Nearly Half Of Americans Think Cheap Flights Are Better Than Sex

A new study has revealed the value of purchasing cheap flights over other potential vices to buyers looking to score a deal. According to the survey, a significant percentage of Americans — nearly half — value discounted airfare more than they do sex.

A Priceline survey reported Wednesday by Travel and Leisure surveyed men and women between the ages of 18 and 69 regarding their feelings about cheap flights. Forty-four percent of respondents who booked a flight in the last year said that “the feeling that they get when they save money on a flight is better than sex.”

Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported feeling happy overall about saving money on airfare, and a quarter of those polled reported feeling accomplished after purchasing discounted flights.

Travel and Leisure reported that 69 percent of respondents said booking a cheap flight was better than binge watching, and 59 percent reported that it was better than a first date. Another 70 percent of those surveyed for the poll said that they favored purchasing a cheap flight over drinking beer or wine.

According to separate data from Priceline included in a Wednesday press release, 70 percent of Americans consider themselves “masters” of finding flight deals. Ninety percent reported feeling that they’d gotten the best possible deal on airfare while booking in the last year. But the booking company said that in spite of confidence of buyers in their own ability to track down cheap flights, shoppers may be “leaving money on the table.”

Priceline listed several ways that potential flyers can ensure they’re getting the best possible deal on flights. The booking site pointed to Cheap Flight Day — which falls on Aug. 23 but is more of a window of time than a single day — as one of the best ways that travelers can save.

As International Business Times previously reported, Cheap Flight Day is the time around which most airlines begin to lower their fares after coming off of a peak travel period in the summer and continues through November. Airlines are known to drop their fare premiums significantly during the period of time.

Online travel company CheapOair this week released projected savings on flights to premiere destinations. Purchasing airfare during the timeframe could lead to hundreds of dollars saved on international flights and $20-50 in savings on domestic travel. International destinations listed by CheapOair for which buyers could look to save on travel were Paris, Rome, Bangkok, Madrid and Barcelona.

In addition to taking advantage of seasonal discounts, Priceline also advised buyers to pay attention to the days of the week they’re booking.

“Americans believe Tuesday is the cheapest day of the week to book a flight according to the survey and the most popular day for priceline.com bookings,” the company said. “However, the cheapest day of the week to book holiday travel according to priceline.com data is actually Friday followed closely by Thursday!”