easyJet and easyJet holidays has announced a highly successful Big Orange Sale as the bookings reached record levels, with two planes being filled every minute and the busiest-ever sales day recorded for package holidays on Sunshine Saturday.
Since the inception of the sale in December, destinations such as Amsterdam, Paris, Alicante, and Malaga emerged as the most sought-after. Notably, Greek island Skiathos, Calabria in Italy, and Rovaniemi in Lapland experienced remarkable surges in popularity compared to the previous year. Central European locales like Zadar in Croatia and Tivat in Montenegro also witnessed increased interest for 2024, while spontaneous January bookings for winter sun getaways, particularly to Tenerife, took the lead.
The allure of all-inclusive breaks captivated over 70 percent of holidaymakers, with preferences leaning towards 4 or 5-star accommodations. Majorca emerged as the top choice for beach packages, while Amsterdam took the lead for city breaks.
Ski enthusiasts found their haven in Geneva, Lyon, and Innsbruck, with easyJet’s focus on expanding ski routes evident through a 20% increase in the ski flying program this year, courtesy of three additional aircraft in Switzerland.
The popularity of Palma de Mallorca in the Balearic Islands soared as the most-booked peak summer destination since the sale’s commencement. Copenhagen experienced a surge in popularity, offering quick access to the Swedish city of Malmo, the host of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
For package holidays, easyJet’s tour operator arm witnessed heightened bookings for May, June, and July, with Spain dominating over a quarter of all summer 2024 beach sales. Families constituted over a third of beach bookings, and over 60 of beach bookers opted for the all-inclusive board basis.
easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren commented: ‘With flights and holidays bookings taking off during this traditionally busy booking period as well as strong booking momentum for summer 2024, we continue to see that the value and importance of holidays for our customers. The popularity of easyJet holidays also continues to grow, with 48% more customers in our first quarter of the year and an expected increase of more than 35% this financial year, all of which is a which is testament to the strength of demand for our brand and network and we remain focused on delivering for our customers.’
The success of the Big Orange Sale aligns with recent research indicating a growing eagerness among Brits to travel abroad in 2024, with a considerable majority prioritising holiday spend in their yearly budgets.
