UK budget airlines triumph in consumer review poll

  • British budget operators commended for reliability, customer service and value for money
  • Major US operators score poorly in annual ReviewCentre.com poll
  • Leeds-based Jet2 top the list with average rating of 9 out of 10
Manchester, UK - 14th March, 2007 - UK budget airlines have been rated as the best operators running flights through Britain's airports, according to customer ratings on ReviewCentre.com - the UK's leading consumer review website. Leeds-based flight operator Jet2 topped the list with an average score of nine out of ten for the quality of its service, and was praised by customers for its excellence in reliability, customer service and value for money. BMI, First Choice, Thomas Cook and EasyJet also came out favourably from the survey with ratings above five out of ten, whilst US operators American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways all scored poorly.

The latest findings come after BBC research revealed that the popularity of air travel is at an all time high, with British airports handling more than 200 million passengers in 2006 - including 6 million during the Christmas break. Budget airlines have played a major role in the surge in popularity of air travel, with over 77 million low cost flights booked in the UK during 2006. ReviewCentre.com is the UK's leading consumer review website with over 150,000 current user reviews and comments on a variety of products and services. It currently allows users to comment on and rate over 200 different passenger airlines, based on their experiences during flights.

In an industry where budget companies have gained a reputation for 'economical' levels of service, Gaynor Holt, Chief Operations Officer at Resource Team, believes Jet2's score on ReviewCentre.com "represents a triumph for low-cost operators. The fact that many people consider Jet2's service quality to be better than established names such as BA and American Airlines is a great achievement - and a wake-up call for the big-guns. Competition for passengers is higher than ever, so the quality of service that airlines provide has become crucial - people are looking for cheap, hassle-free flights, and feedback from other customers can play a large part in the decision process."

Upon topping the poll, Carly Brear, General Manager, Sales & Marketing at Jet2, commented: "We are thrilled to receive yet another consumer-driven honour. This proves that consumers really appreciate excellent customer service matched with low cost fares."

The full results of the ratings were:
 Jet2.com 9.0
 bmi 6.8
 Continental Airlines 6.3
 Singapore Airlines 6.3
 Thomas Cook 6.0
 Virgin  Atlantic 5.8
 EasyJet 5.4
 BA British Airways 5.2
 bmi baby 4.7
 Ryanair 4.7
 Emirates 4.7
 MyTravel 4.6
 Monarch Airlines 4.3
 KLM 4.3
 United Airlines 4.2
 American Airlines 3.2
 Thomson Fly 3.0
 US Airways 2.5
 Iberia Airlines 2.2

Jet2 recently received an award at the ReviewCentre.com Annual Awards in February 2007 for Best Airline, and was commended for its service excellence. The Review Centre award ceremony featured a range of categories of consumer products, and was based on ratings and reviews from visitors to the website. Winners at the awards ceremony included the AA (Car Insurance), CD WOW (Online Music/CD Shops), Skoda (Sports Car - Octavia RS), Virgin Mobile (Mobile Phone Provider), and Microsoft (Games Console - Xbox 360).

The ReviewCentre.com site includes over 2,000 consumer defined categories including, holidays, insurance, electronic equipment and book reviews. With an average of over 17 million page views per month and over 120,000 members, the Review Centre is one of the most successful consumer review websites in the world. For more information please visit www.reviewcentre.com

About Resource Team Ltd:
Resource Team Ltd is a specialist in the field of web design, search engine optimisation and website accessibility, also bringing a wealth of knowledge about building successful optimised websites using standards compliant design. The company's aim is to help consumers choose the best products and services at the best price from the most suitable suppliers. For more information please visit www.reviewcentre.com & www.internetcashback.co.uk

Note to Editors: For further details of review ratios in your topic area please contact Louise Sambells or call her on 01780 721433.

For more information please contact:
Louise Sambells
ThePressOffice - PR for Resource Team
Tel: 01780 721433
Email: lsambells.pressoffice@targetwire.com

Gaynor Holt
Chief Operations Officer
Review Centre
Resource Team
Tel: 01457 833444
Email: gaynor@reviewcentre.com

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