A survey by Easyjet Holidays shows that a large proportion of people from the UK are willing to quarantine on their return if it means they can travel abroad. Sam Ballard reports
38 per cent of Brits are willing to quarantine for two weeks on their return in order to go on holiday, according to a survey produced by Easyjet Holidays.
The tour operator, which relaunched last year, is the holiday arm of one of Europe’s biggest airlines, Easyjet, offering holidays across its network of destinations in Europe as well as the likes of Tunisia and Jordan.
The research also revealed that more than 33 million British people have had their travel plans disrupted by Covid-19 this year. Despite that, 24 per cent still intend to go on holiday abroad before the end of the year.
The company found that just over half of consumers, 52 per cent, will not book a holiday unless they believe their money is protected. It’s led to Easyjet Holidays launching a new “Protection Promise” for its holidays, giving customers “flexibility and protection”.
Easyjet Holidays will cancel any holiday where there is a known quarantine or self-isolation requirement in the destination, and any customer refunds have been processed in an average of 12 days, it confirmed.
The Protection Promise includes the following five-point plan: a full refund guarantee (if you cancel up to 28 days before departure), best price guarantee, deposit protection, flexible payment options (you pay for your holiday in installments with no fees) and the ability to easily amend bookings, free of fees (change your holiday online yourself, with no extra fees until 28 days before departure).
Easyjet Holidays claims that it is the only operator making the above commitments on a long-term basis.
The move is part of a wider travel industry trend giving consumers more flexible cancellation terms, given the impact that Covid-19 has had on travel plans. Many of the world’s biggest tour operators – including cruise lines – have initiated generous policies giving consumers the ability to cancel a holiday within a few days of departure.
Matt Callaghan, customer director at Easyjet Holidays, says: “Consumer confidence in booking a holiday abroad has taken a huge hit this year and travellers have different priorities so at Easyjet Holidays we know, given the restrictions continue to change, we must adapt to this new reality.
“That’s why we’re launching our new Protection Promise, setting a benchmark for customer flexibility in the industry and encouraging travellers to book their holidays with the reassurance that if things change they are protected. And this isn’t a short-term move, this is a fundamental change to what customers can expect whenever they book with Easyjet Holidays.”
Flexible cancellation policies are not the only way in which holiday firms are responding to the pandemic. As reported in Globetrender, many companies are now offering free Covid-19 travel insurance in a bid to boost consumer confidence and increase bookings.
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