What Your Age Says About How You Travel

Millennials, ages 18 to 34, travel differently than Generation Xers, ages 35 to 54, and Baby Boomers, ages 55+ according to Hipmunk’s third annual survey of US travelers of all ages.

According to the travel booking site “highly mobile millennials are forging new norms for leisure and business travel, making technology, in-the-know experiences, and adrenaline-rush adventures not cookie-cutter vacations packages the hallmarks of the way they…enjoy their world.”

What’s a Millennial’s worst travel nightmare? Losing Wi-Fi. One in 10 millennials consider being unconnected worse than extreme turbulence, lost luggage, or an emergency landing. (Oh, the innocence!) Older travelers—Gen Xers and Boomers—agree that emergency landings rate as their worst travel nightmares.

Although Wi-Fi is the favorite in-flight travel perk for all groups, more Millennials (41%) want this service than do Gen Xers (33%) and Boomers (16%). Coming in second on the flight amenities list for all age groups are premium economy options, with 19% of Millennials, 18% of Gen Xers, and 23% of Baby Boomers craving the extra legroom.

Like last year’s findings, Hipmunk states that millennial travelers are still “cheap, plugged in and looking for pleasure.”

More Millennial Mindset Travel Habits by Hipmunk

Create “Bleisure”

Millennials love to blend business and leisure. Eighty-one percent plan to add extra time to a business trip in 2016 versus 56% of Gen Xers and 46% of Boomers.

Book Vacation Rentals

Seventy-four percent of Millennials have stayed at vacation rentals such as Airbnb on a business trip, compared to 38% of Gen Xers and 20% of Boomers.

Get Travel Inspiration from Social Media

For travel inspiration, 44% of Millennials look to YouTube videos and 28% to Instagram, as opposed to 18% of Gen Xers and 6% of Boomers for YouTube, and 7% of Gen Xers for and 1% for Boomers for Instagram.

Eliminate Some Travel Discomforts

Thirty-one percent of Millennials are likely to use TSA/Clear pre-check services to lessen their lines this year, compared with 24% of Gen Xers and 23% of Boomers.

Half (50%) of millennials say they would be willing to pay more for a child-free flight.

What are your biggest travel likes and dislikes? Do your habits match those of your generation? Comment below or connect with me on Twitter, @familyitrips. And view the infographic on PMD's Twitter feed.

How do travel habits vary by generation? See this infographic, and read the story here: https://t.co/5bRGHFoiWs pic.twitter.com/BsLFzgS7z2

— PMDLive (@PhysiciansMoney) March 11, 2016