Our customers
Now, more than ever, our Customers are seeking an operator they can trust who also offers them great value for money. Engagement with our Customers to improve their holiday choice, experience and enjoyment gives us the greatest opportunity to retain and attract new customers – the key to continuing profitable growth!
We relish the trust our Customers place in us to give them a fantastic holiday experience and, notwithstanding the unfortunate knock-on of broader aviation sector disruption into our operations in early Summer 2022, our “Customer First” strategy remained consistent.
Our treatment of Customers during the pandemic, when we refunded over £1.7bn of their advance deposits in a timely and accurate manner, remains an important recent demonstration of our strategy and is a factor when potential customers choose their travel brand of choice to book their much-valued holidays.
Key outcomes during the year
- Substantial investment ahead of Summer 2022 enabled Jet2.com to earn the accolade of being the only UK airline not to cancel a flight during July and August 2022, according to leading travel intelligence company, OAG.
- Ahead of Summer 2023, we have assumed direct control of all ground-handling operations (check-in; baggage handling and aircraft despatch) at a further two of our UK bases: Bristol and Newcastle – this means we now independently ‘self-handle’ at seven of our eleven UK bases and our Colleagues now control and manage passenger check-in at all but one of our UK bases. This expansion ensures a seamless and efficient experience for our valued Customers and eliminates any reliance on third parties for these crucial aspects of our operations.
- Jet2holidays has recommenced its popular Resort Flight Check-in® service during Summer 2023.
- Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have been awarded Travel Brand of the Year 2023 by Which? for the second consecutive year and the third time in six years. This recognition acknowledges our dedication to prioritising our Customers' satisfaction, throughout the challenging period of the pandemic and following the resumption of international travel. Additionally in July 2023, Jet2Villas was named as a Which? Recommended Provider for the first time – a great achievement.
Our suppliers
A stable supplier base with trusted partners is key in helping us offer our Customers a fantastic holiday experience, whether that be hoteliers, aircraft manufacturers or our supportive banking partners.
Our Chief Executive Officer spends significant time in resort building and developing relationships with Jet2holidays’ hotel partners, who number over 4,500. This presents an opportunity to discuss how we can better work together to improve our Customers’ holiday experience, and also to reiterate the importance of effective risk management by hoteliers, to maintain the highest standards of safety and hygiene at all times.
Working with over 3,200 non-hotel suppliers, we seek open, constructive and effective relationships with them to help sustain the successful delivery of the Group’s Leisure Travel services.
The Group foresaw strong consumer demand following the reopening of international travel in early 2022 and was quick to share its operational forecasts with key suppliers including airports, ground handling operators and UK Border Force. Unfortunately, the ensuing disruption seen across the aviation industry meant we had to have difficult but constructive conversations with certain suppliers to quickly remedy operational problems to swiftly improve the holiday experience for our Customers.
Key outcomes during the year
- The Group secured an additional agreement to extend its order up to 146 Airbus A321/A320neo aircraft and up to 307 CFM LEAP-1A engines. This move towards the most fuel efficient and sustainable aircraft in its class on a per passenger basis will support our long-term aspiration to be “the leading brand in sustainable air travel and package holidays”.
- During the year, the Group successfully renegotiated its RCF, welcoming one new financing partner, National Westminster Bank plc, alongside our three existing supportive relationship banks: Barclays Bank plc; HSBC UK Bank plc; and Lloyds Bank plc.
- We continue to take pride in supporting all our suppliers and recognise that paying them on time and in full is vital for their financial well-being. Under the ’Duty to report on payment practices and performance’ legislation, the Group’s average time taken to pay supplier invoices during the year was 20.2 days (2022: 23.9 days) for Jet2.com Limited and 22.7 days (2022: 27.5 days) for Jet2holidays Limited.
