If you work in a team, you probably have a ‘frolleague’ – a portmanteau of friend and colleague. Work wife or husband, if you will. And according to Flight Centre Travel Group, extending your business travel or holidaying with frolleagues is taking off.
Flight Centre Travel Group has seen a rise in ‘frollidays’ or frolleague travel across its leisure and corporate businesses during this year’s European summer season.
Frollidays are particularly taking off among Gen Z workers, where work besties and friendships are some of the most significant relationships before partners and kids take over.
As the opportunity for work travel increases, FCTG is seeing more bleisure trips as young corporates embrace frollidays with their peers as data shows 74 per cent of Gen Zers would combine business with leisure travel.
Flight Centre Managing Director Andrew Stark said frollidays show Gen Z travellers consistently redefine what holidays look like.
“This younger generation is more adventurous and open to different types of holidays, and with work-life balance more blended these days, it makes sense that colleagues turn to friends and trusted travel buddies,” he said.
“Our research told us that Gen Z – more than any other generation – is likely to use travel to build deeper relationships, and with this generation also leading the bleisure trend, it’s no surprise to see colleagues holidaying together.”
Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley has also witnessed the nascent rise of bleisure travel among young corporates.
“For this new cohort, colleagues are teaming up to make the most of a destination together,” he said.
“As we see a lot of workplaces making a return to the office, staff members are better connected, team culture is strong and the opportunity to form friendships from colleague relationships is only growing.
“We know a lot of businesses encourage taking the opportunity for that level of work-life balance and flexibility, as it has an overall benefit to productivity and staff loyalty, so it truly is a win-win,” he said.
From colleagues to frolleagues
Brisbane-based communications professionals Natalie Farmer (27), Eliza Woods (25) and Georgia Trainor (24) formed a strong friendship at their first job out of university and have booked a European trip through Flight Centre this summer.
Farmer said: “The three of us started at the same workplace at around the same time back in 2022. We were all in similar life stages, having recently graduated or about to graduate, all in relationships, all navigating the challenges and excitement of launching our professional careers.”
“We were spending five days a week together and became close very quickly, and before we knew it, we were planning weekend trips to the Gold Coast and now, a trip to Europe.
“Our shared experiences – including working together – have played a big role in building our connection and understanding of one another and we feel perhaps even more confident travelling together than some of our friends we haven’t met through work.
“Having something to look forward to – like a holiday – is extremely important to us as we navigate the workforce as young professionals,” she said.
