easyJet.com, a pioneering travel website is 10 years old today.Initially launched in April 1997 as an information site, easyJet.com took its first
flight booking a year later and to date, some 125 million seats have been sold
online and now receive around 3 million unique visitors every week.

In the intervening years easyJet changed its marketing strap line to the ‘Webs
Favourite Airline’ as a direct challenge to British Airways’ self styled ‘Worlds
Favourite Airline. As the airline lead the industry in the development of internet
technology and introduced new innovations, many elements of the easy-to-use and
intuitive website have been widely copied by many other companies.

 

Today 98% of all easyJet seats are bought online and the newer functions allow
customers to change bookings, arrange refunds, book car hire / hotels etc,
replicating perfectly the functions that had traditionally been provided through
call centres or travel agents.

 

The airline’s pioneering approach resulted in easyJet introducing a variety of
online products and functionalities, and was the FIRST airline to offer:

 

*      (European airline) to pioneer e-ticketing

*      Online discount to incentivise consumers to go online.

*      Transfers / changes of dates, names, times online
*      Booking retrieval and request repeat confirmation emails

*      Free transfers / flight rescheduling during times of disruption

*      (Low-cost airline) to introduce online check in

*      Speedy boarding, which is booked online

*      Promotions & sales exclusive to internet

*      Travel partners products (such as hotels, car hire etc), recognising the
potential for ancillary revenue

*      Calendar view with a two week window so flexible consumers can search for
the lowest fare.

*      Booking window, ensuring passengers who want to book more than two months
in advance must do so online.

*      Dynamically packaged flights, insurance and car hire

*      To raise public awareness / support for consumer and corporate campaigns

 

 

Now available in 18 languages and offering a wide range of functions, easyJet.com
has recently been recognised as the one of the UK’s top five e-tailers as well as
the nation’s favourite airline and travel website by Hitwise, easyJet.com continues
to break new ground in the evolution of e-commerce.
Andy Harrison, easyJet Chief Executive commented

        “It is difficult to overstate the importance of easyJet.com, not only to
our business but in defining the way that travel and many other products
are sold online to consumers.

 

easyJet truly captured the zeitgeist and played a key role in the development of the
internet and over the years companies and organisations have sought inspiration in
the website’s simple, easy to use approach. Happy Birthday easyJet.com.”
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