EasyJet has confirmed plans to ramp up its operator arm easyJet Holidays “across source markets” for next summer. However, the carrier won’t reveal full details until November.
Travel Weekly understands easyJet aims to contract direct with selected hotels, on the lines of a tour operator and in part emulation of Tui’s strategy, while maintaining third-party room supply.
Chief executive Johan Lundgren, former Tui deputy chief executive, confirmed: “We’re going to invest a lot more in easyJet Holidays.”
Lundgren announced the appointment of Garry Wilson, Tui managing director for group product and purchasing, to head easyJet Holidays in May when he declared easyJet’s intent to “capture a significant share of the market”.
Wilson won’t join until later this year. Lundgren said: “We hope Garry can be on board by the end of the year. We’ll come back with answers to all questions [about easyJet Holidays] in November.”
EasyJet Holidays’ current contracting is done through accommodation supplier Hotelopia. Lundgren said: “We will maintain third-party suppliers. I know those guys [at Hotelopia] well. We used to be colleagues [at Tui].”
However, he said: “Garry not only knows hoteliers across Europe, but contractors.”
Lundgren told Travel Weekly: “We’ll set up easyJet Holidays as a separate business unit – I don’t want it distracting from the airline. We’ll set up one model across [our] source markets.”
Hotelopia currently provides easyJet Holidays’ Atol cover. EasyJet acquired its own Atol at the start of July to comply with new regulations, which require package protection for flight-plus-car-hire bookings.