HOLIDAY prices will “dramatically” surge as Brit tourists rush to fly to Europe next summer, warns Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.
The demand for trips abroad will outpace capacity, meaning Brits emerging from months of Covid lockdown will face spiralling flight and accommodation costs, he added.
The budget airline chief, 60, told Trending In The Newsday Times: “I think there will be a dramatic recovery in holiday tourism within Europe next year.
“And the reason why I think prices will be dramatically higher is that there’s less capacity.”
He said reduced flights for the 2022 summer getaway have already been highlighted by Thomas Cook, Flybe, Norwegian and Alitalia – the latter of which is chopping its fleet by 40 per cent.
O’Leary added: “There is going to be about 20 per cent less short-haul capacity in Europe in 2022 with a dramatic recovery in demand.”
With consumers also warned to prepare for rising inflation costs, Ryanair prices will be slashed this winter to “grab market share everywhere”, O’Leary vowed.
Ireland’s Ryanair had 150 million passengers in the year before the pandemic and 200 Boeing 737 MAX jets on order.
Trending In The News Online has recently reported that Brits are racing to book a summer staycation for next year, with some parts of the country saying they’re already half-full.
Aspects Holiday director Mandy Spencer said the boom was likely because of the popularity this year leading to many popular UK hotspots selling out, with families not wanting to miss out for a second year running.
She told the Times: “Because of the limited availability in Cornwall this year, people are looking ahead to ensure they don’t miss out again next year.”
Of course, while some of the fancier breaks, or the treehouses and hot tub cottages may be selling out already, there are still some deals for 2022, including:
- Haven holiday parks 2022 breaks from £49
- Parkdean short breaks 2022 from £129
- Forest Holidays treehouse 2022 breaks from £45pppn
- Park Holidays 2022 breaks from £209
Families wanting to get a holiday in should check the terms and conditions, with many offering protection if the trip has to be cancelled due to Covid.
Others offer cheap deposits and low payment plans so you don’t have to pay the full cost upfront.
MEGA-PLANE DEAL
O’Leary’s Europe hols warning followed market leader Ryanair last week seeing talks over a mega-plane deal fall apart.
An attempt to secure a bigger chunk of Europe’s no-frills flight market was knocked back during talks over the planned stock expansion with Boeing.
Ryanair had until last week looked set to extend its lead of Europe’s aviation industry until the end of the decade with a deal for up to 250 more planes – but talks collapsed spectacularly on Monday.
