United reveals the buzz of the ‘Booking Boost’ beats buying handbag

United reveals the buzz of the ‘Booking Boost’ beats buying handbag
Edited by Travel Weekly


United Airlines has teamed up with cognitive scientist Dr. Laurie Santos to analyse new research that examines that link between happiness and booking a holiday.

According to United Airlines’ new survey, 70 per cent of Americans say booking a plane ticket for a holiday brings them happiness and a majority of people say experiences make them feel happier than material goods.

“Planning a vacation can give you an unexpected happiness bump because experiences matter for our well-being more than we expect,” Dr. Santos said.

“When you book a vacation, you experience the reward of anticipating a positive experience. The happiness boost we get from travel can last long after you book your ticket, from the moments you happily anticipate your getaway, to taking the fun trip itself, to the times you recall trip high points with friends once you get back home.”

‘Booking Boost’ research

United’s survey shows that 68 per cent of people say January is a month where they need something to look forward to, while more than half of Americans report experiencing the winter blues. United’s findings also reveal the power of the positive mood-boost that occurs when a flight for holiday is booked, showing people are almost as happy planning their itinerary (73 per cent) and just as happy sharing memories of the trip with others (83 per cent) as they are experiencing the trip (82 per cent).

As a mood elevator, travel is surprisingly more effective than buying material objects. According to research reviewed by Dr. Santos, the happiness boost from a travel purchase has been shown to be over twice as large as the happiness effect from buying clothing, jewelry or home goods and more than four times as large as buying electronic goods.

“A vacation gives you a bigger and more lasting happiness bump because as humans, we are delighted by the novelty of the unknown,” Dr. Santos added.

“The thrill of a new handbag wears off quickly since you get used to them through a trick our mind does called ‘hedonic adaptation’, but travel brings new experiences each day that delight and engage us. And then we build on that through social connections by traveling with other people and talking about our trip with them later.”

The survey data also shows that 73 per cent of Americans said they would feel happier booking a flight to a new destination rather than a destination they have already been to. With United’s expansive network, including the most international destinations of all US airlines, travelers can experience a new destination starting with a mood boost as soon as they book their flight.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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