Airline passengers have embraced no-frills carriers and rate them higher than traditional carriers in terms of customer satisfaction, according to a survey by Holiday Which? According to The Guardian, reporting on the survey, carriers including Jet2.com, easyJet, FlyBe, BMIBaby and Ryanair leave customers “much happier” than traditional carriers. Charter operators fare even worse in terms of customer satisfaction. The published list, which rates carriers according to how many passengers would recommend them to a friend, is as follows:
- Singapore Airlines 82%
- Palmair 78%
- Jet2.com 71%
- Virgin Atlantic 60%
- easyJet 51%
- flybe 48%
- bmibaby 42%
- Ryanair 40%
- BMI 34%
- British Airways 31%
- Lufthansa 28%
- Monarch Airlines 21%
- Britannia Airways 20%
- Air France 18%
- Olympic Airways 16%
- Thomas Cook Airlines 15%
- First Choice Airways 12%
- MyTravel Airways 12%
Bob Tolliday, of Holiday Which?, is quoted as saying: “A lot of the low-cost airlines are start-ups. They are enthusiastic, they’re flying out of smaller airports, and they are making a bit more effort than their traditional rivals.” A BA spokesman reportedly said: “We are clearly disappointed by this survey. It is an issue we are aware of, and we are looking to invest in our short-haul product over the next year.” The Guardian quotes a MyTravel spokeswoman as saying: “We’ve got to hold up our hands and say we’re disappointed with these figures. Having said that, Which? readers are not necessarily our target market.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd
