Free holiday places for grandparents

easyJet Holiday has launched free holiday places for grans and grandpas in a unique twist on the usual ‘Kids Go Free’ offering.

They’ve launched the offer after new research revealed that 51% of families have never holidayed with their grandparents abroad.

The offer, which aims to encourage the nation to take a 3G holiday – the term used for getaways with three generations - allows seniors to travel free of charge on family bookings to several European destinations, including Spain, Greece, and Italy.

easyJet Holiday’s survey found 59% of families want to spend more time with the older generations, with 57% expressing a desire to make memories with grandparents on holiday.

77% agreed that the bond between grandparents and grandchildren is one of the most special relationships within a family – yet 27% of Brits confess to speaking to their grandparents less than once a week.

Three quarters (73%) said they would use a holiday as an opportunity to learn more about their grandparents lives, with 49% seeking to benefit from their wisdom, and 23% believing going on holiday with them helps to bring the family closer.

The most popular destinations for multi-generational holidays are Spain (18%), Italy (13%), and France (13%). However, 54% said they would let their grandparents pick the destination if they were planning a trip together.

For half of Brits (45%), the grandparents of the family are the bigger earners but, despite this, only 35% would expect a grandparent to contribute financially if they came on holiday with them, wanting to treat them instead.

If they were to contribute, 39% of those surveyed would ask them to cover just their share of the holiday, while 21% would ask that they pay for a meal or two on the trip.

Matt Callaghan, chief operating officer at easyJet Holidays said: “We’re proud to offer thousands of free kid’s places, but we feel it’s time to recognise the grandparents. This research shows how important grandparents and grandchild relationships are and how much can be learned from making time for them. We’ve launched our ‘Grans Go Free’ offer to tighten these important family relationships and allow travellers to get even better value.”

There are limited Grans Go Free spaces. To qualify, the grandparent must be travelling as part of a family booking with at least one child. You can book your free grandparents place by calling 0300 134 8000 until 1 February.