Competition on the London to North West England air routes was raised a considerable notch higher today as Jet2.com
unveiled a genuine free flight offer to celebrate the launch of its new low cost services between London Gatwick and Manchester.Business and leisure travellers alike who fly between London and Manchester or vice-versa are being given a free, no-hidden-small-print one-way flight between the two cities.

The three-times daily flights begin on 17 January with fares starting from £15 one way including taxes - the giveaway is available during a week-long promotional period from January 17 until January 23, 2005.

To claim the free Jet2.com ticket, applicants need to present their boarding card from any commercial airline flight between a London airport and Manchester travelling from January 17-23 to the Jet2.com sales desk at Manchester airport.Ê The person named on the ticket will be given a free flight any time in February 2005 from either London Gatwick to Manchester or vice-versa.

Jet2.com boss Philip Meeson said: “We wanted to show passengers who use these routes for business or leisure purposes, or who use either Manchester or London to connect further abroad, that there is now a low cost alternative to their normal choice of airline.Ê

“This isn’t one of those supposedly ‘free’ flight scams where passengers have to pay taxes and charges - this is 100 per cent free, completely on the house.

“There’ll be tens of thousands of people flying between the two cities in those seven days, and we’d be delighted to welcome every single one of them onboard. We are confident they won’t look elsewhere once they have experienced the Jet2.com service.”

The airline, which also has bases at Leeds Bradford and Belfast, commenced flights from its new Manchester base on December 1, 2004.Ê The three-times daily service between London Gatwick and Manchester starts on January 17, with fares - which will rival coach and train travel - starting from £15 including taxes.

Business travellers on the route will benefit from Jet2.com’s dedicated hand baggage-only check-in - the airline has a generous 10kg hand baggage allowance.

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