From 4.00am on February 11, fully vaccinated customers will no longer have to take a Day Two lateral flow test after arriving in Northern Ireland and passenger locator forms (PLF) will be simplified, with an extra day to fill out before travelling.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, has called the move a ‘game-changer’ for customers and the travel industry.
“We are delighted that vaccinated customers in Northern Ireland can once again book and travel on the normal, hassle-free holidays that they know and love,” said Mr Heapy.
“This is a real game-changer for people who simply want to get away to enjoy their well-deserved holidays. We welcome the NI Executive’s decision to remove a set of measures which were not only unnecessary but also ineffective in tackling the spread of the Omicron variant. This should now represent a permanent end to such restrictions, and we know customers will celebrate that news.”
Following the announcement, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have reported an immediate and dramatic increase in searches and bookings from Northern Ireland. With bookings returning to pre-pandemic levels following the last travel update on January 5th, this latest surge in bookings demonstrates just how much customers are looking forward to getting away.
Traditional hotspots such as the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Mainland Spain, Italy and Portugal are selling strongly, and the Eastern Mediterranean, in particular Greece, Turkey and Cyprus are seeing enormous growth. Ski flight bookings to Salzburg are also proving to be very popular with skiers and snowboarders.
Holidaymakers are very much looking to enjoy a post-pandemic treat, with the protection of a package holiday proving to be very popular. In addition, whether it is upgrading the star-rating of their hotel, upgrading their board basis, selecting a better room, or taking multiple breaks, it is evident that many holidaymakers are really looking to indulge themselves after so long stuck in the cold of the UK.
Mr Heapy added: “With international travel once again starting to look like it did before the pandemic, customers are really jumping at the chance to make that booking, whether it is seeing friends and family, taking a holiday in the sunshine, a city break or a ski break. Many countries across Europe no longer require fully vaccinated customers to take a test, so it is great to see the UK join the club and allow hassle-free travel. We have a world-leading vaccination programme which until now, has not been fully realised. Allowing fully vaccinated customers and under 18’s to travel freely without imposing testing on them is an enormous step in terms of getting our lives back to normal.”
Advertisement
