With the recession over and families cautiously beginning to spend again, the miserable weather in the UK at the moment will inevitably have the minds of consumers turning to summer holidays. Value for money will still be a huge factor, yet quality and customer service on their airline of choice is expected to influence passenger decisions this year thanks to a more stable economic situation than in the past few years.
This could prove to be bad news for Irish budget carrier Ryanair, as it has scored the lowest on a new league table designed to tally the customer satisfaction results of passengers.
Consumer champions Which? asked their members to rate airlines they used for homeward flights in the 12 months to October, using various factors to determine which carrier offers the best service for their passengers. Ryanair scored only 34 per cent in overall satisfaction, placing it below 15 other companies at the bottom of the table.
Only airlines which received 30 passenger reviews were counted as valid participants in order to make the variety of responses as fair as possible. Ryanair’s total score was based on the views of 563 passengers which had used the carrier in the period.
A spokesperson for Which? said; “We were inundated with comments about Ryanair – many about its extra charges.
“This partly accounts for the paltry one star ratings for baggage allowance, boarding arrangements, seat allocation and food and drinks.”
Ryanair’s additional charges have become something of a sticking point for passengers, with consumers forced to pay extra for a variety of services that many believe should be free. Rumours even began to circulate last year that chief executive Michael O’Leary was considering adding a £1 charge for using the toilet facilities on flights – something which the majority of industry experts reacted to with incredulity.
At the other end of the scale, Swiss scored an impressive 82 per cent on overall customer satisfaction with many of the individual categories receiving a five star response from the airline’s passengers. Check in process, the efficiency of both desk and on board staff and seating allocation were included in the maximum scoring categories.
Turkish Airlines came second with a score of 78 per cent, with Lufthansa taking third place.
However, the part that may really stick in Michael O’Leary’s throat is the fact that Irish rivals Aer Lingus came in fourth place with a score of 74 per cent. Ryanair is currently attempting to buy the rival company which would mean that the majority of flights leaving Dublin will be under the umbrella of Ryanair. However, this bid will have to be approved by the European Competition Commission before the budget carrier will be able to finalise the deal.
Consumers checking this table may still wish to continue flying with Ryanair for the low cost fares available, yet it is hoped that the airline will take the opportunity to review its services and attempt to move up the league table in time for summer 2014. Perhaps with more tables such as these being introduced to the aviation industry, consumers will finally be able to get both value for money and exceptional service on even the lowest cost budget airlines.
Would you be put off flying with a budget airline if they scored poorly on a consumer satisfaction survey, or is a low price the priority for your family at the moment? Have you chosen to fly with Ryanair in the past 12 months, and if so, do you agree with the low consumer satisfaction score or did you enjoy your experience with the budget airline?
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