Jet2 will ‘never open a travel agency’, says Steve Heapy

The chief executive of Jet2holidays and Jet2.com has declared the company will never open its own travel agency as it looks to support its trade and hotel partners.

Steve Heapy confirmed the company will remain a tour operator and an airline and will never open an agency as he wants to “concentrate on what we’re good at”.

He made the declaration at Jet2holidays’ annual conference, held at the 3HB Guarana in Olhos de Água, Portugal.

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“We’re not a travel agency – we’ve got a great airline product and a great tour operator product and we want to concentrate on what we’re good at,” he told the room of 350 delegates.

“We want to work with our independent travel agents and our hotel partners and we don’t want to compete with them.

“We let our hotel partners have their brand and concept which might be moulded by the owner into exactly what they want, so who are we to tell them to change it? The same goes for travel agents.

“We will never open our own travel agency.”

Heapy went on to explain he dislikes agencies that only sell one tour operator as they do not offer enough range to customers and, although he would prefer if customers bought a Jet2holidays package, he wants agents to have the product range to close a sale.

“If you go into a local travel agents, they have a whole range of tour operators that they sell,” he added.

“If you’re only selling one tour operator then you’re offering a narrow range and you can’t say you’re offering a customer the best experience. That’s why independent travel agents are so good.

“Obviously we want the customer to buy with Jet2 but it’s important agents have the range.”