Jet2.com and Jet2holidays are moving forward with a strategic expansion of their customer base, aiming to attract younger and less affluent travelers, as revealed by the group’s CEO, Steve Heapy, on Wednesday, July 9. The move comes in the wake of the announcement of a historic record annual profit for the company.
“We will expand our customer base,” said Heapy, explaining that the Jet2 brand is overrepresented in older age groups and in the more affluent audiences, while it already records a high market share in couples and families who travel systematically.
As he stressed, the company identifies great opportunities in younger ages and in the more economical travel audiences. “We see significant prospects in the younger and less affluent audience. We are working hard to attract them through better pricing, product upgrades, and a stronger social media presence,” Heapy said. “This strategy will bring us new customers and higher rates of repeat bookings.”
Jet2’s CEO made it clear that the new direction does not imply a reduction in profitability. On the contrary, he said, significant efforts have been made to find more affordable accommodation, with an emphasis on two- and three-star hotels, as well as self-catering apartments, which are gaining ground especially among young travelers. At the same time, the company has already started offering hostels for city breaks, which, as Heapy noted, “offer excellent quality at a lower price.”
According to him, expanding into more affordable audiences does not mean that Jet2 is abandoning other products or purchasing categories, on the contrary, it continues to grow at all levels.
Egypt and Tunisia are considered for return
Heapy also left open the possibility that Jet2 could bring back destinations such as Egypt and Tunisia to its portfolio, noting that “both markets are looking solid, with Egypt in particular showing particular momentum at the moment”. While no immediate decision was announced, Heapy confirmed that the airline is looking at a number of new markets and potential expansions.
No plans for Gatwick at the moment
When asked if Jet2 was looking to expand to London’s Gatwick airport, Heapy clarified that there were no such plans “at the moment”, stressing that Gatwick was already very busy and saturated. Instead, the airline has been focusing on strengthening its presence at bases such as Luton, Bournemouth, Liverpool, and Bristol, with four new hubs added to Jet2’s network in the last two to three years.
Jet2’s strategy seems to focus both on strengthening its already successful presence and on opening up to new audiences and markets, strengthening its position in a highly competitive industry, such as that of package holidays.
