A dynamic expansion of EasyJet Holidays’ city breaks has been announced by the new CEO of EasyJet Group, Kenton Jarvis, in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph.
EasyJet will offer more city break packages, allowing customers to combine flights and accommodation.
The new CEO of the group said that the move is part of a wider strategy that will be presented in detail in the coming weeks.
Obviously, the expansion into city breaks is a challenge for its competitors such as Ryanair, TUI, and OTAs such as Booking.com, which provide most accommodation to EasyJet travelers only for flights.
This strategy will expand the reach of EasyJet Holidays beyond its focus on beach packages.
Mr. Jarvis told the Sunday Telegraph that the Amsterdam service would make the Dutch city one of the airline’s most important city destinations this winter, as it would carry thousands of visitors there.
However, at the moment, he stressed, almost everyone is travelling independently and booking their own room.
“What we need to do is convince the people who come to us for flights that we can also offer quality accommodation at a cheaper price, which is true seven times out of 10,” Mr Jarvis stressed.
EasyJet’s new CEO stressed that the recovery in city traffic after the pandemic was an opportunity for the group to target a huge, largely untapped, market. “The opportunities are huge, but the challenge is you have to think differently,” Mr Jarvis added.
He said:
“If you’re going to Rhodes, you want a hotel that’s on the beach, has three or four restaurants, tennis courts, and so on, but it doesn’t matter where it is. But if you’re going to Paris, you might want to be in Montmartre, or near the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay, and location becomes the most important thing.”
The airline has offered room bookings for more than a decade, “diverting” customers to online travel agents in return for a “small rebate” if they continue to book a room, according to Mr Jarvis.
Now, easyJet Holidays is taking steps to offer thousands more city hotels and to tie up with major chains.
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