With rising cost of living in the UK, promotional holiday package sells out in 24 hours

A winter holiday package that claimed it could save Brits more than £200 ($229) on their soaring rent, food and fuel bills sold out in 24 hours this week.

EasyJet (ESYJY), owned by British low-cost airline EasyJet (ESYJY), launched its 28-day “Escape the UK” holiday package to Hurghada, Egypt on Monday, introducing it to consumers who work remotely. The company said on Tuesday (25) that it sold out, but did not say how many travelers booked the trip.

The all-inclusive holiday, starting in early January, costs £650 ($736) per person and includes round-trip flights, checked luggage, five-star hotel accommodations, all meals, snacks, bottomless drinks, wifi and airport shuttle.

According to the company’s calculations, based on data from the Office of National Statistics and property website Rightmove, the average 28-day spend for a person renting in the UK is £877. This number includes rent payments, utility bills, internet, food, travel and streaming subscriptions.

Average rental costs were factored into the calculation rather than mortgage costs because they are “more directly comparable to staying in a hotel,” a company spokesperson told CNN Business.

“Without fuel bills, gas costs or grocery bills to pay, the holiday is £227 ($257) cheaper per person than staying in the UK,” EasyJet Holidays said in its press release.

According to the latest ONS data reviewed by CNN, the average family spent £1,926 ($2,180) a month between April 2020 and March 2021.

When divided by 2.3 – the average number of people per family – monthly costs come to £837 ($947) per person, nearly £190 ($215) more expensive than the EasyJet vacation package.

The cost of rent, food and energy has only skyrocketed since March 2021, plunging millions of families into the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. Last month, consumer price inflation returned to the July level of 10.1%, its highest rate in 40 years.

Data from Rightmove showed that national rental prices – excluding those in London – jumped 11% in the last quarter from a year earlier.

Brits are also struggling to keep the lights on as their energy bills have soared. The average annual bill for homes is up 96% from last October, reaching 2,500 pounds ($2,830) this month.

EasyJet Holidays said it factored in the average cost per person of gas and electricity bills this winter in its calculation, which came to £68 ($77) over a 28-day period.

But Brits who booked the holiday package won’t necessarily save money, said Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, to CNN Business .

“House costs are often the biggest expense, and unfortunately, your mortgage company or landlord won’t let you cash your payment that month just because you decided to go on vacation,” he said.

Coles added that household energy bills include a permanent charge, which must be paid even if no energy is used. It is also not possible to simply stop paying internet, some TV services and local taxes for a month.

“The practical aspects of it don’t really work,” he said.