Who would you consider a better travel companion—a male friend or a female one? Perhaps, I should ask, which one would you rather navigate through a crowded airport with? Be delayed with? Or, get lost in a terminal with?
Just in time for Valentine’s Day (weekend getaway anyone), a new travel survey dug deep to uncover what stresses the sexes when it comes to traveling by air… and the results may surprise you.
While society often labels men as the more impatient gender, the survey found that when it comes to flight delays more women (58 percent) than men (52 percent) moan about having to sit on the tarmac for hours upon hours. Ditto for getting irritated over lost luggage – 42 percent of women vs. 32 percent of men. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll find that according to survey participants, not only are women more stressed while traveling, they also worry more about making flight connections (63 percent of women vs. 47 percent of men).
Personally, none of the aforementioned survey results surprised me. Then again, I am a woman, a mother, and a frequent-flier. Of course, I am going to be upset if my flight is delayed; especially if I have a cranky 2-year-old on my lap. What’s more, would I be “irritated” about my luggage getting lost… you betcha! Especially, if my toddler’s (extra) favorite book and blankie are tucked inside. Finally, yes, I do worry about making a flight connection, because I don’t ever want to be trapped in so-and-so, USA with a cranky toddler who is asking for her extra blankie. (By the way, the survey was conducted among a national sample of 1,000 adult travelers—500 men and 500 women—over the age of 18, though it did not say how many were parents.)
Anyway, back to the survey results… when asked whether they had ever argued with a gate or ticket agent, 19 percent of male respondents vs. 18 percent of female respondents answered affirmatively. Additionally, both sexes responded equally when asked if they had gone to the wrong airport or terminal to catch a flight (13 percent of men vs. 11 percent of women).
So what accounts for the stress levels in the sexes? Is experience a factor? Of those surveyed, nearly twice as many men than women flew more than six times in the past 12 months (41 percent of men vs. 22 percent of women). Men are also more likely to be members of one or more frequent flier programs (82 percent of men vs. 79 percent of women). Which to me means that there are not very many women and children in the frequent-flier-elite-status lounges… and I have a feeling that those enjoying the deluxe accommodations like it that way.
Who is your ideal travel companion?
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