Flight Centre’s average customer in 2023 + where/how they & others travelled most 

Leisure travel is booming across most markets, but there’s one demographic that’s out-travelling all others – at least among Flight Centre customers. 

In its Year in Review for 2023, Australia’s biggest travel agency group identified its average customer as a 54-year-old woman travelling by herself to Europe or Southeast Asia. Think Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Aniston travelling solo to Bali or London, FC says. 

To be precise, a quarter (25 per cent) of Flight Centre customers were solo women. 

The top 10 destinations for solo female travellers:

1. London 
2. Bali 
3. Auckland 
4. Athens 
5. Rome 
6. Singapore 
7. Paris 
8. Phuket 
9. Los Angeles 
10. Tokyo 

In total, 43 per cent of FC customers booked solo trips, 40 per cent of bookings were for couples, nine per cent were for families and eight per cent were group bookings.

Among couples, 56 per cent travelled internationally, with an average booking value of $7,240 and a median trip length of 13 days. 

The top 10 international destinations visited by couples:

1. UK 
2. Italy 
3. US 
4. Bali 
5. New Zealand 
6. France 
7. Singapore 
8. Greece 
9. Phuket 
10. Spain 

The top 10 domestic destinations visited by couples: 

1. Cairns 
2. Gold Coast 
3. Port Douglas 
4. Adelaide 
5. Melbourne 
6. Darwin 
7. Sydney 
8. Hobart 
9. Perth 
10. Hamilton Island 

Family bookings at Flight Centre grew in 2023, with 50 per cent booking flights (or flights plus accommodation), 46 per cent booking holiday packages (many of which included flights) and four per cent booking accommodation only.

The average length of a family holiday was 11 days, with 56 per cent of family customers travelling abroad.

The top 10 overseas family holiday destinations: 

1. Fiji 
2. Hawaii 
3. Bali 
4. Japan 
5. Vanuatu 
6. Maldives 
7. Phuket 
8. Norfolk Island 
9. London 
10. Queenstown 

The top 10 family holiday destinations within Australia: 

1. Cairns 
2. Gold Coast 
3. Port Douglas 
4. Melbourne 
5. Sydney 
6. Adelaide 
7. Perth 
8. Darwin 
9. Hobart 
10. Heron Island 

How we flew

In a dream world, we’d all be travelling business class. (Actually, we’d all be beaming across the planet a la Star Trek). 

Instead, we’re overwhelmingly travelling in economy. Not that economy class travel is that bad. Check out our recent review of United Airlines flights from Sydney to San Francisco to Miami – nearly 20 hours of economy flying done relatively comfortably.

Flight Centre customers chose these cabins in 2023:

International Flights 

• Economy 87% 
• Business Class 9% 
• Premium Economy 3% 
• First Class 1% 

Domestic Flights 

• Economy 98% 
• Business Class 2% 

Interestingly, only 0.4 per cent of FC travellers opted for multi-stop flights taking in several destinations, with the vast majority of consumers only flying to one destination before heading home again.

How we cruised 

Not all cruise journeys are created equal. That hasn’t stopped more travellers from booking cruise holidays than ever before (according to Cruise Lines International Association stats for 2023). Even Karryon is getting in on the action in Miami. And here are four cruising updates that advisors need to know.

Here’s where Flight Centre cruise customers are bunking down aboard ocean liners: 

• Balcony 48%  
• Interior 21% 
• Outside 11% 
• Suite/Penthouse 9% 
• Other 11% 

Aussies are also opting for closer cruise holidays, with our top departure points in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

The top 10 cruise ports among FC customers: 

1. Sydney 
2. Brisbane 
3. Melbourne 
4. Auckland 
5. Adelaide 
6. Honolulu 
7. Athens 
8. Amsterdam 
9. Southampton 
10. Perth 

Flight Centre’s average cruise customer was a little under 60 years of age. And in case you’re wondering, the biggest cruise booking made this year was a whopping $312,647. 

How we toured

Among FC customers, couples booked the most tours (44 per cent) followed by solo travellers (30 per cent) and small groups (21 per cent). The average age of the touring customer in 2023 was 50 and their average spend was a healthy $7,180.  

Regarding toured destinations, perennial favourite London took top spot, but there were a few surprises among the most popular places.

The top 10 touring spots among FC customers: 

1. London 
2. Bangkok 
3. Tokyo 
4. Hanoi 
5. Auckland 
6. Cairo 
7. Ho Chi Minh City 
8. La Paz, Bolivia 
9. Lima 
10. Quito, Ecuador 

Finally, a nod to the destinations with the biggest upticks in visitor numbers following a year of go-(almost)-wherever-you-like travel.

The top 5 biggest improvers among destinations (compared to 2022)

1. Bali up 27% 
2. Phuket up 24% 
3. Auckland up 23% 
4. Paris up 22% 
5. Singapore up 19%