Survey findings reveal that there are few booking enquiries for flights on Friday the 13th and flights on these days tend to be cheaper
According to the International Air Transport Association, the total number of passengers at Europe’s airports in 2011 was up around 7% to just over 1.6 billion, and the highest proportion of these travellers was from the UK. Despite this rise, survey findings reveal that there are fewer booking enquiries for flights on Friday the 13th, and flights on these days tend to be cheaper, says CheapFlightsFinder.com, the world’s first website to compare up to 16 metasearch engines for flight deals.
Shahab Siddiqui, founder of Cheap Flights Finder, is reminding people that superstitions or peculiar habits, such as avoiding a specific date of travel, are likely to be costing them money. Kayak, a prominent flight comparison site, conducted a survey last year that found flights departing on Friday the 13th were 20% cheaper than on other dates. Therefore, travellers should not only compare flight comparison sites to find the best price as a matter of course, but they should also investigate the full range of dates convenient to them; there is a common misconception that Fridays are the most expensive day to fly due to the demand of weekend breaks.
Another metasearch engine, Jetcost.co.uk, told the Daily Mail in 2011 that flight enquiries for travel on Friday the 13th in January of the same year were down 27% compared to the previous seven days. Such superstitions and rituals cover all aspects of travelling, as established by Lonely Planet last year; its survey found that 12% of travellers said a prayer before flying, 9% touched the plane before entering and 7% wear a good luck charm for the journey.
Shahab Siddiqui comments: “Superstitions are practically a national sport in the UK, from not flying on Friday the 13th to saying good morning to magpies, and despite the relative unlikelihood of being involved in an air traffic incident, people feel more comfortable when carrying out their rituals. Whether it is a short-haul hop for a long weekend in Europe with a partner or a group of friends taking round the world flights, many could be paying extra for a flight due to a superstition they aren’t able to shake.
“Using a flight finder site like CheapFlightsFinder.com, which searches the most popular flight comparison sites, will ensure you always get the best deal, even if it does mean flying on Friday the 13th!”
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
