Your holiday begins at the airport – the excitement kicks in, you’re all packed up and ready to go, and you can almost smell the beach. It’s not quite so simple when you have kids though – the airport turns into a hectic labyrinth of places you can lose them (a la Kevin McAllister), what used to be the obligatory pint at Wetherspoon’s is now a coffee to give you an energy boost (kids are tiring, who knew?), and then there’s the absolute task of finding a group of seats together… near a plug so you don’t lose iPad battery and also away from the lairy stag and hen dos. Let’s face it, UK airports just haven’t been designed with families in mind.
Well, this was our assumption at Oliver’s Travels, anyway. So, we decided to do some research (we surveyed our travellers** and also worked with Censuswide* on a national project) to see if families feel satisfied with the facilities at UK airports – and it turns out over a third of families aren’t. So, we decided to launch a petition to help change that.
We delved into various issues and found that 9 out of 10 parents voiced their concerns over being the least-considered group out of all travellers when it comes to airport facilities. We wanted to know if a dedicated family lounge at major UK airports would help, and 95% said that it would improve their airport travel experience. After all, why wouldn’t you want your holiday to get off to the best possible start?
Credit: Mark Hall
The need is clear, with 3 out of 4 families saying they’re even happy to pay up to £45 for the facility, which they think should include a soft play area (45% of respondents), more family seating (30%), an area for parents to relax while the children can play (29%), a film zone (27%), and a napping zone – for children and adults (16%).
If, like us, you’d like to see UK airports doing more for families then sign this petition to help us to get the message across, and get them to consider implementing these important changes.
Read the Daily Mail’s article here.
*Censuswide survey from January 2019. 1,500 adults with children under the age of 12 who have flown out of a UK airport with their child/children
**Internal Oliver’s Travels database survey from December 2018. 700 adults with children under the age of 16 who have flown out of a UK airport with their child/children
Looking to live the dream at one of our characterful chateaux in Southern France? Covering luxurious Languedoc,… Read More
Stunning coastlines, scrumptious cuisine and stylish villas - Turkey's truly got it all when it… Read More
Often referred to as the green heart of Italy, Umbria is a treasure trove of… Read More
Picking your summer holiday destination, so we've gathered our top picks for where to go… Read More
Swap snowy slopes for sunlit trails with an escape to the Alps in one of… Read More
Not all holiday homes were created equal, and that’s particularly true of this list of… Read More