Bournemouth operator Palmair has reported a 43% increase in bookings in the first two months of this year, compared with January and February 2007.
Managing director David Skillicorn said early bookers picked up the best deals, paid the lowest deposits and enjoyed the biggest choice. “I’m sure any company would be pleased at even a modest rise in business, so we are delighted with growth of this magnitude.”
The best performing Palmair destination is Majorca, closely followed by the Canary Islands.
The company sells around 50,000 package holidays a year in total, operating two Palmair European Boeing 737s out of Bournemouth in the summer and one in the winter.
Skillicorn said he believed more and more travellers were fed up with no the frills approach on budget airlines and extra payments for basic services. “We have spent five decades working very hard and providing all the frills we can for our clients and we have no intention of changing that policy,” he added.