Travel column with Katie Butler of Total Travel: One door closes, but Leeds Bradford's holiday runway stays busy

EasyJet has announced that it will be leaving Leeds Bradford Airport early next year, with its final flight from the airport due in January 2027.

The airline says it is concentrating on the routes proving most popular with customers, and anyone with a booking beyond the cut-off date is being offered the choice of a transfer to an alternative airport or a refund.

So, if you were hoping to pop to Malaga or Palma from Leeds Bradford next year with easyJet, it’s worth checking your booking and making sure you know what’s happening.

But before we all start polishing our passports and looking for the nearest airport further afield, there is some rather better news from another familiar name at Leeds Bradford. Jet2 has wasted no time in responding, and reminding us that they are planning their biggest-ever programme from Leeds Bradford next summer, with 65 destinations on sale and 15 aircraft based at the airport.

There are some new additions too, including Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, Tunisia, Preveza, Santorini and Tivat in Montenegro. So, while one airline is closing the door, another appears to be opening it rather wider. That can only be good news for Yorkshire holidaymakers who like the convenience of flying from their local airport.

Closer to home, the brand-new Alfa Travel and Alfa Holidays 2027 brochure has now landed on the shelves of your local high street travel agencies, and judging by the number disappearing from our branches, you lot are not taking your time making your mind up on which trip you want to travel on.

Alfa’s coach holidays are proving popular with people who like their holidays nice and straightforward: comfortable Mercedes-Benz coaches, reserved seating, breakfast and dinner included and evening entertainment. There are also plenty of local pick-up points across the area, so you don’t have to trek halfway across the county before the holiday has even started.

The 2027 programme also has a £25 per person low deposit, no single supplements at Alfa’s own hotels and early-booking and loyalty offers available on selected holidays.

Our latest booking figures from last week show that late bookings are still very much a Yorkshire thing, accounting for 43 per cent of bookings. Apparently, we like to leave things until the last minute – who knew? September departures were the biggest sellers last week, followed by October and August, while Tenerife took the top spot for destinations, with Majorca second and Dalaman third.

So, whether you’re a meticulous planner who has next summer organised already, or someone who thinks booking a holiday six weeks before departure counts as being extremely organised, there’s certainly plenty of choice from Yorkshire at the moment. And if you are passing one of our branches in Heckmondwike, Ossett or Brighouse, grab an Alfa brochure while you can. They’re disappearing quicker than a packet of biscuits in the staff room!