JET2holidays and Jet2.com has reported a dramatic surge in bookings immediately following the Prime Minister’s announcement of an exit roadmap from lockdown.

Data from Jet2.com and Jet2holidays shows that Summer 2021 bookings have increased 600 per cent since 3.30pm yesterday, when Boris Johnson made his roadmap address to Parliament, with bookings surging for destinations across the board including Mainland Spain and its islands, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. There is a notable increase in bookings from July, which continues through the rest of the school holidays and Summer 2021.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have 56 hotspots and leisure city destinations on sale from across their network of UK bases for Summer 2021, and are seeing the huge pent-up demand for holidays to these destinations turn into bookings after the Prime Minister said a global travel taskforce would put forward a report on how to return to international travel.

The UK government announced that travel will not return until May 17 at the earliest, so Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have taken the decision to extend the suspension of flights and holidays up to and including May 16.

Where customers yet to travel are affected by any programme changes, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays will automatically cancel their booking with a full refund, and their team of travel experts will be in touch to help them to book their summer getaway for later in the year.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have received praise from customers, consumer organisations, media and independent travel agents for their industry-leading and prompt refunding of over £1bn to customers whose travel plans have been affected by programme changes during the pandemic, and they will continue this customer-first approach.

On the back of the UK government’s announcement, Jet2holidays is responding to demand for the assurance that its ATOL protected package holidays provide, as well as its award-winning customer experience.

As well as booking and travelling on award-winning flights and ATOL protected package holidays, customers get to experience and enjoy the company’s VIP customer service which has seen Jet2.com and Jet2holidays repeatedly win high-profile accolades such as Which? Recommended Provider and TripAdvisor’s Best Airline – UK and Top 10 Airlines of the World.

Steve Heapy, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive, said: “We have seen enormous pent-up demand from British holidaymakers for some time, with people wanting nothing more than to get away to the sunshine and enjoy their well-deserved holidays.

“The government’s announcement is the news they have been longing for, and the surge in bookings shows how ready our customers are to get away to the sunshine on a real package holiday.”

“We are very pleased that the government has shown a clear ambition to reopen international travel in the coming months, and we look forward to more detail in due course.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have done absolutely everything to look after our valued customers and we have always said that the sun will shine for them once again.

“We know what an incredibly difficult time it has been for everyone, and we very much look forward to taking everyone from our rainy islands to their dream holiday choice this summer and beyond.”