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Date Published: 03/02/2022

ARCHIVED - Ryanair voted worst airline for Covid refunds

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British Airways was a close second with many passengers dissatisfied with the refund wait times

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Ryanair voted worst airline for Covid refunds

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago devastated the travel industry, and the rapid escalation of the health crisis and the ensuing restrictions left many operators scrambling to pick up the pieces. Chief among these issues was the handling of refunds when the vast majority of flights were cancelled in the spring of 2020.

Under consumer law, passengers affected by the cancellations were entitled to their money back within 14 days, but the surge of requests flooded most airlines and many would-be travellers were left waiting months for their refunds.

See also: Spain fines Ryanair 24,000 euros for making passengers pay for hand luggage

To add insult to injury, an equally significant number of people bombarded travel companies when their flights went ahead but they were unable to fly due to travel restrictions.

Ryanair has come out the worst in the bunch according to consumer group Which?, who have recently published a survey showing that the Irish airline received a 47% satisfaction score from customers for handling refunds at the height of the pandemic.

In fact, one in five people claimed that it took more than a month for the budget carrier to process their refund.

British Airways, which recently announced the return of free snack on its flights, didn’t fare much better and, with a score of just 63%, comes in second to last on the refund satisfaction list. The majority of passengers were dissatisfied with sometimes hours-long wait times on the company’s helpline, while others customers were transferred from department to department before their complaint was resolved.

Jet2 was deemed the best short-haul airline, with 84% of customers claiming they were satisfied with their refund procedure.

Responding to the appalling reviews given to both Ryanair and BA, Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “Ryanair’s consistently terrible customer service has made it a fixture among the worst performers in our surveys for many years – but the airline plumbed new depths with its handling of Covid refunds.

“BA’s reputation also deservedly took a battering when it took a hard line on refunds for passengers who could not travel because they followed Government health guidance."

Now read: Fines of up to 50,000 pounds for drunk and disorderly Brits in Spain

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