A third of workers would sacrifice some of their pay for more holidays in a bid to improve their work-life balance, a new study has found.

The survey of 1,000 adults by the hyphen recruitment organisation showed that younger employees are more likely to swap pay for time off, with 40% of those aged 16-24 in favour of this move.

Human resources and finance departments are also said to be keen on the idea, according to the study.

Hyphen’s managing director, Zain Wadee, said: “Our research demonstrates a radical change in the way that compensation and benefits packages are viewed by workers today.

“Even in today’s challenging economic environment, with the cost of living growing faster than salaries are increasing, workers are looking for more holiday time, and greater work-life balance. It is important to note that Generation Y and the Net Generation are particularly vocal about their desire for additional leave allocation.

“This may be indicative of a future shift in workplace culture, with workers beginning to demand and value greater work-life balance than ever before. Employers must think strategically about the kind of benefits packages they should offer to younger staff members in order to attract and retain the best possible talent. Offering a flexible menu of benefits may be one solution.”

Hyphen said that longer working hours and rising levels of stress are leading to more workers being prepared to sacrifice pay for time off. Low-cost air fares and easier transfers to airports such as Heathrow and Stansted could also be helping to fuel greater demand for holidays.

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The international departures section of Stansted Airport is offering a new type of cuisine for travellers to enjoy.

Yo! Sushi, a UK-based company formed in 1997 which has outlets throughout the country, has opened a restaurant at the air travel hub promising to offer a conveyor belt of dishes inspired by the varying tastes of Japan.

The airport’s chief of retail, Zoe Farmer, said: “Research collected from passengers travelling through Stansted has shown that brands like Yo! Sushi are exactly what passengers want to see at our airport, and we are pleased to be able to respond to our customer needs.

“This exciting new addition to Stansted’s retail offer complements perfectly our existing mix of good quality outlets.

“I’d like to wish Yo! Sushi every success with their new site.”

Robin Rowland, the food firm’s chief executive, said: “Continuing on our mission to provide fun, fast and fresh Japanese food served from a cutting-edge restaurant design, we hope to follow in the footsteps of our other airport sites in Edinburgh and Heathrow Terminal 3, building on the excellent reputation already generated within this sector.

“The ultra-competitive market for quality airport dining outlets is fiercer than ever before, a factor we both relish and respect as we prepare to cater to the palates of the travelling public passing through London Stansted.”

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Nearly half a million people will be flying out of Gatwick, Stansted and Luton this weekend, a survey has revealed.

The poll carried out by travel organisation Abta found some 1.8 million people overall expect to fly out of the UK over the bank holiday, with Spain and its islands being the top destination.

Around a quarter of a million people are expected to be flying from Gatwick, with 125,000 leaving Stansted and 70,000 jetting out of Luton.

Other popular destinations with sun-seeking Britons are Portugal, Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt along with the Greek islands.

Meanwhile, the main city break spots are New York, Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam and Rome.

It comes as road safety charity Brake and insurers Direct Line warned drivers of bank holiday traffic after a poll found some 71% of motorists had been distracted while at the wheel in the last 12 months, with inconsiderate road users being one of the main reasons for their lack of concentration.

Brake senior campaigns officer Ellen Booth said: “All too often these casualties result from careless errors that could easily be avoided if drivers gave their full attention to the road. If you are so upset or angry that you can’t give driving your full attention, you need to pull over and cool off.”

With the roads expected to be busier than normal, drivers have been warned to take care getting to the airports and may want to consider getting an airport transfer for a safe and stress-free start to their bank holiday break.

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The number of people passing through airports across Ireland has shot up, thanks to 15% more tourists recently.

But any increase has to be considered in the context of last year’s ash cloud disruption, which grounded Europe’s airports to a halt.

For Ireland, the news was especially good, with an extra 240,000 trips made to the country between April and June, compared with the same quarter last year. The 15% increase brought the total tourist numbers for the quarter to 1.8 million.

Official statistics indicate that nearly three million people used Ireland’s airports and sea ports in the first half of 2011. Last year the figure was 2.6 million for the first six months.

Of the totals for this year so far, an overall 1.3 million came over from the UK’s major airports such as Stansted and Heathrow, up nearly 100,000.And almost half a million visited from the US.

Ireland’s tourism minister Leo Varadkar said: “While the figures are a positive indication, we cannot afford to be complacent.

“With continuing economic uncertainty in most of our key overseas markets, the tourism agencies and the industry will continue to work together to restore sustainable growth to this vital sector.

“The Government is playing its part through measures such as the VAT cut, reduced employers’ PRSI (insurance) and the visa waiver scheme to support competitiveness as well as key investments to upgrade our tourism products and attractions.”

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New research has found a link between a person’s profession and the hoiliday destination they are most likely to choose.

Bankers have a tendency to go to New York for their holidays while lawyers are more likely to travel to France, according to a poll of 3,000 adults by airline Virgin Atlantic.

Estate agents could take advantage of cheap flights from Stansted to Alicante as their profession is particularly keen on trips to Spain.

Doctors and airline cabin crew appear to enjoy holidaying in the Caribbean, while farmers often switch domestic animals for wild ones on a Kenyan safari, the research shows.

Director of corporate communications for Virgin Atlantic, Greg Dawson, said: “Our jobs can often dictate where we holiday as budgets, interests and level of relaxation required are all influenced by what we do for a living. 

“However, what we do have in common, no matter the chosen profession, is that Brits are adventurous travellers, with 80% choosing a new destination each time they holiday.”

But just because you’re thousands of miles away on holiday, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve completely escaped the clutches of work. Another report suggests that a quarter of bosses think it’s acceptable to call workers while they’re on annual leave.

The report, also by Virgin Atlantic, found that a majority of bosses would be happy to disturb an employee’s holiday if they were still within the EU.

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Research has suggested that travelling to a foreign country with children is stressful for many parents.

The poll for Gatwick Airport found that 21% of parents who travel to foreign climes with their youngsters in tow end up considering a holiday closer to home.

Queues and delays were the biggest causes of stress for 65% of the 1,000 parents questioned for the poll.

But finding something for their children to do during the journey was also problematic for many parents – alongside getting their offspring some food.

Many families get their holiday under way via a bus from London to the surrounding airports such as Luton and Stansted after arranging airport transfers.

Becky Wiggins, author of parenting blog English Mum, said: “Family holidays are supposed to give parents a chance to spend fun and quality time with their children, but as this survey shows worries can often get in the way.

“Stresses are only made worse by the fear of disturbing other travellers so parents are best advised to take extra precautions before setting out on their trip.”

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport said: “The findings of our research show that the stress of the journey is often sky high for parents, but most admit a little extra help and consideration would go a long way to making the experience more enjoyable.”

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A la carte dining and spa services are just two of a wide range of luxury amenities that can be enjoyed by air passengers at Heathrow Airport’s new passenger lounge.

The new facility, which is in Terminal 3 at the London airport, also has a games room and internet access. There is even a special section where customers can go to have a sleep.

The brains behind the new passenger lounge is London-based hospitality specialists No 1 Traveller, which also runs lounges for Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport. The company’s chief executive told Skyport Heathrow that the lounge has been designed to “suit the needs of all of Terminal 3’s departing passengers”.

He said: “We’ve created many layers of relaxation, from the bustle of our bar through to the tranquillity of our snug and spa. With a new world-class lounge, designer bedrooms, shower facilities and invigorating spa treatments, the passenger’s time at the airport can now be another highlight of their journey.”

No 1 Traveller recently tested out the luxury facility at a special promotional day where airport staff were invited to try out the spa treatments and eat complementary food.

Children are also catered for in the lounge with “fun areas” that are surrounded by soundproof glass walls so other travellers will not be disturbed by the noise.

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Passengers travelling on Virgin Atlantic flights, including those setting off from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, will now see warning signs alerting passengers to whether an on-flight film will be a tearjerker or not.

Water For Elephants, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson, and Just Go With It, starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, will be the first feature-length films to carry the warning on upcoming flights.

Virgin Atlantic bosses took the decision to include the warning notices on emotive films after a survey carried out on behalf of the airline revealed that 55% of passengers thought their emotions became heightened while flying.

Of the men polled, 41% said they hid under blankets in an attempt to hide their tears from other passengers, while women were most likely to pretend they had something in their eye if a film had tugged on their heartstrings.

The survey also revealed that people from Wolverhampton were the most emotionally sensitive in Britain, while those from Gloucester were least likely to cry because of a film’s storyline. 

Passengers who took part in the survey listed Toy Story 3, The Blind Side and Eat Pray Love as being the most emotive tearjerkers.

Meanwhile, easyJet’s Louis Mondeville Cotes de Gascogne has been voted the best airline white wine by flight comparison site Skyscanner.

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Banks and retailers are making around £97 million pounds a year on avoidable charges from UK holidaymakers abroad.

Anyone who withdraws their cash from an ATM or who uses plastic to pay for goods while abroad are charged a fee each time, add this to the normal cost of essentials such as airport transfers and the list of expenses grows ever-longer.

As much as £20 could be applied in charges to each person, according to foreign exchange specialists Caxton FX.

The company’s holiday planner report discovered that around 13 million people from the UK are still being stung for the charges.

In the past year 36.2 million people left the UK for a holiday, which translates into total charges of approximately £97 million, Caxton pointed out.

Someone on the typical two-week holiday making five cash withdrawals of £249 and spending £234 on a credit or debit card for just five transactions would be charged an extra £26.82 for the privilege.

Using people in York as an example, Caxton said 67.7% of them would take money out of a cash machine on fewer than five occasions if they were holidaying for two weeks, 14.7% would make a withdrawal five to10 times, 11.8% would do it 10 to 20 times and 2.9% would do it 20 to 30 times.

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Holidaymakers should prepare themselves for additional costs when they go on an all-inclusive break, research has suggested. 

Up to 80% of package holiday tourists admitted they ended up paying up extra cash for items they thought were included in the price of their booking.

Many travellers said they expected free soft drinks, internet access and mini bars as part of their all-inclusive packages.

In fact, some travellers had to pay extra for these items, making it even more important for them to save money on other costs such as airport transfers. 

According to the Post Office Travel Money survey, 94% of respondents thought all their hotel meals would be included as part of their holiday deal.

But 65% of the 54 establishments questioned as part of the survey said they restricted the use of a-la-carte restaurants or charged holidaymakers extra to use them. 

A fifth of holidaymakers said they had paid extra for meals in their hotel restaurant. 

At an average cost of £21 per person, the findings suggest that UK tourists spend in total an additional £20.8 million on food. 

Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that almost half of holidaymakers put themselves at risk of further expense by using their credit or debit card abroad instead of taking foreign currency. 

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