EasyJet Holidays will not offer price parity across holidays sold on its website and those sold through travel agents but is optimistic the trade will attract a new set of customers.
The tour operator arm of budget airline easyJet announced this week that is has begun selling its packages through independent travel agents.
Chief executive Garry Wilson said agents will be paid for selling its holidays but can “play with their commission as they choose” if they need to adjust their prices to be competitive.
Effectively, this could mean an agency reducing the amount of commission it receives in order to bring the headline holiday price down.
But Wilson insisted there was unlikely to be much crossover between customers who book easyJet Holidays online and via agents, suggesting there would not be a need to adjust prices as agents’ clients would not normally book an easyJet Holidays package themselves online.
In a webcast with Travel Weekly he said: “We have offered higher commission and non parity. Agents can play with that commission as they choose.
“I think the value that the agent can add versus the price they will sell [at] will help. I don’t think we will see much crossover.
“I don’t think our [direct] customers will be using agents so I think there is a great relationship we can build there. I don’t think there will be a great deal of cannibalisation across either.”
He was hopeful the trade would bring new customers to easyJet Holidays who like to book through their agent but are also attracted to the brand’s price and product such as its £60 deposits and 23kg luggage allowance.
“I would hope agents will bring new customers because of the strength of the price and product proposition. There are some good unique selling points that are useful for agents who are selling these holidays, underpinned by a brand they know,” he added.
More: EasyJet Holidays puts packages on sale through travel agents
