easyJet Predicts Biggest Summer Holiday Exodus Yet With Nine Million Due To Fly Out Of UK On The Airline This Summer

- Stephen Fry revealed as Brits favourite holiday companion with Justin Bieber charting in last place

easyJet, the UK's largest airline, will see almost nine million flying out of the UK this summer (between mid July and the end of September) with five and a half million of them travelling over the school summer holidays.

The most popular routes this summer are dominated by Spain (four out of the top five destinations) with Malaga and Palma topping the list with Amsterdam, Alicante and Barcelona closely following. The busiest day of the year for travel is predicted to be 6 September with more than 130,000 passengers travelling to and from the UK on easyJet on that day alone on more than 800 flights.

The airline has also undertaken research, conducted by YouGov, to reveal travellers' ideal holiday companions from a given list. The results seem to show that many holiday makers are looking for intellectual chat by the pool as national treasure and brainbox Stephen Fry tops the list.

For some, relaxing with fashion tips and the latest celebrity gossip are the key to a good break, with Holly Willoughby coming a close second. And finally in a surprising twist Jeremy Clarkson swoops into third place, perhaps to give advice on the best hire car for a holiday break? The poll indicates Bieber fever may be on the decline in the UK with the young singer falling into last place.

Between 15 July and 30 September the 15m passengers travelling on easyJet across its European network will have the opportunity to donate their unspent foreign currency to easyJet's charity partner UNICEF, through the Change for Good campaign. Since the campaign launched last summer £1.2 million has been raised which is being used to help UNICEF's life-saving work immunising children.

Peter Duffy, easyJet's Customer Experience Director, commented;

"Since last summer our passengers have donated generously to this fantastic UNICEF programme with the money they raised having enabled UNICEF to protect nearly 1.5 million children against polio and a further 2.5 million children and mothers against deadly childhood diseases and maternal and newborn tetanus. With even more travelling this summer we hope to surpass last year's effort."

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For more information about easyJet please contact:

easyJet Press Office
T: 01582 525252
www.easyjet.com

For more information about UNICEF please contact:

Nicola Dillon
E: nicolad@unicef.org.uk
T: +44 (0) 20 7375 6096

About easyJet:

easyJet operates Europe's No. 1 air transport network with a leading presence on Europe's top 100 routes and at Europe's 50 largest airports. easyJet flies on more than 600 routes between over 130 airports in over 30 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport, more than any other airline. The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22 per cent less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route.

About UNICEF:

UNICEF is the world's leading organization working for children and their rights in more than 190 countries. As champion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to help every child realise their full potential. Together with partners, UNICEF delivers health care, nutrition, education and protection to children in urgent need, while working with governments to ensure they deliver on their promise to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations from individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments, and is not funded by the UN budget.

About 'Change for Good':

'Change for Good' is UNICEF's global initiative run in partnership with leading airlines all over the world. The airline partners include: American Airlines, Qantas and Cathay Pacific as well as easyJet in the UK. In total, 'Change for Good' globally has raised over £53 millionfor UNICEF's work with children.

About YouGov:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,066 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 7th and 10th June 2013. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).