Spontaneity On The Rise As Kiwis Increasingly Book Last-minute Flights

• New research from Jetstar reveals more New Zealanders are embracing spontaneous travel since the pandemic
• The number of Kiwis that book flights within a month of travel has more than doubled
• More than a third of New Zealanders have left for a trip with less than two weeks' notice in the past year

Auckland, New Zealand: New research has revealed New Zealanders are more spontaneous than ever, with data showing Kiwis are increasingly inclined to leave holiday bookings later and travel on a whim.

The research from Jetstar found that 41 percent of New Zealanders are booking flights closer to their travel date than pre-pandemic, while the number of Kiwis booking flights within a month of travel has more than doubled.*

The survey comes as Jetstar is ramping up its domestic and trans-Tasman schedule to reach close to pre-covid levels by July.

More than a third (38 percent) of New Zealanders say they have left for a trip with less than two weeks' notice in the past year and 57 percent say they would drop everything and head off on a trip immediately if they were given free flights.

The research also found the majority (80 percent) of New Zealanders are more likely to travel domestically, with 36 percent of those people saying it is because they think New Zealand is the best country to explore and almost half (47 percent) saying domestic travel feels less complicated than international travel.

Data from Jetstar bookings reinforces the survey findings, with one in four domestic flights booked between January and March this year made within five days of travel. Domestic travellers are also more likely to stay at their destination longer, with a decrease in the number of people booking short stays and an increase in holidays of between four to seven days.

The most popular destination for Jetstar customers is Queenstown, however, more than half (53 percent) of New Zealanders say they make decisions about the destination of their trip based on the price of flights.

Jetstar currently operates 19 weekly flights into Queenstown from Wellington and Auckland with one-way fares starting from $57 lead-in fares starting at jetstar.com.

Comments from leading clinical psychologist, Jacqui Maguire:

“After more than two years of living through a pandemic, there is a real sense that people are ready to resume living - driving them to embrace spontaneity, seek adventure and new experiences, and travel with little notice.

“Spontaneity reflects choices that are made with less inhibition and more emotion, which may feel high risk for some people as they push against their comfort zone but can provide opportunities for unexpected joy, connection, wonder and learning. Practising spontaneity can support people to be more flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances – skillsets that support enhanced mental wellbeing.

“Our human need for certainty and preference to avoid risk has likely contributed to our desire to see more of New Zealand. Domestic travel ticks a lot of boxes – adventure, human connection, and experiencing natural beauty, so it is understandable that so many would prioritise seeing New Zealand.

“Basing destination decisions on price is an understandable choice as it means people can spend more time away visiting friends or family, exploring somewhere new, or getting a much-needed holiday. Booking closer to the date of departure also gives us more clarity over available funds and how much we can afford to spend on travel.”

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