First Holiday Together? Wait 8 Months, Say Brits

Planning your first holiday together with a new partner? You might want to hold off booking those flights. New research suggests couples should wait at least eight months before jetting off on their first trip, as travelling too soon can expose relationship “icks” and even make or break a romance.

In fact, over a quarter (27%) of Brits admit they’ve gone on holiday with a partner too soon in a relationship, with almost a third (29%) saying it didn’t go to plan as a result.

And the survey revealed a host of holiday “icks” – likely to put people off a new partner.

They include discovering your partner’s odd habits (22%), realising your other half isn’t actually that fun (13%), being kept awake by snoring (12%), and discovering your partner is more ‘fly and flop’ than ‘out and about’ (12%).

Other eyebrow raising habits included your partner constantly looking at their phone (10%), clapping when the plane lands (27%), taking pictures of every meal for Instagram (25%), arriving at the airport just before the flight because ‘there’s buckets of time’ (20%) and only eating ‘English’ food instead of trying the local cuisine (20%) all top the list.

The research found a whopping 89% agree that going on holiday for the first time with a new partner can make or break a relationship, with more than half (57%) believing it’s important to wait for a while before deciding to hop on a plane together, according to the study by Barcelona based airline Vueling.

However, if the timing is right, those first trips can be a winner with almost half (49%) of Brits realising that their partner was the love of their life while on their first holiday.

And according to the survey, nine days is the perfect length for a first trip with a new partner, just long enough to really get to know them.

Despite the occasional awkward moments, holidays still hold a special place in relationships with 61% insisting their current partner is their ideal holiday companion because they’re fun (69%), they don’t hog the bed (51%), they like eating out (51%) and are flexible with the itinerary (51%).

Vueling’s Chief Customer Officer, Melanie Berry, said: “Travelling together is one of the quickest ways to get to know someone, especially if you find yourself navigating airports, overhead lockers and poolside politics. At Vueling, we see those first trips as part of the excitement, making memories and getting to know each other.”

TOP TRAVEL ICKS, ACCORDING TO BRITS:

 Clapping when the plane lands – 27%

1. Taking pictures of every meal for Instagram – 25%
2. Walking too fast / walking ahead of you – 24%
3. Only picking up their bag from the belt, not yours – 21%
4. Arriving at the airport one hour before the flight because ‘there’s buckets of time’ – 20%
5. Only eating ‘English’ food instead of trying the local cuisine – 20%
6. Packing a jar of Marmite – 17%
7. Getting up early to put a towel on a sun lounger – 16%
8. Uploading selfies to social media with the caption ‘never coming home’ – 14%
9. Buying tacky souvenirs – 13%
10. Taking their shoes off on the plane – 13%
11. Speaking English in the ‘accent’ of the country you’re in – 13%
12. Arriving at the airport four hours before the flight ‘to be on the safe side’ – 13%
13. Packing two weeks before the trip – 11%
14. Packing your own tea bags – 10%
15. Doing doggy paddle in the pool – 9%
16. Wearing a travel ‘neck cushion’ – 8%
17. Obsessing over the position of the parasol above the lounger – 8%
18. Battling to find the best place to pick up the bags from the luggage belt – 6%
19. Having a dedicated travel wallet – 5%
20. Declaring ‘feel that heat’ as soon as you step off the plane – 5%