In a poll of 2,000 people, British Airways found that nearly half (48 per cent) prefer to be greeted by their partner upon arriving home from holiday, followed by mums (18 per cent), best friend (seven per cent) and finally… dads (six per cent).
However, being a nation of pet lovers, it’s no surprise that two per cent of those surveyed would like to be greeted by their beloved dog or cat at the airport.
The research also highlighted the gap between mums and dads when it came to their children leaving the nest. Over a third (36 per cent) of mothers admitted that they didn’t stop worrying about their kids until they reached 31 years or older, while most fathers said much younger, at 12-16 years old.
Abigail Comber, head of marketing, said: “Airports can be emotional places, full of helloes and goodbyes. The comfort of seeing a loved one when you return back from your travels is something we all look forward to. This is why our new ‘To Fly. To Serve.’ advert shows a mothers warm embrace to her son – it resonates with all of us.”
A regional breakdown revealed that people in the West Midlands wanted their mums to meet them at the airport more than any other region (21 per cent), while the Welsh were the most likely to chose their dads (eight per cent).
The latest ‘To Fly. To Serve.’ TV advert follows a customer journey, showing close up shots of the intimate details of flying, panning to wide shots of the aircraft in motion. It draws contrasts between them both, showing the care and thought that goes into every part of their journey. It concludes with a mother welcoming her son home from his travels.