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In praise of Jet2, and the other travel companies having a good pandemic

Top of the list are Jet2 and Jet2holidays, which have kept up contact with customers and given refunds without a fuss - Getty
Top of the list are Jet2 and Jet2holidays, which have kept up contact with customers and given refunds without a fuss - Getty
Michael Smith writes

After all the sorry tales of cancelled holidays and difficulties in getting refunds, it’s important to recognise that not all companies are behaving badly.

In July, when Spain was easing its lockdown, we booked a trip to the Canary Islands with Jet2holidays, leaving on Sept 2. Jet2 contacted us a week before we were due to travel, saying the holiday was cancelled because it was clear the Canary Islands would not be put back on the travel corridors list. The email clearly set out our options: rebook, accept a voucher, or take a cash refund. If I chose a cash refund, Jet2 would contact me and the refund would normally be made within 28 days.

A full refund was credited to my bank account on Sept 11 and I’ve heard of other similar experiences. Please give some publicity to companies like Jet2.

Gill Charlton, consumer correspondent, replies

Mr Smith makes a good point. Among the hundreds of emails from readers complaining about the difficulties of securing refunds, we have received praise for a small number of companies.

Top of the list are, indeed, Jet2 and Jet2holidays, which have kept up contact with customers and given refunds without a fuss. Jet2 was voted best short-haul airline by readers in the Telegraph Travel Awards last year, and customer service is clearly a priority.

We have also heard good things about Trailfinders, both as a tour operator and a travel agent. Charlie Baggs booked flights to Cape Town which were cancelled by BA in August. “Trailfinders phoned to alert me and said they would claim my refund from BA, but warned it might take weeks,” he says. “The next morning, I received an email from the same agent saying his manager had agreed to an immediate repayment, which I received that afternoon.”

Miles Morgan Travel was praised by Kate Atkinson after promptly negotiating a full refund from James Villas. She had cancelled her Menorca holiday due to new government advisories in July.

Several readers mentioned Inghams, including Fraser McCombe, whose holiday to Davos was cancelled in May. He was offered an alternative or a refund. “This appeared in my account within a week and there was no attempt to persuade me to accept a voucher,” he says. “We’ll definitely use Inghams again.”

British Airways Holidays has also done well. Malcolm Austin booked a family holiday to Toronto for July, paying a deposit of £900. After the flights were cancelled on June 2, he received an email saying he would be given a full refund. It arrived a few days later.

Have your say

Which travel companies have you been impressed with in recent months, and which failed to live up to expectations? Please leave your comments below.