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
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025
U.S.A. and Israel attacks on Iran impact air movements in the Gulf (Update 1.00pm CET)
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025