We are a nation of fibbers when it comes to buying tickets for our children, with over a third (38%) of parents admitting they have tried to beat the system in order to get discounted fares.
British parents have today admitted they have gone to extreme lengths to get cheaper fares, with almost one in five (18%) admitting to having either hidden their child from a ticket inspector, told their child to look and sound younger or asked their child to pretend to be asleep.
One in 10 parents have gone as far as to get their children to rehearse lines to claim they are younger than they are, before heading to the ticket office.
To ‘celebrate’ the lengths parents go to, Heathrow Express, who conducted the research, have partnered with iconic Scottish comedy duo, The Krankies, in a new video which sees Wee Jimmy Krankie go undercover to blag a free ticket on the Heathrow Express.
Ian Tough, star of The Krankies, said; “We’ve loved bringing back Janette’s character to see if the Oldest Kid in Town can even try to pull off what so many parents continue to do across the country. Thanks to Heathrow Express and their free tickets for children 15 and under, we were able to just about pull it off.”
The research also reveals that parents are likely to twist the truth on average four times in a lifetime to get discounted tickets, with dads more likely to encourage their child to look younger to get cheaper tickets than Mums. Out of those parents that have never claimed their child was younger, 38% have been tempted to do so, whilst more than a quarter of the nation (26%) think it’s totally acceptable to bend the truth to get cheaper fares.
Fraser Brown, Director at Heathrow Express said; “It’s been a lot of fun working with the Krankies to see if they can still pull off the legendary Wee Jimmy Krankie character! For those travelling on the Heathrow Express with children, there is no need to tell any fibs because all children aged 15 and under get free tickets. You can also get your tickets for a cheaper fare too if you book in advance – head to the website today to book.”
Parents can book their Heathrow Express tickets in advance today at www.heathrowexpress.com where single tickets start at £5.50, with children aged 15 years and under going free.
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