Speaking to TTG, chief executive Steve Heapy paid tribute to agents for their role in this transition, with the trade attracting customers who have perhaps become accustomed to booking with OTAs over the past 20 years, or those who got into difficulties during the pandemic after self-packaging.
Heapy comments came after Jet2.com and Jet2holidays on Tuesday (16 May) unveiled Liverpool’s John Lennon airport as its 11th base. Jet2 will base four aircraft in Liverpool next summer (2024), with flights to 20 destinations due to start from 28 March 2024.
A major trade engagement effort is under way, with Heapy confirming dedicated resource would be laid on to launch Liverpool to agents, as it did launching Bristol in 2021 and Birmingham and Stansted in 2017.
After last year pledging to double Jet2 in size over the next five to six years, Heapy said the airline and operator stood ready to continue its partnership approach with agents "to grow and create a sustainable, growing and profitable business for us all".
"We’re doing more destinations, we’ve just launched another base from the UK, and we’re launching more and more different products and experiences," Heapy told TTG. "We’re winning market share from customers who were disillusioned with their previous tour operator or airline, or were self-packaged.
"Customer service isn’t something we’ve sacrificed either, our scores are the same now – better even – than they were when Jet2holidays launched 14 years ago. Other companies seem to be obsessed with size, we’re obsessed with being the best."
Heapy said that people in Jet2’s new Liverpool catchment, particularly agents, were well aware of the airline and operator’s record during Covid. "We all know what happened during the pandemic – the operational disruption with other companies and for people who self-packaged. They didn’t get refunds, they got credit notes, they were messed about.
"We were the best performer, we didn’t cancel flights due to resource shortages. People remember that, and people in this catchment area are certainly aware of that."
