NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
WHAT DO AGENTS THINK?
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“Within an hour of easyJet Holidays launching, a travel consultant reported she had made her first booking and it was very easy to make.” Cherie Richards, chief business development officer, Not Just Travel
market, agents hope Jet2holidays will reduce its price differential so agents do not have to discount as much to price-match. Cookson said: “There has been
much criticism about Jet2’s prices for 2021, when we are trying to get customers rebooked for their cancelled 2020 holidays. They have promised us there will be a smaller differential between trade and web prices.” Bailey agreed, saying: “I’d like to
see Jet2 react.”
Product range EasyJet Holidays’ focus is on city and beach breaks. Its planned expansion into ski, and to sell through other European source markets, are on hold as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Wilson said: “We need to make
sure we optimise ex-UK and beach and city product; we are a new product and will still grow.” EasyJet Holidays has an Atol
licence for 736,000 passengers, in addition to the airline’s own licence for 794,000. The figures compare with Tui’s licence for 5.55 million and Jet2holidays’ for 4.8 million. Wilson said easyJet Holidays
travelweekly.co.uk This fills a gap in the
market, particularly in areas like Bristol, where Cook used to operate from and Jet2 doesn’t
would review expansion for 2021 and move into new source markets in 2022. He predicted hotels in future
would be less likely to work with one operator on an exclusive basis – something Tui and formerly Cook used to their advantage – because of the risk it entailed. In reference to Cook, he said:
“Many hoteliers who were left high and dry [after Cook’s failure] and then found new contracts, will have been hit a second time [by the Covid pandemic]. The old model of hotels giving their whole hotel stock to one partner to distribute will become a thing of the past very quickly. “They will try to have as wide a distribution as they can.”
Current trading All easyJet Holidays’ destinations are on sale from September 1 but this will be reviewed on a “daily and weekly basis”. The operator has dropped some
hotels which did not meet its Covid- secure guidelines and is lobbying the government to introduce travel advice for regions rather than countries. Wilson said: “It’s all about the
Canaries this winter and it really depends on what the government does on [travel] advice. There needs to be more-nuanced advice to make the most of what is left this year.” Wilson said autumn and
winter were currently “the big unknown”, with blanket travel bans on destinations only serving to “heighten the uncertainty”. He said: “We can flex our capacity
up and down accordingly. “We will not force unprofitable capacity into the market. But the
winter may be difficult.” i Get Social, page 27
“There is a case for easyJet Holidays from the airports less well-served by anyone else, be it Tui or Jet2holidays. Luton for example, would work for our Leighton Buzzard office. If, like Jet2, there’s a good support mechanism and efficient resolution of issues, then I’d be happy to sell them.” Chris Bailey, Bailey’s Travel
“The options of a city-break supplier is a welcome addition to sit alongside the beach packages, and gives us a wide range to sell.” Paul Knapper, manager, Spires Travel, Worcestershire
“EasyJet Holidays will provide us with incremental business and there is definitely demand for this winter and next summer, so this is good news.” Rad Sofronijevic, chief operating officer, travel, The Midcounties Co-operative
“It gives our customers more choice – Jet2holidays has had its own way for long enough. EasyJet Holidays is a welcome addition to the market for sure.” Peter Cookson, group managing director, Spear Travels
27 AUGUST 2020
11
s boost for trade
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