Due to their poor refund records, Ryanair (RYA.IR) and BA (IAG.L) are considered the UK’s least popular short-haul airlines.
According to a survey by Which?, low-cost airline Ryanair achieved an overall score of 55%, but only 47% in the refund satisfaction category.
One customer said: “Ryanair is the most difficult airline I have ever experienced. They seem to pride themselves on being difficult.”
Another passenger added: “There is no transparency at all regarding costs and passengers are treated like cattle that need to be squeezed for every last cent.”
Read more: Ryanair offers cheap flights as bookings decline
One in five customers said it took more than a month to receive a refund from the Irish low-cost airline.
Ryanair has been ranked in the bottom three in the magazine’s airline survey for more than a decade.
When asked “Is there an airline you would never fly with?” three quarters (74%) named Ryanair.
In the central customer satisfaction survey, the airline achieved a maximum of two stars in all evaluation criteria – with the exception of value for money, in which it received three stars.
BA ranks second to last with an overall customer rating of 63%.
Passengers complained about being put on hold for hours and then being hung up on or being endlessly transferred between different departments.
Poor customer service, along with two-star ratings for food and drink, seat comfort and value for money, led one passenger to describe BA as a “low-cost airline with premium prices”. However, BA’s cabins were rated as the cleanest, along with KLM and Jet2.
“We never take our customers’ loyalty for granted and appreciate their patience as our teams work around the clock to support them,” BA said.
Read more: EasyJet halves losses despite Omicron impact
With a score of 64%, TUI Airways is the third least popular airline in Great Britain.
“Ryanair’s consistently terrible customer service has made the airline one of the worst in our surveys for many years – but the airline’s handling of COVID refunds has reached new depths. BA’s reputation was also rightly damaged when it took a hard line on refunds for passengers who were unable to travel because they were following government health guidelines,” said Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel.
“Many passengers will not forget how they were treated by companies during the pandemic. COVID could still cause disruptions to international travel, so we advise travelers to book with operators that have flexible booking policies and are known for treating their customers fairly.”
At the other end of the spectrum, Jet2 topped the table. The airline had the best refund record: more than eight in ten (84%) respondents were satisfied with the outcome when their flight was disrupted due to COVID, and throughout the pandemic, most passengers received a resolution within two weeks.
Nine out of 10 Jet2 customers told Which? they received a full refund and no voucher. One Which? survey respondent said: “Jet2 has shone during the pandemic. The standard of customer care exceeds that of any other budget airline.”
Watch: Airline refunds: What rights do you have as a consumer?
