tend to be more relaxed during the air travel experience than younger travelers and 1/3 of them have embraced travel technology – much like their younger counterparts. A key difference we found, however, is that Boomers actually take advantage of airport amenities – unlike Gen-Xers and Millennials who often arrive for flights just in time to board," says Sami Hassanyeh, SVP, Digital Strategy and Membership.

But although they are less stressed, Boomers are not travelling without a few hiccups. According to the research, Boomers report clearing security, flight delays at the departure airport and lack of legroom - in flight – as their primary stressors.

Other important survey highlights include:

Boomers enjoy the leisure travel experience (for the most part): Younger generations report higher levels of travel stress and nervous feelings compared to Baby Boomers. According to the research, Millennials are the most stressed generation while flying and Baby Boomers are the most relaxed.

Boomers stay connected: More than 90% of Boomers travel with some type of electronic device, primarily a smartphone and 56% of Boomers use airport Wi-Fi, if it's free.

Boomers are touring the USA: Domestic travel is most common among Boomers. More than 75% of the Boomers surveyed say they took their last flight to a domestic destination.

Boomers take Advantage of Airport Amenities: Boomers arrive, at least, two hours before their flight compared to their millennial counterparts, who typically arrive with just enough time to board their flight. Nearly 49% of Boomers bought food and drinks and 28% sat down and ate at a restaurant before their flight.

AARP Travel created a series of videos with AARP Travel Ambassador Samantha Brown – to share expert travel tips on how to master air travel from the curb to takeoff! The videos include topics, like: Travel Prep in 3 Easy Steps, Stress-free Airport Check-In, 8 Airport Foods to Avoid and Airport Free Time.

Methodology:
A 15-minute online survey was conducted among males and females, 18+, who have travelled by air for a leisure trip in the past year. A total of 1,216 surveys were completed between April 26, 2016 and May 10, 2016. Final data has been weighted to US Census, by generation, for analysis.

AARP Travel has been leading the field of travel for people 50 or older and their families since 1958 and identifies emerging trends that influence how members dream, plan and book vacations. To read AARP's 2016 Air Travel Research Study visit: www.aarp.org/airtravelresearch

Here's a tweet if you would like to share these new insights with your friends and family planning air travel as part of their next vacation: New @AARP study: Boomer air travelers are more confident and less stressed than younger generations aarp.org/traveltips #travelnews

To visit AARP's travel site visit: http://travel.aarp.org.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @aarp and our CEO @JoAnn_Jenkins on Twitter.

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SOURCE AARP