Airlines across Europe have begun discounting their tickets as the peak summer travel season gives way to the traditionally slower months of more subdued bookings.
Discounter EasyJet Plc said on Monday that it’s offering 20% off on more than 1.7 million seats for flights from mid-September to the end of March. British Airways launched an end-of-summer sale on the same day on short and long-haul destinations for flights and package holidays.
Airlines reported a booming summer with high demand following the pandemic, though how long the peak will last for this year is less clear. Budget-conscious consumers are grappling with a higher cost of living as mortgages, energy bills and groceries inflate.
Expensive plane tickets combined with the possibility of travel disruption because of strikes and air-traffic control issues are other factors that could put people off air travel.
In an attempt to win back travelers, airlines are reducing ticket fares, a tactic that budget specialist Ryanair Holdings Plc has said it would introduce toward the end of the year to fill seats as consumers become more cost sensitive.
Irish carrier Aer Lingus also announced a September sale on Monday, while Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic Airways offered return flights from London to the US for as little as £240 ($302.99).
