UK travellers will go to any measures to get the most out of their holiday experience, whether that’s turning up to the airport late in the hope of being bumped up to Business Class, or getting up at the crack of dawn to secure the pool loungers with the most sun exposure.
However, we appear to have taken our bid for the perfect holiday one step further by lying about being engaged or on a honeymoon, in order to ensure our annual break is a truly decadent experience.
A new study by lastminute.com suggests that 11.5 million fake marriages a year are used by Brits in the hope of being upgraded at their resort of choice.
This figure is 42 per cent higher than the number of bona fide UK unions (27.1 million), showing that this is the check-in deception of choice for many holidaymakers.
“With so many bold Britons negotiating for an upgraded experience at the last minute, there’s a clear demand for luxury without the price tag,” said Mark Maddock, Managing Director at lastminute.com
These figures are in stark contrast to a recent poll by online travel agent sunshine.co.uk, which found that Brits were bashful rather than brazen when it came to holiday upgrades.
It was found that 77 per cent of holidaymakers can’t muster up the courage to ask for free upgrades before flights or at hotels.
Of those who don’t ask, 61 per cent of this group admitted it was down to fear, while 27 per cent believed it wouldn’t work.
Of the 23 per cent who were brave enough to ask for a hotel room upgrade, as many as 49 per cent were successful.
Eleven per cent of those who did ask for an upgrade admitted that they had resorted to complaining or lying to strengthen their case, while 24 per cent attempted to sweeten the deal by offering resort staff a cash incentive.
