Skyrocketing sales on easyJet’s sunshine Saturday

EasyJet’s Big Orange Sale has set new records, with an unprecedented demand for flights and package holidays, marking a remarkable start to the year.

During this record-breaking sale, easyJet experienced its busiest booking phase, filling two aeroplanes every minute at peak times.

The sale saw a remarkable surge in bookings for both flights and package holidays, especially on Sunshine Saturday (January 6) – the industry’s busiest day for British overseas holiday reservations.

Popular destinations and trends

Flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Alicante, and Malaga emerged as top choices among travellers since the sale’s inception. Greek island Skiathos, Calabria in Italy, and Rovaniemi in Lapland witnessed a significant increase in popularity compared to 2023.

For 2024, Central European spots like Zadar in Croatia and Tivat in Montenegro also gained traction, alongside increased bookings to French cities such as Rennes and La Rochelle.

January last-minute flights were especially sought after for winter sun getaways, with Tenerife experiencing a notable rise in demand.

Geneva, Lyon, and Innsbruck are leading the way for ski holidays. With the addition of three aircraft in Switzerland, easyJet is expanding its ski flying programme by 20 per cent this year, compared to the last.

Seasonal booking trends

May has been the most popular month for summer flight bookings since the sale’s start, aligning with half-term deals to destinations like Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, and Faro.

August is shaping up to be the preferred month for package holiday departures. Palma de Mallorca remains the top pick for peak summer flight bookings, and Copenhagen has seen a rise in popularity, partly due to its proximity to Malmo, the host city for this year’s Eurovision song contest.

For package holidays, easyJet holidays enjoyed a surge in bookings for May, June, and July. Spain accounted for over a quarter of all summer 2024 beach sales, with other popular destinations including the Algarve, Crete, Rhodes, Turkey, and Tunisia.

Over a third of these bookings were made by families, with a significant 70 per cent opting for 4 star or 5 star accommodations. The all-inclusive option dominated, chosen by over 60 per cent of beach holidaymakers.

A recent survey indicated that 67 per cent of Brits are more likely to travel abroad in 2024 than in 2023, with 77 per cent prioritising holiday expenses in their annual budget, up from 70 per cent last year.

EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren stated, ‘With flights and holidays bookings taking off during this traditionally busy booking period as well as strong booking momentum for summer 2024, we continue to see that the value and importance of holidays for our customers.

The popularity of easyJet holidays also continues to grow, with 48 per cent more customers in our first quarter of the year and an expected increase of more than 35 per cent this financial year, all of which is a which is testament to the strength of demand for our brand and network and we remain focused on delivering for our customers.’