Jet2 has built a loyal following on the basics: 22kg bag included, return airport transfers, ATOL protection, low deposits, and a consistent service standard. The reasons people start shopping around are narrower than people leaving Ryanair or easyJet. Most are after a cheaper week, a destination Jet2 doesn’t serve, a different hotel inventory, or a flight from an airport Jet2 doesn’t fly from. We compared seven alternatives that cover those gaps.
The list includes three direct UK package-holiday rivals, two flexible online travel agents, the easyJet bundle, and two global meta-search apps for when the all-inclusive feel isn’t what the trip needs.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Bag included | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TUI | Wide European package network | Free app | Yes, 15-20kg | Long-haul packages and cruises |
| loveholidays | OTA with flexible hotel inventory | Free app | Optional | Low deposit and instant booking |
| On the Beach | Hand-picked Mediterranean beach trips | Free app | Optional | Curated hotel filters |
| lastminute.com | Short-notice packages and city breaks | Free app | Optional | Last-minute deals |
| easyJet Holidays | Primary-airport packages | Free app | Yes, 23kg | Same airport network as easyJet |
| Booking.com | Build your own (DIY) trip | Free app | N/A | Genius loyalty discounts |
| Expedia | DIY with car and activities | Free app | N/A | Bundle discounts |
Why people leave Jet2
Peak-school-holiday pricing is high. July, August, and Easter week packages can sit 20-40% above Jet2’s shoulder-season equivalent for the same hotel, often more than the OTA price for the same stay built piece by piece.
Eastern and long-haul destinations aren’t covered. Jet2 doesn’t fly to Croatia, Albania, Turkey’s east, the Gulf, or any long-haul destination. People wanting Dubai, Cape Verde, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Thailand need a different operator.
Regional bases have gaps. Jet2 flies from most major UK airports but the destination grid varies sharply by base. Southampton and Bournemouth passengers in particular often find fewer choices.
Hotel inventory is curated, not exhaustive. Jet2’s bundled hotel list skews to ATOL-tested properties, which is great for safety but cuts smaller boutique stays an OTA would surface.
Flight-only fares aren’t always cheap. Booked as a standalone flight, Jet2 often loses to easyJet or Ryanair on the same date pair, even with the 22kg bag included.
Which Jet2 alternative should you pick
- TUI for the widest European and long-haul package network.
- loveholidays for flexible hotel inventory at a low deposit.
- On the Beach for curated Mediterranean beach hotels.
- lastminute.com for short-notice packages and city breaks.
- easyJet Holidays when the trip leaves from a primary easyJet base.
- Booking.com when a DIY trip is cheaper than any bundle.
- Expedia for trips that need a car or activities bundled in.
Stay on Jet2 for school-holiday packages from northern UK bases where the bag, transfer, and ATOL protection all matter and the route is one Jet2 already flies well.
1. TUI, wide European and long-haul package network
TUI runs the only UK-based package network that goes properly long-haul: Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cape Verde, the Maldives, Thailand, and a cruise line in addition to the standard Mediterranean inventory. The app handles bookings, manage-my-booking flow, digital boarding passes, transfer tracking, and an in-resort itinerary.
Jet2 vs TUI: TUI wins on destination range and long-haul. Jet2 usually wins on Mediterranean package value in shoulder season.
Where it falls short: the 15kg standard checked-bag allowance on flights is lower than Jet2’s 22kg, and bag upgrades cost extra. Some users have reported slower disruption rebooking than Jet2 during peak summer.
Pricing: free app. Mediterranean packages from ~£300/person/week; long-haul from ~£800/person.
Switching from Jet2: install TUI when the destination is long-haul, a cruise, or a Caribbean/Mexico beach week Jet2 doesn’t reach.
Bottom line: the right pick for long-haul, the Caribbean, and cruises.
2. loveholidays, OTA with flexible hotel inventory
loveholidays is an online travel agent rather than a tour operator. Hotel inventory is larger than Jet2’s curated list, the deposit starts at £29 per person, and the flight side picks from most UK budget and full-service carriers depending on what’s cheapest. ATOL-protected on package bookings.
Jet2 vs loveholidays: loveholidays usually wins on hotel choice and on shoulder-season price; Jet2 wins on the bundled 22kg bag, transfer, and end-to-end service.
Where it falls short: baggage and transfers are added on rather than included, which can erode the headline-price advantage. Customer service reviews are mixed for disruption handling.
Pricing: free app. Package holidays from £150/person/week off-peak; deposit from £29.
Switching from Jet2: install loveholidays for any package where hotel choice matters more than included extras, and compare the all-in price (bag, transfer, in-resort transfers) against Jet2 before booking.
Bottom line: the right pick when hotel choice matters more than a bundled bag.
3. On the Beach, curated Mediterranean beach hotels
On the Beach specialises in Mediterranean beach holidays with a curated rather than open-ended hotel list. The filtering UI (pool type, distance to beach, adults-only) is the best in the segment, and the Beach Cover scheme protects against booking failures with a financial-failure refund guarantee for the flight portion.
Jet2 vs On the Beach: similar Mediterranean focus; Jet2 includes more in the bundle, OTB offers more granular hotel filtering and a wider operator mix on flights.
Where it falls short: flight selection is fixed at booking and harder to modify than Jet2’s. No long-haul.
Pricing: free app. Packages from £170/person off-peak.
Switching from Jet2: install On the Beach for a Mediterranean booking where specific hotel criteria (adults-only, on-beach, all-inclusive plus) matter more than included extras.
Bottom line: the right pick for fussy Mediterranean hotel filtering.
4. lastminute.com, short-notice packages and city breaks
lastminute.com sits closer to the OTA end of the spectrum than the tour-operator end, with strength in short-notice (under four weeks) packages and weekend city breaks. Coverage spans Europe, the Caribbean, and limited long-haul. Same-day deals and price-drop alerts work well for travellers with flexible time off.
Jet2 vs lastminute.com: Jet2 wins on far-ahead beach weeks; lastminute.com often wins inside the four-week window and on city breaks Jet2 doesn’t market heavily.
Where it falls short: the Top Secret Hotel section reveals the property only after booking, which doesn’t suit family travel. Refund processing can be slower than the tour operators.
Pricing: free app. Packages from £120/person on last-minute deals; city breaks from £180/person.
Switching from Jet2: install lastminute.com when the trip is inside four weeks or is a weekend city break Jet2 doesn’t run.
Bottom line: the right pick for last-minute breaks and weekend trips.
5. easyJet Holidays, primary-airport packages
easyJet Holidays runs through the standard easyJet app and bundles the airline’s primary-airport network (Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, plus EU bases) with a 23kg bag and transfers. Best Price Guarantee refunds the difference if the same package shows up cheaper elsewhere within 28 days.
Jet2 vs easyJet Holidays: Jet2 wins from northern UK bases and on Greek and Spanish leisure routes; easyJet Holidays wins for travellers based near Gatwick or Luton.
Where it falls short: route network is narrower than Jet2’s outside the Mediterranean. Disruption rebooking has been mixed during summer IT outages.
Pricing: free app. Packages from £279/person off-peak with a £60/person deposit.
Switching from Jet2: install easyJet for any package leaving from a primary easyJet base, then run the same dates through Jet2 for comparison.
Bottom line: the right pick from Gatwick, Luton, or Bristol when Jet2’s base options are thin.
6. Booking.com, DIY when a bundle isn't cheaper
Booking.com is hotel-first with flight booking added more recently. Genius loyalty unlocks 10-20% off select properties, and the Free Cancellation filter is the best in the segment. Building a trip from a flight (booked elsewhere) plus a Booking.com hotel often comes in cheaper than the same dates as a package, particularly outside peak weeks.
Jet2 vs Booking.com: Jet2 wins on bundled simplicity and ATOL on the whole trip; Booking.com wins on raw hotel price and cancellation flexibility.
Where it falls short: no ATOL protection unless the trip is booked as a flight+hotel “Trip” through the app’s flights tab. Flight inventory is smaller than dedicated meta-search apps.
Pricing: free app. Genius status from one stay; cancellation policies vary by property.
Switching from Jet2: install Booking.com to compare DIY hotel + flight costs against any Jet2 package; the gap is usually largest off-peak or for solo/twin trips where the package premium hits hardest.
Bottom line: the right pick when a DIY trip beats every package on the same dates.
7. Expedia, DIY with car and activities
Expedia offers the same flight + hotel + car bundle as Booking.com Trips but with better integrated car-rental inventory and a strong Things to Do catalogue for in-destination booking. One Key membership earns rewards across hotels, flights, and activities, redeemable as credit on future bookings.
Jet2 vs Expedia: Jet2 wins on hassle-free packages; Expedia wins when a car rental or pre-booked activities are part of the trip.
Where it falls short: ATOL coverage applies only to qualifying flight+hotel bundles, not to DIY component bookings. Customer service for refunds can be slow.
Pricing: free app. Bundle discounts shown at checkout; One Key membership free.
Switching from Jet2: install Expedia for self-drive trips, road trips, and anything that needs a car booked alongside the flight and hotel.
Bottom line: the right pick for fly-drive trips and itineraries with pre-booked activities.
How to choose
Pick TUI when the destination is long-haul, a cruise, or a Caribbean / Mexican beach week Jet2 doesn’t reach.
Pick loveholidays for a Mediterranean package where hotel choice and a low deposit matter more than bundled extras. Price the bag and transfer on top before comparing against Jet2.
Pick On the Beach when filtering on hotel attributes (adults-only, on-beach, all-inclusive plus) is the deciding factor.
Pick easyJet Holidays from Gatwick, Luton, or Bristol when Jet2’s destination list from that base looks thin.
Stay on Jet2 for July/August packages from northern UK bases where the bundled 22kg bag, transfer, and consistent service have actual cash value once everything is priced together.
FAQ
Is TUI cheaper than Jet2? TUI is often pricier on Mediterranean shoulder-season packages and competitive in peak summer. The gap reverses on long-haul and cruise trips where TUI is the only mass-market UK operator.
Is loveholidays better than Jet2? loveholidays has more hotel choice and lower deposits; Jet2 includes more in the bundle and has a stronger end-to-end service reputation. Match the answer to whether hotel flexibility or bundled extras matter more for the specific trip.
What is the cheapest Jet2 alternative? DIY trips through Booking.com or Expedia usually win on raw cost when school holidays aren’t a factor. For ATOL-protected packages, loveholidays typically leads on price in shoulder season.
Can I get a free Jet2 alternative for booking holidays? All seven apps in this list are free to install. Costs are the holidays themselves, not the apps.
Does Jet2 have an alternative for long-haul holidays? TUI is the main UK long-haul package operator. For DIY long-haul, Expedia or Kayak handle the flight + hotel + car combination.
Is there a Jet2 alternative with a 22kg bag included? TUI includes 15-20kg as standard, BA Plus fares include 23kg, and Jet2 itself includes 22kg. Most other UK package operators add the bag on top of the base price.
