NEWS COPY
Brits could fly to New York in the same time they will spend on the road this Bank Holiday, new research has revealed.
Road traffic data analysis shows that many of us are simply swapping our computer screen for a windscreen in the quest to reach popular UK holiday hotspots.
According to research from Virgin Atlantic in collaboration with INRIX, a leading transportation analytics company, journeys of under 100 miles from London will take nearly seventy per cent longer to reach this weekend.
Beach getaways are not the only victim of travel disruption this bank holiday, with historical hotspots such as Edinburgh taking up to thirteen hours to reach by road from London, meaning culture vultures could be left soaking up nothing more than motorway scenery.
A weekend jaunt to the Lake District will take almost eight hours on Friday, and with Virgin Atlantic flights to New York starting from £312 pp and taking just 7 hours and 45 minutes, you could take a trip to the Big Apple in less time!
Reaching Glasgow will take more than nine hours and a trip to Loch Ness will require an eye-watering 12 hours and 28 minutes in the car.
Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Many of us are willing to spend countless hours travelling around the UK over the bank holiday, but very few think about the possible destinations we could reach in the same time.
“With Virgin Atlantic flights to New York taking as little at 7 hours and 45 minutes, and with a three course meal and hours of movies included you can relax on your journey as well as enjoying a holiday of a lifetime over your bank holiday.”
With flights to New York taking as little time as 7 hours and 45 minutes from London Heathrow and Manchester Virgin Atlantic are encouraging Brits to ditch the motorway for the runway this weekend and take-off on the holiday of their dreams.
Speaking about bank holiday travelling, Graham Cookson, Chief Economist & Head of Research, at INRIX said: “This bank holiday is set to be a very busy time for road travel.
“A large increase in the volume of vehicles on the road could mean that even simple journeys are likely to incur significant delays.
“Popular bank holiday destinations such as Brighton, could take almost double the time to travel to, leaving your time enjoying the beach significantly reduced.”
ESTIMATED BANK HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIMES
Blackpool, journey time: 6 hours and 41 minutes
• Save your loved ones from yet another year of crushed sticks of rock, and bring them back something from the glitzy streets of Manhattan
Glasgow, journey time: 9 hours and 16 minutes
• Not ready to trial the Scottish delicacy of haggis yet? Enjoy eighteen (!) types of New York bagels from Zucker’s Bagels instead.
Yorkshire Dales, journey time: 6 hours and 46 minutes
• Want to actually see some greenery as opposed to the dulcet grey of the motorway; why not take a stroll around Central Park instead?
Lake District, journey time: 7 hours and 59 minutes
• If it’s a view point you’re after, then swap eight hours on the road for eight hours in the sky for the unforgettable view from the Empire State Building
Loch Ness, journey time: 12 hours and 28 minutes
• Instead of hunting down the Loch Ness Monster, spend your time exploring New York’s five incredible boroughs to explore art in Brooklyn, discover global food in Queens, and the New York Yankees in the Bronx
ENDS
