Who was 2011’s biggest travel villain?
Ryanair has been named at the biggest travel villain of 2011 by business travel buyers.
The airline was voted as the brand most buyers would like to erase and chief executive Michael O'Leary as the boss everyone loves to hate.
Of the 252 business travel buyers surveyed, 42% named Ryanair as the brand they hated the most. British Airways and EasyJet came joint second with 14% of the votes each, but British Airways also came out as the biggest hero.
“What this survey shows is that, when it comes to buying business travel, passions run most high when talking about the airline industry, and buyers are certainly passionate in their feelings towards Ryanair,” said Business Travel Show event director David Chapple.
“With O’Leary’s no-nonsense, no-apology attitude, this result is unsurprising. However, British Airway’s positioning is interesting – who would have thought they’d have such a Marmite effect on buyers? It clearly reflects how one experience – good or bad – can really colour a brand’s values in the eyes of buyers.
O'Leary was named fourth in the list of travel villains, followed by Heathrow Airport. Eurostar gained 22% of the votes for the travel hero, coming in second place behind British Airways which gained 33% of the votes. EasyJet and London Mayor Boris Johnson came joint third with 17% and Emirates fifth with 11%.
Ryanair was also named as the brand most buyers would like to erase, gaining 57% of the votes, followed by easyJet with 20%, Paris Charles de Gaulle airport (9%), BA (9%) and London (9%).
Virgin Atlantic was named as the brand that inspired the most confidence, followed by BA, Emirates, Premier Inn and Marriott.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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