Are you smashing it? Agents name the most helpful tour operators

Travel agents have responded to TravelMole’s ‘Smashed It’ campaign by giving a shout out to the tour operators and airlines that have gone the extra mile to help them or their clients during the coronavirus pandemic.

As the whole industry struggles to cope with an avalanche of cancellations and refund requests, not to mention repatriating thousands of clients stranded overseas, agents have been full of praise for those suppliers that have been making their lives easier.

So, who are the companies who have received the biggest shout outs of all?

TravelMole has been told of dozens of suppliers who are doing a fantastic job dealing with the coronavirus crisis, but the company to have received the most praise is…Jet2.

One agent wrote on the Facebook page Travel Gossip in response to TravelMole’s campaign that Jet2 offered a ‘superb service’ .

As Jet2 is the second biggest holiday company in the UK, it’s perhaps not surprising that it has received the most feedback from travel agents, however, bigger isn’t always best and often the bigger the company the worse the customer service.

In contrast to the dozens of positive comments regarding Jet2, the UK’s biggest holiday company – TUI – received only three compliments.

Jetset is the next highest scoring operator, so far, closely followed by USAirtours. Please keep your comments and praise coming by clicking on the comment box below.

Riviera, Travel 2, Travelpack, Carrier Classic Collection, Classic Package, Beachcombers and If Only, Fred Olsen and Pure Luxury have also received a handful of votes from travel agents for the way they’ve dealt with their enquiries over the past few weeks.

It might come as a surprise that, aside from Jet2, the only airline to have been commended by travel agents in response to TravelMole’s shout out request up until now is Ryanair.

Of the cruise lines, Viking, Celebrity, RCCL, Fred Olsen and Princess – owner of the Diamond Princess, which was the first cruise ship to be quarantined due to the coronavirus – have all received praise from one or two agents.

Agents have also been thanking specific employees, such as ‘Mark from Jetset…amazing every time’, said Ann Marie Stanley on Travel Gossip while Andy Dean praised Emma Parrish at Jetset, Hannah at Classic, Sarah Marriott at Jetset and Pete Soneya at Pure Luxury.

Julie Birch said Paige Russ was ‘the best superstar for TUI’ while there was also praise for Vishal at Travelpack, ‘a star as always’.

Not surprisingly, companies that have been praised in the TravelMole ‘Smashed It’ campaign look set to benefit when the lockdown is over and travel bookings start to return. One agent said she would use Inside Japan after another agent recommended them.

Companies to have also been listed by agents as providing a good service in these extraordinary times are:

Alfa Travel

Africa Collection

Caribtours

Carrier

Citalia

Cosmos

Distinctive America

First Class Holidays

Funway

Inspired by Asia

JTA 

Kirker

Kuoni

Olympic

Major Travel

Planet

P&O Cruises

Premier

Prestige

Rail Discovery

Red Sea

Sandals

Shearings

Stuba

Titan

Wellbeing Escapes

YouTravel

Please keep your praise coming and let us know of any companies or staff you want to give a shout out too in the comment box below