Dublin, Tuesday 04 September 2018 – New research* from Aer Lingus reveals that booking a winter break can give holidaymakers an additional three full days or 71.5 hours of happiness beyond the actual time spent abroad – Happy Days!

Aer Lingus, Ireland’s only 4-star airline, today launches its Happy Winter seat sale. Sun-seekers and city-breakers can book a winter getaway with flights to North America from just €159 each-way and to Europe from €29.99 one-way, all including taxes and charges. Offers are valid for travel between 1st November 2018 and 31^st March 2019.

Happy Hour

Most adults in Ireland (90%) agree that merely being on a winter holiday is a good reason to be happy but outside of the days physically spent abroad, there is even more positivity to be gained from booking a winter break – 71.5 hours of positivity to be precise.

The Aer Lingus Happy Winter research reveals pre and post-holiday actions can total three additional days of joy, meaning a long weekend winter break yields a 2:1 return on investment for happiness!

Pre-holiday actions amount to 34.5 hours of added happiness including initial holiday research (equating to 6hrs added happiness), accommodation planning (4hrs), booking flights (3.5hrs), pre-holiday shopping (4hrs), packing (3hrs), switching on the out-of-office at work (6hrs), arriving to the airport (3hrs), having a drink at the airport (3hrs) and doing the obligatory airport social media check-in (2hrs).

Interestingly, it’s the post-holiday habits that inspire even greater joy. Respondents estimated that they would get 37 hours’ worth of happiness from arriving home from the airport (3hrs), having a cup of tea at home (4hrs), getting into your own bed (6hrs), recalling holiday memories with a travel companion (7hrs), booking the next holiday (6hrs), looking back over holiday photos (5hrs), telling friends and family about the trip (4hrs) and posting throwback pictures on social media (2hrs).

Highest Peak

According to the Aer Lingus research, peak happiness on a winter break is achieved when having the first meal and drink upon arriving at the holiday destination (21%), followed by the flight taking off (17%). Simply having booked or planned a winter holiday is also a great mood booster with respondents stating that their percentage of positivity increases by 39% in the three months before taking off. The day before heading on holiday, almost two in three (61%) adults in Ireland said they would rate their mood to be extremely positive.

Getting into your own bed is the action that respondents estimated would bring peak happiness after returning home from holidays (28%), followed by recalling memories with a travel companion (25%).

Smiley Face?

Though ever-present in our lives and particularly when we travel, the happiness that social media brings to our holidays is fleeting, according to the Aer Lingus research. Of all the associated actions that can bring about joy, checking in on social media at the airport (2hrs) and posting pictures post-holiday (2hrs) brought the least amount of prolonged joy.

A huge 93% of respondents said that the greatest satisfaction that a winter break provided was just getting away from day to day life, while 86% also cited great satisfaction from experiencing a new adventure. This is compared with under a third (31%) who found the greatest satisfaction from sharing and posting on social media throughout their winter holiday.

Commenting on the research findings, psychologist Honey Langcaster-James said:

“The research shows that taking a break during the winter months can have psychological benefits, from the positive effects on wellbeing during the time leading up to a holiday to the happiness the comforts of coming home creates. In an increasingly busy world where every hour counts, these findings suggest investing in the time to take a break during winter can lead to an additional three days of joy. This could be beneficial for your mindset at what might otherwise be considered by many to be a gloomy time of year.

Interestingly, as much as people enjoy sharing their holiday snaps and connecting on social media during their winter holidays, only a small proportion of those surveyed seem to be getting genuine satisfaction from doing so. This suggests that, despite the huge popularity of social media, it’s the act of going somewhere different and getting away from it all that really boosts mood and provides lasting satisfaction. Booking a winter break could be a great way to give you something positive to think about and look forward to, and it could be a healthy step towards improving your wellbeing too.”

Happy Winter

The Aer Lingus Happy Winter seat sale is live now with special fare offers to North America from just €159 each-way and Europe from €29.99 one-way, taxes and charges included. Fares are valid for travel from 01 November 2018 to 31 March 2019. Book by midnight Monday 24 September 2018.

Those in search of warmer winter weather should seek the sun in tropical Miami, the Ionian island of Corfu or the lively Canary Islands, while snow sport enthusiasts should set off to the slopes nearby Geneva, Salzburg and Milan.

Those looking for Christmas atmosphere could consider magical New York for some pre-Christmas shopping or take on Europe’s most-famous Christmas markets in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Vienna, Budapest and Edinburgh.

For those seeking a novel New Year’s getaway, ring in 2019 with your favourite characters at Orlando’s theme parks, stay up all night in sleepless Seattle or of course, the romance of Paris is always a crowd pleaser!

To book a Happy Winter break and for more information on the Aer Lingus September seat sale, please visit aerlingus.com.

ENDS

*Research conducted by iReach on behalf of Aer Lingus in August 2018 amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,001 adults in Ireland aged 18+, 48% male and 52% female.

European fares quoted are on-way including taxes and charges. North American fares quoted are each-way including taxes and charges as part of a return trip.