NEWS partners at 11th annual event. Andrew McQuarrie reports from Chiclana de la Frontera, Spain


Price-matching tactic fuels growth at top Jet2 agency


T Delegates dress up for


the conference’s ‘Fright Night’ evening drinks


Alan Cross


Turkey and Cyprus sales “People aren’t booking to Cyprus and


Turkey and cancellations are up,” he said. “We’re speaking to hotels and trying to


get special offers for Cyprus and Turkey. “It might not make much difference


now, but as soon as the war is over, we’ll see a sharp spike in bookings.” He thanked agents for their support


and said Jet2holidays would continue helping them. Heapy said he was “gutted” to be


missing the annual VIP Travel Agent Conference, adding: “It’s my favourite occasion of the year.”


he franchise director of Jet2holidays’ top-performing independent agency revealed price-matching had played a key role in the shop’s success.


Greig Avinou of Barrhead Travel’s franchised Falkirk


store said matching the tour operator’s direct-sell prices had helped to drive wider revenue. “Some people disagree with discounting, but there’s a


big plus side to taking those bookings because people go on more than one holiday a year,” he said. “So if we get them in the door for a Jet2holidays trip


and we’re the best price for that, it allows us to pick up the cruises and more on the back of that.” Avinou said he had been using the tactic heavily in


recent years in a bid to maximise the agency’s potential. “For the past three years, my biggest challenge has


been, ‘How can I grow the business quickly?’ A lot of that is about getting people who are booking direct with Jet2holidays to book with ourselves [instead],” he added. “We get about 40% of our bookings with full


commission, while 60% of them are discounted, but we also benefit from people booking their second, third and fourth holidays because we’re the best price for Jet2holidays.” He argued that his approach to gaining new customers


could be more effective than investing in marketing. Avinou was speaking during a panel session entitled ‘Why Jet2?’, moderated by Jade Evers, Jet2holidays’


From left: Zoe Towers, Jet2holidays; Paul Johnstone, Now Lets Travel; Greig Avinou, Barrhead Travel; and Jade Evers, Jet2holidays


general manager of travel agent relationships. The panel also included Now Lets Travel owner Paul Johnstone and Jet2holidays head of product Zoe Towers. The operator revealed in December that Barrhead


Travel’s Falkirk agency was its best performer in the UK in 2025. Avinou, head of sales Kieran McVeigh and the agency’s 19-strong team were hailed for their “hard work and dedication”. At this year’s conference, the business was named national


retail travel agency of the year, top high street travel agency in Scotland and top high street travel agency for non-families.


Charity auction raises thousands in memory of agent’s wife


Idle Travel director Tony Mann praised Jet2holidays for hosting a fundraising auction for mental health charity Mind in memory of his late wife Andrea. The auction, in which


conference delegates placed bids for holidays, raised more than £5,000 for the Bradford District and Craven branch of Mind. Mann said he was “really


emotional” when Jet2holidays’ Alan Cross phoned to say the tour operator would raise money for a charity of his choice.


travelweekly.co.uk


Tony Mann (right) and Alan Cross


“What a class act that was,” he


said. “With Alan and his team, they’re not only about business – they get to know people as people.”


Mann added that Andrea had


been a director of Bradford-based Idle Travel, noting: “It was a family company.” He said it was important


that people keep speaking about mental health. “It’s about having that


conversation,” Mann added. “Everyone needs to be aware. It’s a difficult thing to deal with – there are no rights or wrongs.” The conference also generated


a total of £7,300 for Macmillan Cancer Support.


19 MARCH 2026 11


PICTURESS: Thomas Reader


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