Women go Barking Mad for their Pets on Holiday, Reveals Skyscanner

EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Far from being a 'man's' best friend, it is women who go barking mad for their dogs on holiday. Female dog owners miss their pets more than their partners, friends or family when they are away, reveals global travel search site Skyscanner.

Skyscanner surveyed over 1000 dog owners and found that, while men would miss their partner the most if they were on holiday without them, with 37% putting them top, women don't return the favour. Only 21% of women polled said they'd miss their partner most with 37% putting their favourite pooch first.

And the canine craze doesn't end there. Dog owners go to great lengths to keep in touch with their pet while on holiday. As many as 40% have called or texted from holiday to check that Fido is OK, while 14% have admitted to 'chatting' to their dog by phone so that it can hear their voice, while 5% have taken it further and had a holiday Skype 'conversation' with their dog. For those favouring a more traditional touch, 6% have put pen to paper to write their dog a postcard.

The survey also reveals many travellers feel ruff when it comes to jetting off abroad without their four legged friend, with 22% of holidaymakers taking a photo of their pooch on holiday.  A shocking 3% of dog owners admit to having cut their hard earned holiday short and returned home early as they missed their dog too much.

With owners not wanting to be separated from their beloved pets, it's perhaps not surprising that over half of holidaymakers have planned breaks with their pets in mind to ensure they aren't left at home. One in five dedicated dog owners have never been away without them and 20% claim the company of any pet would make for the pawfect companion on holiday, more so than their own children and even their friends.

Skyscanner's Victoria Bailie comments, "Many dog owners see their pet as part of the family, so it's understandable that they miss them when they go away on holiday. The survey does show that there's paws for thought as to whether a dog really is man's best friend, particularly if they know that their partners are missing their dogs more than them when away."

    Dog owners stay in touch with their pets on
    holiday

    Called or text to see how it is
    getting on                              40%
    Spoken with their pet on the phone      14%
    Sent their pet a postcard               6%
    Added their pet's name onto the
    postcard                                5%
    Skype                                   5%
    Video link                              2%

For those wanting to take their favoured holiday companion with them, Skyscanner has compiled a guide to airline pet fee policies and fees. For more information please see http://www.skyscanner.net/news/airline-pet-fees

Skyscanner surveyed over 1000 dog owners through its website and via OnePoll.

About Skyscanner

• Skyscanner is a leading global travel search site providing instant online comparisons for millions of flights plus hotels and car hire.
• Founded in 2003 by three IT professionals, Gareth Williams, Barry Smith and Bonamy Grimes, Skyscanner is the no.1 travel search website in Europe and no.3 worldwide, receiving over 50 million visits per month.
• Skyscanner's travel search site is available in 40 countries and in 30 languages.
• Skyscanner's highly-rated free mobile apps are available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Windows 8 devices and have been downloaded over 20 million times.
• The company employs over 200 staff and has its global headquarters in Edinburgh, with a second Scottish office in Glasgow. Skyscanner also has offices in Singapore and Beijing.

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