Flybe reports strong last minute bookings for festive season

Flybe is preparing for a busy week with hundreds of thousands of travellers choosing to fly with the airline as people throughout the regions take to the skies to holiday and reunite with friends and family over the festive season.

Bookings on all routes across the Flybe network are extremely strong despite the current economic turndown and, with last-minute bookings still pouring in, the airline is well on the way to record a 14% overall increase in passenger numbers over the two week festive season compared with the same period last year.

Flybe’s busiest day for the 2008/09 Christmas and New Year jetaway is, not surprisingly, December 23rd, as passengers look to avoid the last minute rush. The airline’s seven routes out of London Gatwick are particularly busy as regional passengers benefit from point-to-point travel with convenient connections to hit the slopes or enjoy a relaxing beach holiday.

At Southampton, Flybe’s largest base, its most popular routes are Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Channel Islands and Dublin, with German and French routes also proving a big Christmas drawcard, an example being the Dusseldorf service, recording a massive 118% increase over Christmas 2007!

At Manchester, Flybe’s 15 routes are also selling fast, the biggest success story being the popular Isle of Man route, up 42% over the same period last year, while Milan and Paris are posting increases of 13% and 17% respectively.

South West’s passengers’ top choice destinations, particularly for New Year’s Eve festivities, are Paris and Edinburgh with seat sales experiencing higher than average demand.

Flybe’s top five most popular routes are:

• Jersey and London Gatwick
• Belfast and London Gatwick
• Belfast and Manchester
• Isle of Man and Manchester
• Guernsey and London Gatwick

Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer Flybe, comments: “In spite of the tough economic environment, bookings across our entire route network over the festive period are very positive.

“We thank our loyal passengers for continuing to choose to fly with us. 2008 has been a tough year full of many challenges for everyone and our strong seasonal sales are proof that our customers appreciate we’ve done everything possible to continue to offer a great range of affordable destinations from regions across the UK and Europe. They know that, while other airlines may struggle, Flybe’s successful business model means they can book with confidence on our network.

“Domestic travel has proved to be the most attractive for families looking to get together over the festive season. Travelling direct from regional airports is a far more convenient option for families, as it allows them to avoid the heavily congested roads and the lengthy journey times associated with rail travel.

Mr Rutter adds: “There are still a number of seats left on many of our key routes, so we’d advise anyone wanting to travel over this busy time to book their seats without delay to ensure they bag the best possible fares still around.”