Pre-pandemic, Jet2 had 18 in field sales and sales support, which dropped to 13 to match and manage the resource required, head of trade sales Alan Cross told TTG prior to the Jet2 conference in the Algarve (14-17 November).

Elysia Cutts and Abi Lang have now joined Jet2’s sales support team as sales support coordinators, restoring that particular team to four, with new sales executive Jenna O’Hara due to link up with the field sales team imminently.

"It’s nice to be getting back to growing the team," said Cross, who explained attention would now turn to assessing the resource the team would need to help agents sell around 1.3 million of the 5.3 million Atol-protected seats Jet2holidays is authorised to operate next year.

Trade currently makes up around 26% of Jet2holidays sales mix versus direct, although chief executive Steve Heapy reiterated at the conference there was no upper limit on this. He also ruled out any prospect of Jet2holidays opening its own high street agencies.

During the pandemic, Jet2 took on several trade sales professionals displaced by the downturn as others moved on, using this glut of experience to mentor new recruits.

"It was great," said Cross. "But in many cases, they were using us a stepping stone. They were perhaps brought on as a sales executive or BDM but saw themselves as a national sales manager. It was a very natural progression, but now we’re back to business as usual."

Cross said he wasn’t afraid of taking on people with no previous experience in a trade-facing role, stressing there were considerable benefits – in particular – of recruiting for the trade team from the travel agent sector.

"They get it from the other side," he continued. "It’s not that I don’t value people with experience from cruising or other suppliers, it’s just great to have agents because they understand what switches them on. They understand the pain of being an agent. And they understand how good it can be when their operators do things the right way."

Cross added Jet2 was keen to retain talent in the industry. "There’s still a lot of passion out there," he said. "The industry is getting criticised for losing staff left, right and centre – experienced staff. But there are still a lot of very passionate individuals out there."