EASYJET has just launched package holidays to more than 100 of its destinations.
All their trips include a 23kg per person checked luggage as standard, and you can pay a deposit of just £60pp, with the remainder due closer to your departure date.
The airline is clearly hoping to steal some customers from rival British Airways, which sells trips to hundreds of destinations all over the world.
But how do the two compare? And can you save by booking flights and hotel separately?
We spent some time looking at three popular routes – Edinburgh to Athens, Manchester to Barcelona and London to Crete to see whether you can save with easyJet.
How easyJet compares to the alternative
Manchester to Barcelona – travelling February 5 – 7
Monument Hotel, a five-star hotel in the elegant Eixample area of Barcelona, makes a wonderful base for a quick winter-sun citybreak.
BAHolidays had the trip – flights plus hotel on a room-only basis – for £708 for two people, while easyJet Holidays came in at an excellent £655.
But put the trip together yourself, and you could spend the weekend in luxury for £625 in total – just £312pp.
WINNER: DIY
Edinburgh to Athens – travelling April 4 – 7
Acropolis Hill, a modern, new three-star hotel less than 10 minutes’ walk from the Acropolis, makes an ideal base for sightseeing.
But despite its flight requiring a layover in London, BAHolidays was the most expensive at £781 for two people sharing.
EasyJet’s flight was non-stop and came in at £682, while DIY was slightly pricier, at £687.
All three are for a standard double or twin room, with breakfast included.
WINNER: easyJet Holidays
London Gatwick to Crete – travelling May 2 – 9
Bio Suites, a four-star eco-hotel in charming Rethymno, is just 50 metres from a long, sandy beach and has a large pool if you’d rather stay out of the sea.
BAHolidays will sort the flights and hotel for you for £1,038 for two people sharing, including breakfast.
But easyJet isn’t just cheaper at £897 – that price also includes transfers to and from the airport.
It's a great deal – but not as good as DIY, which trounced them both at £739 for the full week, or £369pp.
The DIY option doesn’t include transfers, but as you’re saving £158, that’s more than enough to pay for your own transfers or hire a car.
WINNER: DIY
How easyJet Holidays scores on hotels
If you’re looking for bargain basement two-star stays, easyJet Holidays wins hands down.
The company has hotels in every price category, but is particularly strong at the bottom end.
But for luxury, it doesn’t rival BA Holidays, which has a much wider selection of five-stars.
When it comes to mid-range, though, they’re pretty even, with plenty of three- and four-stars.
How does easyJet Holiday score on flights?
If you live outside southeast England, then easyJet Holidays will probably suit you better – it has more non-stop flights from a wider variety of UK destinations to Europe.
But BA Holidays typically has better flight times, while easyJet keeps costs low by taking slots at the more unsociable hours – pre-dawn departures and witching-hour arrivals aren’t uncommon.
BA does have departures from airports throughout the UK, but in many cases, you’ll need to do a layover in London, or you’ll be flying with a codeshare airline, such as Vueling.
Perks of booking a package holiday
Both BA and easyJet included 23kg luggage as standard for anyone booking a holiday with them.
If you make a separate flight-only booking, you’ll typically have to pay extra for hold luggage.
And both allow you to pay a deposit at the time of book – £120 for easyJet and generally £150 for BA – then save up the money to pay for the rest of the trip closer to the time of departure. This isn’t an option with DIY trips.
Crucially, a key benefit of booking with both companies is that your trip includes ATOL protection.
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