A young man who nabbed a one-day return flight to Ibiza for just £35 has hit back at critics who slam him for ‘killing the environment’.
Jack Haigh jetted out to the Spanish island to explore the Old Town, relax on the beach and eat tapas for less than the price of four cocktails.
He says the whole experience, including food, travel and flights, cost no more than £60 – and he was back home in Barnsley the very same evening.
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Online users have criticised the 19-year-old for his environmental impact.
But he says “the planes are going regardless” and he makes an effort to recycle and reduce waste in other areas of life.
“I always wanted to travel and I was sick of asking my friends, ‘Do you wanna go here?’” Jack told What’s The Jam.
“They always said they had no money and suggested going to Wetherspoons instead.
“When I found out how accessible and cheap all the flights are, I just decided to go all on trips all by myself.
“It’s become a completely new lifestyle. I loved it and thought, ‘Wow, this is so easy!’”
Jack, who drums in a band and works part-time as a warehouse operator in Wickes, flew out to the popular Spanish party destination with his girlfriend Abbie, 20, on April 3.
He left Leeds Braford Airport at around 8am, leaving his car at a nearby friend’s house to save on parking costs.
The pair had breakfast at the airport lounge – which Jack enjoys with his priority pass – before arriving in Ibiza at around 10:30am.
He said: “We got a €2 bus into the Old Town to save on Ubers.
“We wandered around and chilled on the beach before having some local Spanish tapas at a new restaurant.
“We got a fridge magnet, then went up the castle – that was a free thing to do.
“We were enjoying a bit of sun, having drinks and soaking up local culture as opposed to the partying.
“The flight back was about 9pm. Per person, for flights, petrol and meals, it was around £60 tops.
“I like to keep it nice and cheap. I don’t skimp; I almost do it when I go abroad for a day to prove to myself that it’s cheaper than a return train to Nottingham or a night out in town.
“You can go to another country, have a few beers, have a nice time, get a fridge magnet and get back home for less than a night out in the UK.
“Four cocktails and it’s gone.”
And it’s not the first quick holiday – known as an ‘extreme vacation’ – Jack has completed.
He’s taken on dozens of similar day trips before, including ones to Poland, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and Denmark.
One of his most unusual trips was to Morocco with his dad Russ, where they spent eight hours in Agadir, rode camels, drank Moroccan tea and flew home the same day – with the return flight costing just £28.
Jack says extreme day-tripping allows him to fit travelling around his busy work schedule.
He said: “Going for the day, you dip toes in water to see if you want to go for longer.
“I have two jobs – I work 20 hours a week at Wickes. My main job is freelance as a professional musician.
“I work corporate events, at weddings, in bands and a lot of touring around Europe with my own bands.
“At Wicks, I work part-time, and I get Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays off.
“I finish on Sunday at 4pm, get a flight out and fly back Thursday morning – that’s three nights away without using any annual leave. I save all of that for when I need to tour.”
Although some critics raise concerns about his carbon footprint, Jack doesn’t see the problem.
Jack said: “There’s a Facebook page for people who do extreme day trips and one of my posts went viral with like 10,000 likes.
“A few people were talking about my carbon footprint and how I’m going to kill the environment.
“My response to that is, respectfully, the plane is going regardless of whether I’m on it or not.
“I really don’t think a Jet2 plane with 240 passengers isn’t going take off because I’m not on it.
“You get one life, and I take care of the environment in other ways – I recycle, I don’t litter. If I want to go somewhere, I’m going to go.”
Jack says he keeps costs down by booking flights a month in advance, mostly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when deals are released.
He added: “I won’t spend more than £100 on a day trip.
“I check Skyscanner every day.
“More people need to get on it. I think it just puts things into perspective.
“People will happily spend £7 on a pint, but my flights to Prague were £9 each way.
“People are happy to spend it on something that’s materialistic – but they’ve got nothing to show for it.
“I think people should start doing it more.”
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