Easter get away from it all says American Express

More than two million Brits are likely to flee to foreign shores in the next two weeks in the full knowledge that holiday magic comes at the cost of travel stress.

According to research from American Express Platinum, two thirds of holidaymakers (66 per cent) say they expect to get stressed planning, organising or journeying before they even hit the beach or the pool.

But it is the travelling itself that causes the UK’s holidaymakers the most hassle, 40 per cent say their blood boils when queuing at airports and keeping their family occupied.

The research found that:

Almost three quarters of people (61 per cent) have suffered delayed flights
45% can’t stand the crowds and queues
31% have had possessions stolen or lost their luggage
One in four (29%) admit the tension leads to arguments with travelling companions

According to American Express Platinum, going on holiday is also getting more stressful because of work pressures. One in ten (11%) cited managing their work load when taking time off as a major cause of today’s holiday stress while 20 per cent of people said they regularly check their mobiles, emails and Blackberries for work messages when away from home.

Gail Hodges, of American Express, said: “Brits have been prepared to put up with travel stress because going on holiday is just so important to them, but we are seeing increasing numbers of travellers keen to take advantage of VIP lounges, bespoke travel services and flight upgrades.

“Our Platinum Charge Card offers all of these benefits as well as comprehensive travel insurance to deliver a more stress-free start to the holiday.”