Easyjet taps UK holiday market

LONDON - With market share up for grabs upon the Thomas Cook demise, Easyjet launched a new holiday business aimed at "shaking up the sector with flexible, great-value holidays to handpicked hotels across Europe".

The airline limits its stroll into tour operator territory to the UK holiday market first. "UK customers can book hotels, together with any Easyjet flight, on one platform," Easyjet said in a statement.

"Easyjet Holidays will offer lots of peak-time holiday availability and more weekend flying than anyone else. All holiday bookings will include 23kg hold baggage per person, offering great value and extra ease, especially with families in mind, and beach holidays will also include a transfer."

The airline is contracting hotels directly for the first time and wants. Holidays customers will benefit from "ultimate flexibility" and can choose exactly how many nights they wish to stay "thanks to the strength of the Easyjet fleet and its flying schedule".

Easyjet Holidays will span 5,000 hotels of different categories at more than 100 destinations in the European network of the airline.