by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:00 AM ET, Fri August 28, 2026
A new study found that a large majority of parents in the United
States are willing to pull their children out of school for family vacations,
according to data from travel booking platform Omio.
The study found that 67% of parents of school-age children
have already done so, while another 24% said they would consider it.
The survey of around 1,000 American parents with children
ages 5 to 18 suggests that the traditional school calendar is becoming less
influential in determining when families travel.
Respondents cited better flight and hotel availability,
lower costs, and avoiding extreme weather among the leading reasons for
traveling outside scheduled school breaks.
“This data confirms what we are seeing across our platform:
family travel isn't bound by the school year anymore. Parents are booking when
it makes sense – for their budget, their schedule, their sanity,” said Facundo
Viguie Aleman, CMO of Omio.
The study found that 92% of parents said they would consider
taking their children out of school if doing so could save their family money.
For 44% of respondents, savings of less than $1,000 would be enough to make an
off-calendar trip worth considering.
Another 52% identified winter and spring as periods when
they have traveled or would consider traveling outside traditional vacation
periods, while 47% cited fall.
Many parents don’t view missed classroom time as a major
drawback: 44% said missing several days of school is worthwhile when a trip
creates meaningful family experiences. In comparison, 28% said travel can be as
educational as time spent in the classroom.
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