Jet2 Company Information
Jet2 began operations in 2002 and is a subsidiary of Dart Group PLC. It offers flights from eight locations in the United Kingdom. Unlike its low cost rivals such as Ryanair, Jet2 does not operate in the London area. When the airline first started it just flew from the Leeds Bradford airport to the Netherlands but it now flies to 50 locations in 18 different nations. The company claims to have flown over 20 million passengers to destinations around the globe and offers both scheduled and chartered flights. Like Ryanair, Jet2 encourages its customers to book cheap flights online and as of 2010, the company estimates that 97 percent of passengers buy their tickets over the Internet.
Low-Cost Carriers
Like all low cost carriers, if not airlines in general, Jet2 attempts to keep overhead down by eliminating services that in the past were part and parcel of every flight, such as complimentary refreshments. However, given that most of its destinations are within a few hours of the UK the absence of a free drink is not enough to deter the average traveler. The airline does place restrictions on luggage but again that is nothing new and Jet2 has yet to go as far as Ryanair and pursue the notion of seatless standing-only flights. One significant advantage that Jet2 does have over Ryanair air is the fact that it tends to fly to major airports. Ryanair flies to less well known airports such as the Ciampino airport near Rome whereas Jet2 flies to the better known Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome. The downside to flying into the major airports is that Jet2's advertised prices are marginally higher than the ones available with Ryanair but the prices are still far below those offered by major international carriers.