MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Nov. 14, 2011) -
Editors note: There is a photo associated with this press release.
It's time to escape the digital treadmill of life and jump out of the daily routine! Most Canadians report that a family vacation is no longer just a "nice to have" but it is quickly becoming an essential to nourishing family relationships and keeping it together.
A recent Transat Holidays Family Vacation Survey**, conducted by Vision Critical, reveals that 85% of Canadians say it is essential or very important to unplug and escape from the daily grind to spend quality time on a family vacation — belly laughs included! More than half of Canadians (54%) say that sharing laughs with the ones you love was one of the top benefits of taking a family vacation!
"All In The Family" – The 2011 Family Vacation
The experts at Transat Holidays, the leader in Canada's holiday travel industry, are seeing a growing trend in Canadian families recognizing the importance of quality family vacation time. Results also indicate that the face of family in Canada continues to change with the definition of "family vacation" extending far beyond the spouse and kids!
- 80% confirm they take a family vacation once or more a year
- 45% would spend a family vacation with their in-laws!
- 57% would spend a family vacation with their parents!
"Family vacations provide an opportunity to connect with our children and are an important time for everyone in the family to not only relax and rejuvenate, but to share in experiences and create lifelong memories," says Denise Heffron, Vice President National Sales and Commercial, Transat Holidays. "More and more families tell us that the excitement about their family vacation begins way before take off."
Take Flight with a Stress Free, Fun-filled Family Vacation
Top three things that can stress out Canadians when taking a family vacation:
- Keeping children happy and occupied during the flight (42%)
- Long line-ups at airline check-in (40%)
- Seat selection/comfort (34%)
To alleviate stress, Transat Holidays welcomes families with young children at a separate check-in counter and offers priority boarding and meal services; fun onboard surprises and complimentary transportation of baby equipment. And there's a little relief for parents when they return to Canada — a stroller is waiting right outside the doors of the aircraft so parents can stroll their children all the way to the baggage carousel.
From amenities such as Seat Selection, Club Class and the award-winning Air Transat Kids Club to exclusive offerings and a quality in-flight experience, Transat Holidays offers the attention to details that makes a family vacation more enjoyable and memorable. Its commitment is to make an affordable vacation as hassle-free as possible!
Planning a Happy and Affordable Family Vacation!
The experts at Transat Holidays are seeing a growing trend in families choosing destinations that make kids an equal priority to full-rate adult guests.
- 38% of Canadians say it is essential or very important to have access to kids programs when travelling with family
Transat Holidays recognizes that today's families come in all shapes and sizes and offers an outstanding line of full service, family- and teen-friendly, all-inclusive resorts with most of them offering a wide variety of amenities including supervised activities at Kids Camps; teen excursions; and babysitting services so parents can treat themselves to a romantic dinner. The company also offers resorts that accommodate up to three children sharing a room with their parents, while others offer special rates for children's rooms!
- 84% of single families say they are limited when it comes to family vacation options
Transat Holidays recognizes that single parents also need to get-away and spend quality time with their children! The company offers affordable, family-friendly, all-inclusive resorts where single parent families benefit from single parent special rates and children can stay and eat for free!
"From single parent special rates to supervised Kids Camps and Water Parks, Transat Holidays offers the perfect family vacation at a great value – stress free," says Denise Heffron.
The all-inclusive family resort selection features the company's leading hotel partners in the Dominican Republic, Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Cuba and Mexico.
Transat Family Vacation Travel Tips
To help Canadians plan the best vacation possible and make the most of their family's precious time together, the travel experts at Transat Holidays offers the following Family Vacation Travel Tips. So pack your bags and treat your family to a well-deserved vacation!
Tip #1 – Choose the right Family-Friendly Resort
The Transat Holidays all-inclusive Family Resorts include numerous activities and recreation options for kids and adults and a diverse selection to meet all budgets and preferences. The resorts offer a safe environment for the entire family, alleviating some of the anxiety parents may feel about travelling with their kids. Select a resort with a wide variety of activities that will appeal to different family members. Be sure it offers at least one activity a day you know the whole family can enjoy together.
Tip #2 – Join Air Transat Kids Club
The Air Transat Kids Club makes travelling with children even more enjoyable. For kids ages 2 to 11, even the littlest members of this big club enjoy free benefits and privileges including a welcome kit filled with great stuff including headphones, games, and a Travel Log Book; check-in at a specially-identified pre-boarding counter for a shorter waiting time; priority boarding at the gate, so you can settle comfortably into your seat and avoid lining up; priority baggage retrieval; free round trip Advance Seat Selection; and automatic entry into 2 annual draws for 1 trip for 4 to Walt Disney World Resort Florida and 1 trip for 4 to Paris, France! New this year – members travelling on their birthdays will receive a surprise gift from the crew!
Tip #3 – Meal Planning Made Easy
Children are given priority meal service. Respecting even the smallest passenger, parents are permitted to bring infant formula, breast milk, or juice in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint for the under-two crowd. Parents can also pack gel or liquid-filled teethers and canned, jarred, or processed baby food in their carry-on baggage.
Tip #4 – Pre-Select Your Seats
With the Transat Holidays seat selection service, you can pre-select your seats before departure. A window seat has two advantages: children can sleep leaning against the cabin wall, or enjoy the view outside. An aisle seat is perfect for parents to have easy access to the overhead storage compartment. If your child is an Air Transat Kids Club member, seat selection on both the outbound and return flights is free of charge.
About Transat Holidays
Transat Holidays provides its customers with the full range of holiday products. During the winter season, Transat Holidays focuses on sun vacations, offering a choice of more than 175 hotels, mainly in the Caribbean and Mexico; in summer, it offers an impressive array of flights, packages and tours to some 30 European destinations. Transat Holidays also offers a year-round selection of more than 150 cruises. For more information, please visit www.transatholidays.com.
Transat Holidays' Family Fiesta Event
Transat Holidays is pleased to announce the launch of its Family Fiesta Event promotion, where one child travelling with two adults flies, stays and eats free.
The offer applies to 7-night vacation packages in a wide range of resorts in Sun destinations, with departures from Montreal, Quebec City, Bagotville, Toronto, Hamilton, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna, Abbotsford, Vancouver, Victoria and Comox.
Sun Destinations (except Florida)
The offer is applicable to all new bookings made between November 3 and 18, 2011 for travel between January 6 and February 5, 2012 to destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Florida
The Florida promotion differs slightly; it enables one child travelling with one adult to fly and stay free. This limited time offer is applicable to all new vacation package bookings in Florida from October 27, 2011 for travel between October 27, 2011 and April 30, 2012. The offer is not available for travel from December 18, 2011 to January 1, 2012, and February 23 to March 11, 2012, and the number of free seats is limited.
** From October 7, 2011 – October 10, 2011, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among randomly selected Canadian adults. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Canada.
To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20111110-phototrana.jpg.
Contact Information:
www.transatholidays.com
Information: Ive Balins or Adriana Lurz
Strategic Objectives
(416) 366-7735
ibalins@strategicobjectives.com
