After hundreds of entries were received for the ‘Scale Up Your Street’ campaign, Jet2holidays has upped the potential funding pot to £120,000. It has shortlisted 12 travel agents to potentially open a new retail shop. Jet2holidays announced the campaign in March and said it would support up to ten travel agent partners with a substantial financial contribution (up to £100,000 in total), as well as access to expert advice, to get a new retail shop up and running. Agents needed to submit a written pitch outlining their vision for opening a retail shop including their target market, branding ideas, and business plan. The deadline was 30 April 2025. After receiving hundreds of submissions from agency partners across the UK the company has decided to up the funding pot and shortlist 12 candidates. The 12 candidates have received a formal invite to pitch their ideas in person to a panel of industry experts at Jet2holidays’ Holiday House offices in Leeds on 11 June. The panel of judges includes Alan Cross (Director of Travel Agent Relationships), Lloyd Cross (GM Trade Sales), Nicola Park (Owner & Director of Seaside Travel) and Don Bircham (Franchise Owner of Hays Travel Mold). Each panellist will have their own pot of cash provided by Jet2holidays and travel agents must persuade them how much to contribute towards their new business venture. Successful candidates from the final pitch event will be announced once their new high street travel agency is ready to officially open, and all commercial arrangements are completed. As well as a financial contribution, winners of ‘Scale Up Your Street’ will also receive tailored training and support to help them open their shop. Winners will also be given ongoing access to insights, as well as mentorship from industry experts, to provide them with the tools and knowledge to make it a success.​ Alan Cross, Director of Travel Agent Relationships at Jet2holidays said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has engaged with Scale Up Your Street and submitted their ideas. The submissions have been truly fantastic, which is why we have increased the amount of funding on offer.” 

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have responded to continued demand for flights and holidays for winter 2025/26. Jet2 announced a significant expansion across the winter sun, city breaks, ski and Christmas markets programmes from Manchester and London Stansted. It will see the companies offer more choice to 13 destinations from Manchester Airport, and seven from London Stansted. The additional capacity at Manchester Airport means that Jet2.com and Jet2holidays now have over 1.1 million seats on sale for Winter 2025/26, a 7% capacity increase. The expansion comprises additional capacity to Athens, Barcelona, Porto and Tallinn for city breaks; Alicante, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Faro (Algarve), Malta, Madeira and Paphos for winter sun; and Geneva and Turin for ski. holidays The companies are also offering more choice to a range of popular destinations from London Stansted, meaning over 550,000 seats are on sale for winter 2025/26. This represents a capacity increase of 13%. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “We are seeing continued demand for flights and holidays and with winter 2025/26 looking so popular, we are in the position to respond with a hugely expanded programme.”

Jet2CityBreaks is expanding its portfolio of city breaks for summer 2025, through to the end of summer 2026. It comprises more holiday choice across Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Austria, following customer demand. The tour operator has put Murcia (via Alicante Airport) on sale all year-round and Braga (via Porto Airport) for summer 2025, winter 2025/26 and summer 2026. The company has also launched city break packages to Geneva and Salzburg for winter 2025/26. Customers can reach Murcia via flights to Alicante from all 13 UK airport bases. Jet2CityBreaks has 3 to 4-star hotels available to book now in Murcia. New destination Braga is accessible via Porto Airport which customers can fly to from two UK airport bases (Birmingham and Manchester) in summer 2025, winter 2025/26 and summer 2026, with city breaks also available from Newcastle in summer 2026. In response to the trend of combining winter sports with a city break, Jet2CityBreaks has launched city break packages to Geneva and Salzburg for winter 2025/26. Previously only available as a ski flight only option with Jet2.com, holidaymakers can now enjoy ATOL protected package holidays in these cities with a few days skiing. City breaks are now available to Geneva from nine UK airports and Salzburg from Belfast International, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and London Stansted. Customers can choose from a range of 2+ to 4-star in the city centre of Salzburg. ATOL protected package holidays with Jet2CityBreaks are available for a low £60 per person deposit.

Following the abrupt closure of Balkan Holidays, Jet2holidays is offering £100 off per booking on all Bulgaria holidays. The BULGARIA100 discount code can be used for bookings via an agent, for customers keen to rebook following cancellations by Balkan Holidays. The discount of £100 per booking is valid on all summer 2025 and 2026 holidays to Bulgaria. It is in addition to the existing £100 off per person for holidays booked via an agency partner. These discounts can be combined with Free Child Place Holidays. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2holidays said: “The closure of Balkan Holidays is very sad news indeed, and our thoughts are with everyone who is impacted.” “We know there are many customers wanting to enjoy their holidays to the Bulgarian sunshine, so we are making it easier for them.”

Jet2Weddings has launched bookings via independent travel agents. The new product is brought by Jet2holidays in association with Perfect Weddings Abroad, offering a selection of tailored destination weddings in Cyprus via an independent travel agent for the first time. Departures are available from summer 2026. To celebrate the launch to travel agent partners, Jet2Weddings is offering £100 off for wedding couples making a booking via a travel agent partner, alongside £100 off per booking for their guests. Travel agent partners can now book their customers’ through Jet2holidays and Perfect Weddings Abroad, inclusive of flights, hotel and transfers, with Perfect Weddings Abroad taking care of the wedding arrangements. It offers customers over 35 hotel wedding venue locations (most with instant wedding day confirmation) in Cyprus, and a choice of three wedding options – Classic, Deluxe and Ultimate. The Jet2Weddings portfolio consists of 3+ to 5-star hotels in Limassol, Pissouri, Paphos, Coral Bay and Aphrodite Hills in the Paphos Area, as well as Protaras, Nissi Bay and Ayia Napa across the Larnaca area. There are a variety of weddings concepts on sale through Jet2Weddings to suit all such as budget and luxury weddings, same sex nuptials, family friendly or adult only weddings. Agents can book destination weddings via the trade website at http://www.trade.jet2holidays.com/

Jet2CityBreaks has launched fly-drive packages to the south and west of Iceland for the first time. It comprises an inclusive package holiday with car hire included for the duration of the trip. Customers booking a fly-drive holiday with Jet2CityBreaks get return flights with Jet2.com, 10kg cabin baggage, 22kg hold luggage and accommodation, as well as car hire. Along with the launch of the new Iceland fly-drive packages Jet2CityBreaks has put on sale a selection of new hotels in southern and western Iceland available to book now. Package customers stay in one hotel and use it as a base to explore the south and west of Iceland. Iceland fly-drive holiday customers get access to national parks, waterfalls, lagoons, and beaches. Highlights include Hvammsvik’s black-sand beaches and Deildartunguhver which is home to unique flora. Jet2CityBreaks is on sale to Iceland for the current winter and winter 2025/26 from September to April, with both programmes offering a dozen departure points. Packages are on sale from Belfast International, Bournemouth, Bristol, Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool John Lennon, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle International.  

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have announced their biggest ever programme of Greece flights and holidays for summer 2025. It features three brand-new destinations, eight new routes and over 125 new hotels on sale. As a result of continued demand, Jet2 has a total of three million seats on sale. It includes the addition of a trio of new Greek destinations for summer 2025 in Poros, Aegina and Leros. As well as launching these new destinations, the companies are launching eight brand-new routes. These include Bournemouth to Corfu, Crete (Heraklion) and Zante, Bristol – Kalamata and three London Luton routes to Heraklion, Crete and Zante. This growth means the companies have approximately three million seats on sale between the UK and Greece in 2025. This comprises over 320 weekly flights during peak periods. In total, Jet2 will operate to 14 Greek airports in 2025. This means more routes between the UK and Greece than any other airline this summer, the company says. Jet2holidays has added three brand-new destinations for – Poros, Aegina and Leros.  Customers can reach Poros and Aegina via flights to Athens Airport from Manchester, Birmingham and London Stansted, with ferry and private transfers included in a Jet2holidays booking. Leros is accessible via Kos Airport which customers can fly to from nine UK bases.

Jet2.com this week celebrated a milestone with 20 years of Manchester flights. Over 36 million holidaymakers have flown from the airport with Jet2 since the first flight to Budapest took off two decades ago. Customers flying on the anniversary received a VIP customer experience at check-in, which included a red-carpet welcome, balloon arch and discount vouchers to use for their next Jet2 getaway. Jet2 kicked off operations in 2004 with just three destinations. Over the last 20 years, the airline has grown to offer 70 sun, city and ski holiday destinations across Europe, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean from the airport. Jet2.com continues to expand at Manchester Airport and has introduced new destinations. Last week, the company celebrated its first flight from Manchester Airport to Gdansk – a brand-new Christmas Market destination for winter. For summer the airline has introduced three new destinations Jerez, Pula and Salerno from the airport, and for winter 2025/26, Jet2.com will start Christmas Market flights to Tallinn. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “Today is a significant milestone. When we launched flights from Manchester Airport over 20 years ago, we had just three destinations on sale and since then, we have grown considerably.”

Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks have waved off their first Christmas market flights for winter 2024/25. It marks the start of their biggest Christmas markets programme yet. The inaugural flights for winter 2024/25 took off on Thursday to Berlin and Vienna from Bristol, Edinburgh and Newcastle International Airports. Friday sees their first Christmas market flights for winter 2024/25 to Berlin from Leeds Bradford Airport, and Vienna from London Stansted Airport. The full programme comprises 10 destinations on sale from across 11 UK airports, launching over the next week. These include Bratislava, Budapest, Cologne, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Krakow, Malmo, and Prague. The introduction of new Christmas market trips to Malmo and Bratislava, accessible by flying into Vienna or Copenhagen, gives customers the opportunity to enjoy a winter break in Sweden and Slovakia for the first time. In another first for Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks, this season sees the introduction of flights and city breaks to Gdansk, Poland from Birmingham and Manchester Airports from 29 November. Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “This winter will see us operate our biggest ever Christmas Markets flight schedule and city breaks, which comes in response to the phenomenal demand from our customers.”

Hays Travel branch managers from across the North East region, and head office colleagues, are in Turkey for Hays Travel’s annual Overseas Retail Conference in Antalya this week. Their travel was supported by headline sponsor and long-term partner Jet2holidays. The flight was one of four specially chartered planes heading to the destination for the conference taking place until 15 November. Flights also departed from Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol airports. “Our overseas conference is a highlight of the year – it’s when we can connect with our branch managers from across the UK all under one roof, to thank them for their excellent work,” said Dame Irene Hays. “I am very grateful to Jet2holidays for their amazing support, and to the whole team at Newcastle International Airport – as well as Birmingham, Bristol, and Manchester.” Alan Cross, Director of Travel Agent Relationships at Jet2holidays said: “We are delighted to help our partner, Hays Travel Group, get their conference off to the best of starts.” Hays Travel will welcome over 700 delegates to the Ela Excellence Resort Belek, Turkiye, for its annual Overseas Retail Conference. The full schedule features guest speakers, expert panel discussions, supplier showcases, and networking events. The event is themed: ‘In it for the Long Haul’ – spanning not just the growth in travel to far-off destinations, but also building loyalty in colleagues, customers, and partners. Headline and gold sponsors supporting the conferences are  Holiday Extras, Jet2holidays, Mastercard, Princess, Silversea, Attraction World and Universal Parks and Resorts. 

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Jet2holidays is launching a brand-new dedicated podcast series exclusively for independent travel agents. Agents are encouraged to get in touch if they wish to contribute or take part. ‘Partners2Success: The Podcast!’ will be available for free on major platforms Spotify and Apple Music from next week and is the tour operator’s first ever podcast series. Each episode will be hosted by Jet2holidays’ GM of Trade Sales, Lloyd Cross. He will chat to guests from inside and outside the industry, with the purpose of providing travel agents with trends, tips and insights to help them improve their selling skills. The first episode launches on Thursday 24 October and features Don Bircham from Don Bircham Travel; Greig Avinou, Franchise Owner, Barrhead Travel Falkirk and entertainer, Nathan Turner. The first episode covers a range of subjects including the benefits of being your own boss, the best parts of being in the travel industry and how Don negotiated an early exit from school. The latest agent engagement initiative follows the launch of its dedicated What’sApp group for agents which has seen thousands of members signing up. “We are always looking at how we further improve the relationships that we have with independent travel agents, whilst giving them the knowledge and skills they need to succeed,” Cross said. Travel agents can subscribe to Partners2Success: The Podcast via Spotify or Apple Music, and may email [email protected] if they wish to contribute or take part. 

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Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have released for sale their biggest ever summer programme of flights and package holidays for 2026. It offers trips to 57 sun and leisure city destinations now available to book from across all 12 of the companies’ UK airports. The leisure airline and tour operator have responded to strong demand from UK holidaymakers wanting to book ahead, going on sale earlier than ever before. Jet2’s summer sun and leisure cities programme offers more seats, routes and choice with an expanded fleet of aircraft. This includes more fuel-efficient Airbus A321neo. The expanded programme adds up to 18.6 million seats on sale representing almost 450 routes. This includes 22 new summer routes and 14 exclusive routes for summer 2026. The programme will see more than 1,700 departing weekly flights from the 12 UK airports. The new summer routes from Jet2.com and Jet2holidays include five brand-new routes from Bournemouth Airport – Malaga, Dubrovnik, Kos, Reus and Verona and six from East Midlands Airport.

 

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