An analysts’ presentation was told the operator was already more than 40% sold for the year to next September, with average spend up 10%

EasyJet holidays plans to achieve a £100 million pre-tax profit but has given no timescale for this.

However, Garry Wilson, easyJet holidays chief executive, said: “We will absolutely speed that up as quickly as we can. We have significantly lower prices and make more margin. Having over one million customers has given us the opportunity in the first year of business to prove our case to hoteliers.”

He said the pandemic had seen customers look for trusted brands.

“Customers are looking for reassurance that Atol will give them. When they think of us in the context of the debacle with refunds, when two major competitors left Abta, we have an opportunity to take market share.”

Directly contracted hotels now make up 63% of bookings. Wilson said it had direct contracts with less than 10% of its hotels and wanted to secure more.

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren added: “What we found during the pandemic was the most in-demand hotels where we previously did not have exclusivity became available because others were struggling, so we have accelerated the journey.” 

The operator now takes more than 50% of bookings via mobile. “That’s extraordinary, nobody else will even be close to that,” he said.