Is love in the air for American travelers? A recent survey from Cheapflights.com finds that at least flirting and flings are on the minds of many when they travel. And that, from flirting to dating to "hooking up" to joining the infamous Mile High Club, men are way more likely than women to look for love (or at least lovin') on the road.
"A cute seatmate on a flight? A flirty bartender at the poolside bar? The first getaway with a new love? Travel can be a great chance to make or deepen a romantic connection," said Amanda Festa, editor at Cheapflights.com. "Whether looking for a fun flirtship or to add a bit of spice to a relationship, according to our data, a healthy slice of Americans view travel as their time to make a move. And many would take their game further if given the chance."
The basics Over a quarter of Americans surveyed (28 percent) report they tend to flirt more when traveling. And 45 percent of us would date someone we met while traveling. In fact, 17 percent have done just that. Even more, a full 20 percent, have "hooked up" while traveling.
How about the Mile High Club? It's something 33 percent of those surveyed said they would join and that 6 percent have already entered. Perhaps the allure is tied to the fact that 45 percent say they are more in the mood to make love when they travel.
More on flirting and flingsDespite the temptation to try to flirt your way to a free drink or a better seat, it seems that fellow travelers are the more common target for showing our friendliness. Only 13 percent of respondents report regularly flirting with air crew or hotel staff while 18 percent regularly chat up fellow travelers. Additionally, 11 percent admit to pretending to be single when flirting on the road.
Dive a little deeper, and you see quickly that men are leading the pack on travel flirting. They tend to flirt more when traveling (33 percent for men vs. 23 percent for women), and they flirt more with both fellow travelers (24 percent for men vs. 13 percent for women) and flight crew and hotel staff (18 percent for men vs. 7 percent for women). Men are also two times as likely to pretend to be single when flirting on a trip (14 percent vs. 7 percent).
Men seem to put themselves out there more, as well, with 49 percent saying they would date someone they met while traveling compared to 41 percent of women. And 21 percent of men have dated someone they met on a trip while 14 of women report doing so. As for "hooking up," 33 percent of our total respondents say they would, with men (43 percent) outpacing women (24 percent) again. And the split for those who have "hooked up?" It's 26 percent for men and 15 percent for women.
Details on love and lovin'The good news for true romantics is that 10% of Americans have had a vacation fling turn into a relationship. And that holds almost equally true for women (11 percent) and men (10 percent).
As we mentioned above, 45 percent report they are more in the mood to make love when they travel. Men take a slight edge (47 percent vs. 42 percent for women) on being more amorous when traveling. And to inject something extra into their vacation romance, 28 percent report that they have packed or picked up something to spice things up. Here, women take the lead (30 percent vs. 25 percent for men).
Additionally, 33 percent admit they've made love somewhere unconventional while traveling, with 38 percent of men reporting having embarked on such an adventure compared to 29 percent of women.
Finally, the Mile High Club appears to be much higher on the male bucket list, with 43 percent of men saying they would join versus 22 percent of women. (Side note: That's the same percentage of men who say they would "hook up.") Those who report joining have a similar split -- 9 percent for men and 2 percent for women. It's also worth noting a full 50 percent of respondents aged 25-35 percent are want-to-be members of the Mile High Club. But, proving that with age comes experience (and likely that the '60s and '70s were truly swinging), the age group with the highest percentage of members in the Mile High Club (7%) is the 65-plus set.
