Friday the 13th ‘leaves airlines with empty seats’
Air passengers could find there are more empty seats than usual on their flights today as supersticious passengers stay at home.
A flight comparison website suggested a drop in bookings as travellers try to avoid flying on what many consider to be the unluckiest day in the calendar.
Jetcost.co.uk told the Daily Mail flights enquiries for travel today were down 27% compared to the previous seven days. Last time the 13th fell on a Friday, in May 2011, bookings dropped 24% it said.
Illogical as it may sound to some, Friday the 13th is a recognised psychological condition known as paraskavedekatriaphobia (we kid you not).
Thankfully TravelMole can find no evidence of Friday the 13th being any less auspicious than any other day of the year, although Air Florida did suffer a fatal crash on January 13, 1982.
The ill-fated US space mission Apollo 13 was launched at 13:13 and the explosion that crippled its engines occurred on April 13.
Some airlines avoid the seat row 13, jumping from 11 to 14, but Virgin Atlantic its loads were "not particularly lower" today compared to yesterday and tomorrow, suggesting that its passengers are perhaps less supersticious than most.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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