Jet2 writes off Easter due to new travel restrictions

'Thousands of businesses across the country are exasperated and unable to plan for the months ahead' – Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership

Going nowhere: Jet2 has cancelled all departures until mid-April (Matt Carter)

After the government announced tighter restrictions for arrivals to the UK, Britain’s second-biggest holiday company has written off its Easter programme.

Jet2 Holidays had hoped to resume operations in late March, in time for the normally popular and lucrative Easter holiday.

But after the health secretary, Matt Hancock, refused to spell out any kind of exit strategy from the quarantine-plus-three-tests regime, the Leeds-based firm said it would cancel all bookings up to and including 14 April inclusive.

Customers will have the option of a full cash refund or an alternative holiday,

A spokesperson for Jet2 said: “Due to the ongoing uncertainty and travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have taken the decision to extend the suspension of flights and holidays up to and including 14 April 2021.

“For customers due to travel from 15 April onwards, we will provide further updates closer to the time as appropriate.”

The company said it believes there is “huge pent-up demand” for summer holidays.

The day began with Jet2’s bigger rival, Tui, reporting that it had already sold 2.8 million holidays for the summer – at prices that are one-fifth higher than the last “normal” year, 2019.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership – a consortium of travel agencies – said: “There are thousands of businesses across the country employing millions of people which support both leisure and business travel, who are exasperated and unable to plan for the months ahead.

“We are critical to re-establishing Global Britain on a competitive world stage. This can only be done if there is a travel industry in place once restrictions relax.”