Trailfinders has joined Travel Counsellors, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays and Hays Travel at the top of MoneySavingExpert’s (MSE) latest "refund experience" list.
The consumer champion’s latest league table is based on 77,000 survey responses collected from 30 June to 6 July, and includes an additional 17 firms.
It builds on a poll dating from 1-11 May which received more than 27,000 responses covering 53 travel companies (only those with 100 or more responses have been included).
Homeworking giant Travel Counsellors maintains top spot with a net score of +84% based on 745 responses, albeit down 7% on MSE’s the May poll. Net score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of respondents who rated their refund experience as "poor" from those who rated their experience as "great".
Trailfinders has risen from from ninth to second in the list with a net score of +81% based on 974 responses, up 49%.
Jet2holidays (+79%, up 25% on 2,283 responses) and Jet2.com (+77%, up 30% on 3,269 responses) climb into third and fourth place respectively, with Airbnb (+69%, up 13% on 1,102 responses) dropping from third to fifth and Hays Travel (+64%, down 6% on 1,629 responses) from second to sixth.
The new top 10 is completed by British Airways Holidays (+63%), Haven (+54%), Center Parcs (+53%) and Saga (+52%). The top new entrant was Co-operative Travel in 12th with a net score of +34%. Other notable new entrants include Norwegian (+23%, 14th); Eurocamp (+7%, 18th); and Travelbag (-3%, 24th).
Those showing the largest improvement include First Choice (+5%, up 65%); Trailfinders (as above); Riviera Travel (+2%, up 47%); Tui (-21%, up 39%); and Cottages.com (-22%, up 32%).
It comes after the Competition and Markets Authority and the CAA launched reviews of refund practices across sales of holiday lets, accommodation and package holidays, and airlines. MSE said it would provide a "dossier" on refunds to the CMA, CAA and Department for Transport.
Major firms propping up the list include Teletext Holidays, 68th with a net score of -96% based on 507 responses, down -2% on May; Ryanair, 65th with a net score of -89% based on 8,897 responses, down 7% on May); and Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays, 62nd and 63rd respectively each with net scores of -88% based on 2,675 and 2,518 responses, down 37% and 15%).
MSE said the list showed a "stark divide" between firms, adding the aim of the list was to gauge people’s feelings on how they felt about their "refund experience".
A Teletext Holidays spokesperson said a "high percentage" of customers with cancelled holidays had now rebooked, or taken a credit note.
It has processed refund requests for 62% of customers who had been due to depart in March, and 41% of those due to depart in April. It has pledged to process all refund requests for cancelled March and April departures by 17 July.
All customers have been contacted by email; other cancelled bookings will be dealt with by date of departure.