Jet2 and Kuoni have been named the joint best travel providers for a beach resort package holiday in a survey of thousands of holidaymakers carried out by Which?.
The consumer group quizzed over 8,000 people about their travel experiences in the last three years to rate 26 package holiday providers from best to worst, based on factors including price, customer service, organisation, accommodation and transport. Jet2 and luxury travel specialists Kuoni ultimately emerged on top, earning five stars across several categories including value for money and scores of 84% overall.
There were five providers officially recommended by Which? in total - Jet2Holidays, Kuoni, Trailfinders, Inghams and Hays Travel - which all received an overall customer score of 80% or above. Jo Rhodes, deputy editor of Which? Travel, said: "Next year, those booking with Which? Recommended Providers will have peace of mind that the price they are quoted is the price they will pay, as these firms have all committed to not levying surcharges if confronted with rising costs."
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Jet 2 was hailed as "a consistently excellent choice at affordable prices" for beach and resort holidays, city breaks, solo trips and family holidays, and was praised for "maintaining the personal touch" despite being one of the UK's biggest package holiday operators. Meanwhile, Which? said of Kuoni: "It’s not cheap but it offers top quality customer service and great accommodation", with customers giving the verdict that its high-end holidays are "worth every penny".
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: "We are extremely proud to receive Which? Recommended Provider status once again, and I know how much this means to our brilliant colleagues who work so hard to look after customers. This in-depth study carried about by the UK’s consumer champion is based on the actual experiences of paying customers, making the findings a true reflection of how much customer service matters to everyone at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.
"We are right in the middle of the peak booking season for holidays, and there can be no truer reflection or better reminder to customers and independent travel agents about who they can trust and rely on when choosing that all-important holiday this year."
Meanwhile, Spanish online travel agent eDreams came bottom of the list, with Which? advising travellers to "look elsewhere" despite it being the cheapest option out of the providers featured in the survey. According to the consumer experts, "Customers reported that the reality of their holidays didn’t match up to what they had been sold, and complained that it was difficult to get hold of anyone to help when things went wrong."
Providers that will be recognisable to UK holidaymakers also landed on the bottom half of the list, including British Airways, TUI and easyJet. Which? said that both TUI and easyJet failed to compare to many of their rivals in a similar price bracket, while British Airways was praised as a good choice for a ski holiday or city break but not as good as Jet2 when it comes to beach or resort holidays.
Here's the full list ranked from best to worst according to customer scores from Which?:
- Jet2Holidays - 84%
- Kuoni - 84%
- Trailfinders - 82%
- Inghams - 81%
- Hays Travel - 80%
- Virgin Holidays - 80%
- Barrhead Travel - 79%
- Secret Escapes - 79%
- Club Med - 78%
- Saga - 78%
- Mercury Holidays - 77%
- Travel Republic - 77%
- First Choice - 76%
- British Airways Holidays - 75%
- Co-Op Travel - 75%
- Shearings Holidays - 75%
- Expedia - 74%
- On The Beach - 74%
- TUI - 74%
- easyJet Holidays- 73%
- Love Holidays - 71%
- Lastminute.com - 70%
- Broadway Travel - 69%
- Balkan Holidays - 68%
- Best At Travel - 65%
- eDreams - 64%
Responding to the survey, a spokesperson for eDreams said it would not be accurate to compare them to other companies which specialise in a "more traditional package holiday offering" rather than their "dynamic packages", which are "bespoke combinations that package flights and hotels only".
They added that they "take great care to provide accurate descriptions of the accommodation options available through our platforms" and are "incredibly proud of the customer service we provide to our 17 million global customers".
A TUI spokesperson said: "As a multi-award winning – and the UK’s largest travel company – this tiny survey isn't at all reflective of the feedback we receive from our customers who enjoy holidaying with us every year".
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