Jet2 Expands Christmas Markets Network
Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks are doubling down on one of the most reliable seasonal winners in UK leisure travel: Christmas market city breaks. For Winter 2026/27, the group has added Strasbourg (SXB) to its festive flying program and is also marketing Colmar as a companion destination—accessed by flying into Strasbourg and continuing onward by rail.
The move lifts Jet2’s Christmas markets offering to 15 European destinations, running from late November through the week before Christmas, precisely when demand peaks for short festive getaways.
For airline planners, it’s a classic high-yield seasonal play: short-haul routes, weekend-friendly schedules, strong advance booking curves, and the kind of product that sells well as both flight-only and package holidays.
The new flying: Strasbourg (SXB) from three UK bases
Strasbourg will be served twice weekly from three UK airports—each positioned to feed Jet2’s largest catchments:
These services are scheduled in tight seasonal windows designed around the market season and the Christmas travel cutoff.
Edinburgh (EDI) – Strasbourg (SXB)
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Mondays and Fridays
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Operating Nov. 27 to Dec. 21
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Branded as exclusive services from EDI
Manchester (MAN) – Strasbourg (SXB)
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Thursdays and Sundays
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Operating Nov. 26 to Dec. 20
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Also exclusive to Jet2 in the market window
London Stansted (STN) – Strasbourg (SXB)
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Thursdays and Sundays
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Operating Nov. 26 to Dec. 20
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Again exclusive services in the published program
Operationally, the day pairs tell you exactly who Jet2 is targeting:
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Thursday/Sunday patterns are optimized for weekend breaks (3–4 nights).
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Monday/Friday patterns support either long weekends or traditional “two-night” market trips—perfect for travelers who want the atmosphere without taking a full week off.
Jet2 typically operates its short-haul network with Boeing 737-800s and Airbus A320-family aircraft. Either platform is well suited to this sector length and the high-density leisure demand profile, with turn times and aircraft utilization structured around a busy winter schedule.
Why Strasbourg (SXB) is a strong Christmas markets addition
Strasbourg is often described as the “Capital of Christmas” in France, and the city’s festive reputation is not new. Its main market traces back to 1570, making it one of Europe’s oldest. The historic center—Grande Île, a UNESCO World Heritage site—becomes the visual anchor of the market season with dense stall layouts, illuminated streets, and classic Alsace wooden chalets.
For Jet2, that’s a near-perfect seasonal product:
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A destination with high brand recognition in the UK market
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Strong winter city-break demand without needing sun-and-sea weather
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A “premium-feeling” experience that sells well in packaged form
Colmar: marketed as a second destination, accessed via SXB
Jet2 is also adding Colmar to its Christmas program, but it’s important to be precise about what that means operationally.
There is no separate Colmar airport flight here. Travelers will fly into Strasbourg (SXB) and then make their own way to Colmar by rail. That’s a reasonable proposition: Alsace rail links are frequent and the journey is straightforward, which allows Jet2 to sell Colmar as a distinct city break without building separate air capacity.
Colmar’s market offering is also different to Strasbourg’s. It’s typically positioned as more intimate—multiple smaller markets spread through the old town, with canals and half-timbered architecture providing a distinctly “storybook” winter backdrop. It’s exactly the kind of destination that performs well with the city-break audience that has already “done” the biggest markets and wants something more atmospheric.
Packaging: where Jet2CityBreaks makes the product stick
Jet2CityBreaks is leaning into accommodation segmentation:
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Strasbourg: 2- to 5-star hotel options
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Colmar: 3- to 4-star accommodation options
Travelers can book flight-only with Jet2.com or choose ATOL-protected packages through Jet2CityBreaks, with a headline entry deposit of £60 per person—a familiar Jet2 mechanic that pulls bookings forward and locks in demand early.
The bigger picture: Jet2’s largest Christmas program yet
Jet2 is positioning this as its largest-ever Christmas markets program, operating from 13 UK bases, including:
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Belfast International (BFS)
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Birmingham (BHX)
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Bristol (BRS)
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Glasgow (GLA)
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Leeds Bradford (LBA)
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Newcastle (NCL)
For Winter 2026/27, this isn’t just a couple of extra routes—it’s a broader seasonal strategy built around predictable city-break demand at a time of year when sun routes aren’t the only leisure story.
Bottom Line
Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks are expanding their Winter 2026/27 Christmas markets schedule with new services to Strasbourg (SXB) from Edinburgh (EDI), Manchester (MAN), and London Stansted (STN)—all twice weekly in tightly timed seasonal windows running from late November to the week before Christmas. Colmar joins the program as a companion destination accessed via SXB, giving travelers a second Alsace option with a more boutique festive feel.
For Jet2, it’s a strategic seasonal win: high-demand short breaks, schedule patterns built for long weekends, and a product that packages cleanly—exactly how a leisure carrier turns winter flying into something reliably profitable.
