Alternative Airlines soars to new heights to reach £75M in revenue

New brand identity, global expansion and diversified offering propelled its growth

Online flight search and booking platform Alternative Airlines has unveiled its 2023 financial results, which show growth and global expansion.

The company's revenue grew to £75.2 million in 2023, which is a 11% year-on-year growth from £67.9 million in 2022. 

This achievement saw 2023 become Alternative Airlines’ best ever financial year, and "reinforces" the site as one of the flight booking platforms of choice for customers worldwide. 

Its financial performance was underpinned by growth in many markets. Notably, the site experienced substantial growth in key markets including an increase in 218% in UAE, a 220% increase in Australia and an increase of 113% in Saudia.

It also saw growth in Malaysia (+189%) and Singapore (+301%), further establishing Alternative Airlines' reach in key international regions.

Fueling this trajectory is Alternative Airlines' commitment to its new purpose: "to give everyone, everywhere, the freedom to fly." 

Principally, the addition of further airline content, ancillary services, and payment options has enhanced the booking experience, ensuring "greater convenience, choice and customisation" for customers. 

Alternative Airlines said its success in 2023 is also testament to the site’s "customer-first" approach, with customers supported by the site’s expert customer service team. 

In recognition of this, the site has acheived a 4.6-star rating on independent review site Trustpilot from over 15,000 reviews. 

Sam Argyle, managing director of Alternative Airlines, cited the platform's "relentless pursuit of customer-centric solutions" as the driving force behind its continued success. 

He said: "Expanding our offering to cater to the unique needs of our global customers has been instrumental in solidifying our position as the preferred flight booking platform for travellers around the world. 

“Here at Alternative Airlines, we believe in putting the customer in control. From that dream vacation, to family reunions, or travel for work, we’re here to ensure that those moments that matter happen. I’m incredibly proud of our achievements in 2023, to bring even more choice and flexibility to our customers.” 

2023 also saw the brand unveil a brand refresh. In addition to the site’s new purpose, Alternative Airlines introduced an invigorated new visual identity, with a new look and logo. 

The design was carefully considered to evoke the joy and empowerment of travel, reminding customers of the new experiences and human connections that await.

The end-to-end flight booking journey was refreshed, including a new search results page and filters, to deliver a seamless and user-friendly interface throughout. The new search filters also include low-emission flights, to enable travellers to make decisions based on airline carbon emissions.

Alternative Airlines relaunched its post-booking Manage Booking portal, with a new design and a number of additional services. 

Recognising that plans can change, customers are now able to make hassle-free amendments to their itinerary online, without the need to contact the site’s Customer Service team. New self-service changes include altering the dates of travel and airline, and can be completed in just a few clicks. Adding baggage post-booking will soon also be available. 

Offering a personalised flight booking experience centred around the needs of the individual is central to Alternative Airlines’ differentiation. Multiple payment options are now availble including BNPL, monthly financing options, e-wallets and cryptocurrency, to enable customers to pay using their preferred payment method.

The addition of even more ways to pay, including localised and popular payment methods in key regions including Southeast Asia and MENA, has provided even more choice and enabled Alternative Airlines to continue to expand its global reach in 2023. 

Alternative Airlines has partnered with Amadeus on NDC X to offer NDC Content on American Airlines, United Airlines, the Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM, Avianca, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, SAS and many more. 

Ancillary offerings such as seats and bags are now also available as part of the NDC offering, following successful integrations. 

To propel Alternative Airlines' next phase of growth, the company continues to expand its in-house team across all areas of the business, which includes customer service, tech, UX, marketing, product and finance. 

As dedicated to its staff as it is to its customers, Alternative Airlines was proud to receive certification as a Great Place to Work™ in 2023, and continues to launch policies focused on the progression and welfare of staff. This includes a new Baby Leave policy, which grants equal parental leave available to all employees in the company, regardless of gender. 

Alternative Airlines has said it has "many more exciting projects" on its roadmap. 

To expand into new markets, Alternative Airlines will be launching further language versions of the site. 

Centred around installing greater confidence when it comes to booking flights, the site will also be adding a new flight price alert feature to enable customers to lock-in flight prices.