British Airways Survey Reveals With The Kids Away, Parents Will Play

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2016 -- With back-to-school season in full swing, many parents with college-age children are facing an empty nest for the first time. According to new survey results from British Airways*, 40 percent of recent empty nesters are taking their minds off their quiet homes and approaching this new phase by planning a much needed vacation, otherwise known as an “emptynestcation.”

According to the survey of 1,000 US parents whose children are no longer living at home, travel habits change once kids leave the nest. Interesting trends include: 

• More travel, further afield: More than 40 percent want to try new destinations they may not have considered with children. 
  
  
• Dip into savings without guilt: Almost 40 percent of empty nesters would consider dipping into the money they set aside for their children’s inheritance to take a vacation.
  While millennials have a bad reputation for being the “me” generation, in this case the majority of 1,000 college respondents surveyed separately – 63 percent – said they would not mind their parents spending some of their inheritance on a vacation.

• Gender divide: When it comes to activities empty nesters are looking forward to, men choose planning a vacation (47 percent) and having more sex (43 percent), while women are excited for picking up a new hobby (42 percent), redecorating the house (38 percent) and of course, vacation (36 percent).

According to psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, columnist and bestselling author Dr. Gail Saltz, M.D. “Today’s empty nesters have been parents that firmly put their kids first, more so than previous generations. As a result, many have denied themselves activities they may have liked because of lack of time and money. While recent empty nesters may have forgone romantic trips and site seeing in the past, now it’s something they can do guilt free and enjoy.”

Dr. Saltz also noted, “Every individual reacts differently when faced with an empty nest for the first time depending on a number of personal factors. For some parents, this can be a difficult transitional period that results in feelings of sadness, while others feel energized by their newfound free time. In either case, an ‘emptynestcation’ can be a positive step toward adjusting, allowing empty nesters to focus their energy and creativity on planning a fulfilling vacation to commemorate the next chapter in their lives.”

In addition to the survey findings, British Airways has today announced an offer that will help couples plan a trip to London. Customers looking to escape in 2017 can take advantage of British Airways’ companion offer, traveling for less when purchasing two tickets.  Travel is valid from Jan. 1 – May 10, 2017 from all British Airways US gateways to London and select European cities, including Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam.  Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 28 at 11:59pm EST.  Visit ba.com for more details.

Additional survey results:

• 46 percent of empty nesters experience some level of depression about their new circumstances and 42 percent feel excited about the next phase. More women reported feeling sad or depressed, while more men were optimistic.
  
• 34 percent of empty nesters said they could not take vacations when their kids were at home due to school schedules and extracurricular activities.
  
• 43 percent said they are willing to take the kids on some vacations in the future, but they will make time for personal vacations, too.
  

Those looking for inspiration for where to go on their emptynestcation will enjoy a new video series from British Airways launching today around the theme of “101 Ways to Spend the Kids’ Inheritance.” First stop is London: www.ba.com/101ways

Notes to Editor:

• *The survey was commissioned by British Airways and the research was conducted by Censuswide. The respondents included 1,000 US parents whose children are in college and no longer have any children living at home, in addition to 1,000 US college students no longer living at home. Censuswide abides by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles.

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