Jet2 is the largest tour operator in the UK. It has a range of different travel subsidiaries covering everything from budget holiday deals to high-end private villa rental packages. Its airline, officially called Jet2.com, is the third largest passenger carrier in the UK behind EasyJet and British Airways.
It is, technically, a low-cost carrier and operates mostly from smaller regional airports. Yet its reputation goes against the typical budget airline grain – it is renowned for great customer service, generous baggage allowances and attention to detail. Typically I’d say its fares don’t match the lows of Ryanair and Wizz Air, but the add-ons and experience it provides make it even better value.
Network and fleet
Based primarily out of Leeds Bradford Airport, Jet2 is a purely European affair. By 2025 it will operate out of 12 airports across the length of the UK, having originally billed itself as a purely northern English travel company. As its status has grown, so has its reach and it now flies some 500 direct routes to more than 70 destinations in 22 countries.
In previous years it has flown some long-haul routes, including to the US and Egypt, but there’s currently no sign of it restarting these flights in the near future. Its focus now is firmly on southern Europe with family-friendly holidays around the Mediterranean particularly popular. Its farthest flung destination is currently the Canary Islands.
In 2023, travel numbers peaked with more than 17 million passengers boarding a Jet2 plane in search of city, sun or snow. And expansion is clearly on the agenda with more than 18 million seats on sale for 2025.
The Jet2 fleet now extends to 127 aircraft. The vast majority are narrowbody Boeing 737-800s, built for short to medium-haul flights and about the most popular low-cost carrier plane choice (Ryanair has more than 400 of them).
The airline is also expanding its fleet with the new Airbus A321 neo, among the most modern and up-to-date planes in its class. While undoubtedly offering a nicer cabin, I’m not such a huge fan as in its standard configuration the A321 neo has less legroom than its Boeing equivalent.
Booking and fares
Jet2 is unique among budget airlines because it doesn’t bother with the multiple package fares designed to confuse passengers into paying for stuff they don’t really need or want. Instead, you just pick your dates and are presented with a price to which you can add any extras you want, from checked luggage to extra legroom.
On top of that, incredibly, Jet2 includes a 10 kg, 56cm x 45cm x 25cm carry-on bag in all its basic fares. This to me makes it already much better value than some of its rival budget carriers whose carry-on prices can nearly double the basic fare price. In this regard, it operates more like a mid-range carrier than a low-cost one – except of course that the only class is economy.
Add-ons are standard and simple. Checked bags come with weight allowances dependent on the route but are usually 22 kg. Seats are allocated automatically unless you pay to select one or pay even more for extra legroom. Hot meals can be added in advance, although not on all routes.
One nice touch is that if everyone in your booking adds checked bags, seats, or meals (or all three), you’ll get a pretty good collective discount, usually around 20% to 25% off. I’ve even seen this offered on solo bookings so if it pops up in the booking flow, it’s worth selecting just to see if it gets applied.
Check-in and boarding
Check-in is open from 28 days until six hours before you fly via the website or app. One exception is if you’re flying from Turkey, where you’ll have to collect your boarding pass at the airport check-in desk. As carry-on bags are included in the basic price, I’ve only used their airport check-in a couple of times, usually to drop off skis.
For me, this is where Jet2 really starts to stand out from its budget-minded competition. In my experience, desks are well staffed and have enough open to keep queues to a swift-moving minimum. The polar opposite approach to most low-cost airlines. From certain airports Jet2 also offers its free Twilight Check-in service for early morning flights where you can drop off bags the night before to save the early queuing, should you live or be staying near the airport.
Jet2 staff are well known for their customer service and in my experience that carries through from check-in to gate and onto the plane. This is true in particular for the UK, where a real sense of pride in the brand seems to exist in its workforce. In 2024, Jet2 was the only UK airline to be a Which? Recommended Provider, the consumer body’s gold standard of reviews. A large part of this was attributed to its customer service.
There are no separate fare queues when boarding. Instead, you board in A or B groups based on where you are on the plane. It’s a much more sensible and efficient approach – as long as passengers follow the process (usually unlikely). As with any flight, you should expect to queue and stick to the luggage regulations as much as possible. Although I’ve never seen anyone get their bag measured or weighed for a Jet2 flight.
One thing to consider is that the free carry-on allowance often means there are more bags than fit in the cabin. It’s common to see staff at the gate asking passengers to place them in the hold instead, although I always try to stay well away from them as waiting for checked luggage at the arriving airport is always a drag.
Onboard – seats, legroom and facilities
This is an economy class operation so don’t expect any bells and whistles, although the grey and red cabin is undoubtedly less garish than the orange and yellow hellscapes of easyJet and Ryanair. There’s no WiFi on board, no power sockets or USB ports, no entertainment and no complimentary anything. But a big difference I’ve found is that Jet2 planes are much, much cleaner than most budget carriers.
Three-three configurations and seat sizes are budget economy class standard across the different plane models Jet2 operates. Depending on the plane, pitch (legroom) ranges from a terrible 28 inches on the A321 neo to an acceptable 31 inches on the Boeing 737-300. Seat width is typically 17 inches and although they don’t recline, they’re perfectly comfy for a couple of hours. For longer flights – some close to five hours – it’s well worth paying for the extra legroom.
Jet2 does roll in some smart touches which I think elevate the experience a little. Seat backs have metal cup holders that work independently of the fold-out tray – great for hot drinks. Overhead luggage compartments have stretchy retainers across the front to stop bags falling out. The cabin staff are unrelentingly friendly and helpful.
Another touch rare among budget airlines is how the flight deck engages with passengers. Alongside the usual announcements it’s not uncommon for the captain to chip in with observations about visible landmarks, weather and other points of interest. It all feels very colloquial and friendly, which is something many passengers really respond to.
If you haven’t booked a hot meal in advance (and I never have), it’s the usual trolley service for food and drink. Prices are comparable to most airlines and the quality of food is similar – much of it coming from well-known brands so you already know what you’re getting. I particularly love that it serves Yorkshire Tea onboard, a nod to the airline’s roots.
Loyalty programme
With all its different travel subsidiaries it makes sense for Jet2 to offer up a loyalty programme to keep customers coming back. It seems to be working, as it claims more than 60% of its customers are repeat bookings. The loyalty programme is called myJet2 and is free to join. In effect, it works like a standard customer account that puts all your bookings and the ability to manage them in one place accessible online and via the Jet2 app.
In place of air miles, it simply offers discounts, rewards and deals for different flights and holiday packages. If you fly with them more than once or twice a year, it’s worth joining on the off chance you can make a saving. Just make sure you’re logged into your account when booking to see any relevant discounts and keep an eye out for offers in the fortnightly newsletter.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
