easyJet and easyJet holidays have revealed the latest travel trends. The airline was recently filling over 61 aircraft an hour – or a plane a minute – at peak booking periods during their end of year Big Orange Sale that offered up to 20% off over a million seats and up to £300 off package holidays.
Flights to North African destinations have experienced the greatest rise in popularity compared to 2019, with Tunisia seeing the biggest boost since the launch of the sale, followed by Egypt, while Morocco has also seen demand increase compared to pre-pandemic. Trips to the Greek Islands are also proving to be a hot spot in 2023. Since the launch of the sale, destinations like Rhodes, Kos, Crete, Santorini and Zante have increased in popularity compared to 2019.
Other destinations which have grown in popularity since 2019 include Tirana in Albania and Tivat in Montenegro, which offer an alternative to Italy and Croatia for those wishing to explore the Adriatic coast, as well as Dalaman and Antalya in Turkey.
Beach island trips to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands as well as Cyprus and Madeira have also experienced an increase in demand compared to 2019.
easyJet also saw strong demand in the first hours of the sale for flights in January as people get set to jet off on last minute ski breaks, with France and Italy proving to be among the most popular destinations. Bookings to Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria also saw a jump in demand compared to 2019. easyJet will see a 30% increase in its ski flying programme this year compared to last and is offering more seats on ski routes than any other UK airline.
May proved to be the most popular summer month for bookings in the first hours of the sale, with people taking advantage of half term deals to the likes of Alicante, Palma, and Tenerife in Spain and Faro in Portugal.
The booking data follows recent research carried out by the airline in November 2022 that showed almost two-thirds (64%) of Brits are planning to prioritise a trip abroad in 2023. In the days following the launch of the Big Orange Sale, package holidays saw an increase in bookings of over 230%. All-inclusive breaks are in the highest demand, with Tenerife proving the most popular overall destination and Amsterdam being the city escape of choice.
Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager for easyJet:
“It’s great to see a return to this traditionally busy booking period with North Africa seeing a resurgence in popularity alongside the Greek Islands and hidden gems like Montenegro and Albania. The popularity of package holidays with easyJet holidays also shows no sign of slowing down with many customer opting for all-inclusive breaks as the top holiday choice for 2023.
“With flights across over 120 destinations from the UK to choose from across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and package holidays available to over 5000 hotels, now is a great time to book a short-haul trip with easyJet, and we look forward to taking even more of our customers away in 2023.”
