UK bookings soar as summer holidays begin

Flybe has reported an 11% increase in regional UK holiday bookings compared to summer 2008, with sales especially boosted this weekend by a new last minute ‘Today’s Specials’ online alert.

On Friday, Flybe highlighted on its home page some last-minute seat deals. Such was its success, with seats selling in record time, that the airline now plans to make ‘Today’s Specials’ a regular feature on its website.

Throughout the summer, Flybe is operating up to 670 flights a day, an overall 7% up on last year, once again reflecting its ability to keep Britain on the move and help travellers beat the recession with a wide choice of affordable fares.

Civil Aviation Association (CAA) statistics recently verified that Flybe is the UK’s number one domestic carrier, it also being the biggest UK domestic carrier at London Gatwick in terms of passenger numbers, a statistic that is borne out by Flybe’s top five summer holiday routes, with three of its top five routes operated out of the country’s second largest airport.

Flybe’s top five UK summer holiday routes for 2009 are:

1. London Gatwick to the Channel Islands, Guernsey and Jersey
2. London Gatwick to Belfast
3. Inverness to London Gatwick
4. Edinburgh to Southampton
5. Edinburgh to Birmingham

Mike Rutter, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer says: “Flybe’s commitment to offer an increasing selection of affordable travel choices to the regions is reflected by the increase in flights we are able to offer travellers this summer, something that – given the overall state of the industry – we’re extremely proud of.

“The early success of our new Today’s Specials’ offering on our website shows that people are determined to enjoy a summer holiday despite the ongoing economic challenges we are all facing and I would advise savvy budget-conscious travellers looking for last-minute bargains to keep a keen eye on flybe.com so they don’t miss out.”