Column: Travel with Katie But: ler of Total TravelHello September – And Breathe!
Hello September – and just how quick did those school holidays pass? I say that, like many, with a slight sigh of relief. Not so much because I have school-age children anymore (those days are behind me), but because we finally get our full teams back in the shops! I am sure many other local business owners and managers will be feeling the same. Whether it’s parents, grandparents, or extended family who’ve been juggling the six-week break – I think we can all agree, we made it!
For once, the UK summer was a little kinder to us too, and that made a big difference to families enjoying UK holidays. From a travel perspective, the peak summer season has been a strong one. We have seen minimal disruption to flights, with customers reporting that airports and security queues have, on the whole, been smooth and well-managed. Interestingly, in a pre-Covid world, school holidays often brought a slight lull in new holiday bookings, however, this summer bucked that trend. We have been consistently busy, and the demand for late deals has remained huge throughout. August certainly flew by in every sense.
Switching topics slightly, I wanted to give an update on Doncaster Sheffield Airport – something many in our region are watching closely. As I mentioned in a previous column, there’s an ongoing campaign to get passenger flights reinstated there. While Doncaster Council has optimistically targeted spring 2026 for reopening, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has more cautiously stated that commercial passenger flights may not return until 2028. That might sound like a long wait, but there are steps being taken in the meantime. Freight and private flights – which are quicker to establish – are expected to return earlier. According to Doncaster Council, the airport has the potential to create 5,000 direct jobs and deliver an economic benefit of £9 for every £1 spent. There’s also talk of up to five airlines eventually operating from DSA. So, while it’s not the immediate fix some had hoped for, there is at least a path forward.
On a more upbeat note, I have some good news for families planning their next getaway. Jet2.com has just announced a very welcome change for those travelling with little ones – children under two will now fly for free. This applies to all new bookings made from Friday, 22nd August 2025 onwards. Whether you're booking a full package holiday with Jet2holidays or just a flight with Jet2.com, infants under two now travel free of charge. But that’s not all. Jet2.com has also revamped its baggage policy for families. There’s now no excess baggage fee for child or infant equipment checked into the hold. Each child under two gets an additional 10kg baggage allowance, plus families can check in two items per infant at no charge – such as a pushchair, car seat, travel cot, or baby carrier – with no strict weight cap on these items.
And finally, an update on last week. Although we were closed for the bank holiday Monday, Tuesday it felt like the floodgates had opened – everyone seemed ready to book their next escape. September was the top-selling departure month, taking 16% of all bookings. October followed with 13%, and once again, late deals dominated with 39% of all bookings made for departures within the next six weeks. Best-selling destinations were Majorca, Lanzarote and cruise holidays departing from Southampton were also very popular – a reminder that not all holidays need to involve flights.