Alternative Airlines reveals best financial year to date

Market diversification and technology advancements drove its success

Alternative Airlines, a leading flight search and booking platform, has published its financial results for last year, which reveals 2024 was its most successful year to date. 

The company’s strategic investments in market expansion, internal technology, and flexible payment solutions have reinforced its strong position.

Alternative Airlines’ total transactional value grew by +11% year-on-year, increasing from £74 million in 2023 to £83 million in 2024 which is the company’s best-ever financial year. 

This achievement also represents a growth post-pandemic of 822% in transactional value from £9m in 2020.

Strategic market diversification has been said to be a key driver of Alternative Airlines’ success in 2024. The site saw significant year-on-year growth in key global markets in 2024 vs 2023, including in the United Kingdom (+36%), Canada (+121%), Singapore (+286%) as well as continued strong performance in the United States.

The site expanded its offering of flexible and localised payment options in 2024, including longer-term financing options, to broaden payment accessibility for travelers who might not otherwise have access to financing. 

2024 also saw Alternative Airlines reinvigorate its brand identity, including the redevelopment of the site’s homepage, to reflect an enhanced focus on flexible flight payments for all and to further align with the brand’s mission: to give everyone, everywhere, the freedom to fly. 

Last year, the brand also expanded its partnership with Amadeus to enhance its NDC X Content offerings from airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Lufthansa Group, Air France/KLM, Avianca, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, SAS, and others. 

As a result, Alternative Airlines has been able to further enrich its ancillary service offerings, including seat selection and baggage options, and significantly improve the user experience.

Finally, a big focus in 2024 was on a significant overhaul of the site’s underlying technology, with investment in cutting-edge technology to lay the foundation for future growth. 

The company’s in-house technology team introduced new processes across every facet of the business, to provide a seamless and highly localised experience for customers. 

This technology includes the introduction of Amelia, an AI-powered chatbot, which has enhanced customer service efficiency and response times. Reporting processes have been streamlined, to aid in enhancing platform capabilities to deliver innovative booking features. 

The business also strengthened its financial governance following the appointment of RSM as new auditors, enhancing financial processes and using industry expertise to ensure best practices are followed. 

Sam Argyle, managing director of Alternative Airlines, said: “We are incredibly proud of our achievements in 2024, reflecting our commitment to providing exceptional value, service, and innovation. 

"We continue to redefine payment flexibility in travel, to make air travel more affordable and accessible for travellers around the world. 

"Technology remains at the heart of Alternative Airlines, and in 2024, a big focus was on internal technology development, to enhance our industry-leading, end-to-end flight booking experience. 

He added: "These achievements position us for continued success in the dynamic travel industry, and sets us up for the next phase of growth."

Building on its 2024 success, Alternative Airlines now has ambitious plans for the coming year. 

Its plans to continue to drive market diversification, while new language support will continue to be introduced to enhance accessibility and customer reach. 

To also enhance the booking experience, an interactive seat map display at checkout will be redesigned, making it easier for customers to select seats. 

The company will also optimise flight selection features, enhancing inbound and outbound flight mix-and-matching for greater booking flexibility.