easyJet issued research on how prices changed since its launch in 1995

easyJet, the UK’s largest and Europe’s leading airline, has commissioned some research in the lead up to its 20th birthday on how much the price of popular products have changed since the airline started in 1995.

LONDON, 2015-10-30 — /Travel PR News/ — easyJet, the UK’s largest and Europe’s leading airline, has commissioned some research in the lead up to its 20th birthday on how much the price of popular products have changed since the airline started in 1995.

The airline famously launched air fares for the price of a pair of jeans back in 1995 with starting fares between Luton and Glasgow of £29.00. Two decades on and starting fares on the same route are cheaper at £27.49 – a reduction of 5.2% despite APD increasing by more than 160% in that period. The price of the Levis jeans the original ad was based on have gone up from £32 to £75 today – an increase of 134%.

Peter Duffy, easyJet’s commercial director, commenting on the results of the research;

“When we began 20 years ago, it typically cost a couple of hundred pounds to fly into Europe. easyJet’s model of keeping costs low, to keep fares low and then only asking passengers to pay for the services they use, was revolutionary back in 1995.

“So it is fantastic that 20 years on we are still true to our roots and today’s Scottish starting fares now cost less than our original launch fare in ‘95. Just one of the many reasons why 68 million Europeans chose to fly with us in the past year.”

The official UK inflation rate has gone up 78% since November 1995. Property is the biggest riser – good news for sellers but bad for buyers. In 1995 the average UK house sold for £68,183. Today it is £295,000, a rise of a staggering 332 per cent.

But football fans are footing the bill for the rise of the premier league – in 1995 a ticket to Arsenal, then playing at Highbury, cost just £12.50. Today a similar seat at the Emirates is £45.69, up 265 per cent. 

Pop fans have also paid the price for the growing popularity and increasing gentrification of the Glastonbury music festival. A weekend ticket in 1995 was a mere £65 but today is £228, an increase of 251%.

Many other household essentials have rocketed in price.  Petrol, lager and cigarettes have all seen inflation busting rises since 1995 though much of that is down to the extra tax levied on them by the government who have also raised stamp prices by 152 per cent from 25p then to 63p now.

However there is some good news for consumers with both tea bags and milk having seen their prices held back by the growth of budget supermarkets and loss leader promotions.

In common with easyJet’s Glasgow starting fare, other items have also dropped in price including games consoles, books and car tax for low emissions cars. 

For further information please contact the easyJet Press Office on 01582 525252 or log onto www.easyjet.com 

Notes to Editors:

Inflation from November 1995 to present is 78 per cent.

 

easyJet flights compared with a pair of jeans

Item	1995	2015	Change
Lowest ej LTN-GLA one way fare	£29.00	£27.49	-5.2%
Pair of Levis 501 Original jeans	£32.00	£75.00	+134%

 

Items which have gone up by more than inflation since 1995:

 

Item	1995	2015	Change
Average house	£68,183	£295,000	+332%
Arsenal ticket (east/cent lower tier)	£12.50	£45.69	+265%
Cigarettes (20)	£2.70	£9.60	+256%
Glastonbury ticket (weekend)	£65	£228	+251%
A share in Apple Inc	38.13p	113.85p	+199%
Radio Times	68p	£2.00	+194%
First class stamp	25p	63p	+152%
Petrol (unleaded litre)	51.97p	114.58p	+120%
Pint of lager	£1.60	£3.44	+115%
Loaf of bread (white sliced loaf)	53p	£1.02	+92%
Cinema ticket (UK average)	£3.48	£6.50	+87%

 

*Items which have gone up by less than inflation since 1995:

 

Item	1995	2015	Change
Pint of milk	36p	44p	+33%
Tea bags (250g)	£1.32	£1.88	+43%
Prescription charges	£5.25	£8.20	+56%
Big mac	£1.74	£2.79	+60%
TV licence	£86.50	£145.50	+68%

 

Three items which have reduced in price

SOURCE: easyJet PLC

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