New research from Thomas Cook Airlines has revealed that although 17% of Brits say their first flight experience is one of their top ten life experiences, 55% feel that flying is now a means to an end and over a third (35%) have fallen out of love with flying altogether.
More than a quarter wish they could experience that first flight feeling again, so to help Thomas Cook Airlines tried a #FirstTimeFlyer video experiment in collaboration with TV hypnotist and mind-reader Aaron Calvert.
Calvert spent 20 minutes putting five frequent flyers who had fallen out of love with flying under hypnosis. Each person was then told they were being filmed for a documentary on being a first-time flyer before being taken through the airport and onto the plane ? where they believed they were boarding an A321 for the very first time.
The fun results can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdRZ-z6Hl_I
Calvert commented about the day?s experience: ?It?s been really eye-opening. These guys absolutely believe this is their first flight. And what?s amazing is the simplest things are bringing such joy. They looked out of a window, saw a plane and couldn?t believe the size of it or that it could actually take off. There was an almost childlike excitement to their constant questions!?
The experiment was commissioned following the findings that on average the British public take 280 million flights each year and a Thomas Cook Airlines? survey of 2,000 adults found that while almost three quarters (72%) remember their first flight fondly, on average, it takes the average Brit 21 flights to stop feeling excited by it. New Zealand (24%), Australia (21%) and Japan (15%) were the top countries that people want to travel to and experience for the first time, followed by the USA (12%) and the Caribbean (11%). However, many Brits still have travelling abroad on their bucket list, as 5.9million are still yet to fly for the first time.
Maggie Kennedy, director of Group Cabin Crew Management for the airline, said: ?We think that your holiday should start as you arrive at the airport and board the aircraft, which is why we want to show the fun of flying through this experiment. Flying with us allows you to sit back, relax and disconnect from the every day before reaching a fantastic holiday destination.?
Thomas Cook Airlines flies to more than 50 destinations from ten UK airports, with its main hub and head office at Manchester airport. In addition to its short and medium haul routes to sun and beach destinations in Europe, the airline flies long-haul from Manchester, Gatwick and Glasgow to the States, Caribbean and South America. Thomas Cook Airlines is Manchester Airport?s largest long-haul airline and has recently expanded its range of fares, with a long-haul Economy Light fare launching late last year and a Premium fare allowing customers to upgrade.
For more information visit www.thomascookairlines.com
