A survey of 5000 consumers across Europe between 8th and 20th of January 2021 has shown that almost two-thirds (65%) were planning to or had already booked a flight in 2021.
The pent-up demand seen among Brits was even stronger with 68% of UK consumers actively looking to travel in 2021, according to the survey which was conducted by easyJet.
easyJet’s existing customers are even more likely to travel this coming year, with almost three quarters planning a trip.
With the majority of consumers stating they like to travel a lot (82%), the survey also revealed that travel still remains a priority for many and of those who had already made a booking for 2021 (14%) over half (56%) said they intended to book again this year, showing a strong appetite to make up for lost time.
Johan Lundgren, easyJet CEO commented, “We know that there is pent up demand, we see it every time that restrictions have been removed, but this survey further underlines the fact that people want to travel as soon as they can. We know the biggest single barrier to booking and travelling is government restrictions. This is why a government plan of how restrictions can be unwound when it is safe to do coupled with the successful roll out of the vaccination programmes will undoubtedly be the key to unlocking travel again, giving consumers both the confidence to book and travel.
“We know that flexibility remains a priority for our customers. Our Protection Promise means that customers can book with confidence knowing that if they are unable to travel or their plans change so can their flights or holiday. And unlike other airlines we will offer customers refunds if they are impacted by a travel ban, even if their flight is not cancelled, which is industry leading.
“It is great to see that so many consumers plan to travel this year as soon as they can. We will be ready to ramp up our flights to ensure we can take our customers away to see friends and family or on long-awaited holiday breaks when they take to the skies again.”
The survey was conducted in mid-January, as countries across Europe were already in or returning to lockdown measures and in the early stages of the vaccine roll-out, which the airline believes shows that consumer intent to book a long-awaited trip is only set to grow once travel restrictions are relaxed.
For those still waiting to book to travel this year, the majority (82%) are waiting for when there is more certainty around travel restrictions lifting, with further research by the airline showing that quarantine restrictions are a significant driver in restraining demand to travel. This indicates that demand returning is dependent on travel restrictions being rolled back safely.
The vaccination programmes across the UK and Europe continue to progress and this already appears to have delivered a boost for travel bookings; earlier this month easyJet holidays reported seeing a 250% jump in bookings compared to last year. This was driven in part by an increase in bookings from over 50s who are among the first to be receiving the jab with Portugal, the Canary Islands and Iceland among the top booked destinations.
This summer the airline is expanding its largest base London Gatwick by adding a further four aircraft, taking the airline’s Gatwick fleet up to a record 71 planes, enabling the launch of three new routes to Aberdeen, Bilbao and Cagliari as well as increasing flying on existing routes, which means easyJet is well placed to serve demand when it returns.
easyJet’s market-leading flexible customer policies are driving trust and confidence to book. We are offering more flexibility than ever before, with freedom to change flights online without fees up to 14 days before departure. Our Protection Promise for both flights and holidays means that customers can book now with the confidence that if their plans change, so can their booking. This includes a Refund Guarantee for flights or holidays if they are cancelled plus a full refund for holidays if a customer changes their mind up to 28 days before and – unlike other airlines – with our Travel Ban Protection customers can also receive a refund for non-cancelled flights if plans are impacted by travel bans in a regional or national lockdown; the Freedom To Change flights without a fee up to 14 days before departure, and change a holiday up to 28 days before departure; and if quarantine measures come in to place last minute, our Quarantine Assurance also means impacted flights can be changed without a change fee. All holidays are covered under easyJet holidays’ Covid commitments if holidays cannot go ahead or are impacted by restrictions.
