Online research undertaken by bmibaby, the award winning airline with tiny fares, has cited the main reason for low cost air travel on its services is to visit friends and family.ÊThe research, which has been ongoing for ten months, has so far surveyed seventy thousand visitors asking them questions on their travel habits. Over 36 per cent of all respondents confirmed that they were booking flights to visit family and friends both overseas and within the UK.

David Hodge, marketing director, said: “The research proves that low cost air travel is making Europe smaller. Ten years ago the cost of a flight from a regional airport to Scotland would have been so unaffordable that driving would have been the only option. Consumers are now surrounded by so much choice and so much competition that they can get a flight for a little as £13 inclusive of taxes and charges. The price sensitive low cost market has been great news for people wanting to travel more often.”

Business travellers also accounted for a large proportion of passengers with 28 per cent of all respondents booking to travel on business. The third most popular reason for travel was to escape for some summer sun.
——-