Hays Travel Ranks Third in UK Customer Satisfaction Index 2026

Hays Travel Celebrates Top Three Placement in Prestigious UK Customer Satisfaction Index

The United Kingdom's largest independent travel agency has been recognised as one of the nation's premier organisations for outstanding customer service. Hays Travel has achieved a remarkable third-place ranking in the authoritative UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) for January 2026, a significant accolade in its inaugural appearance on the list.

National Barometer of Service Excellence

The UK Customer Satisfaction Index serves as the national barometer for customer satisfaction, published biannually by The Institute of Customer Service. This independent benchmark evaluates satisfaction across 272 organisations and organisation types spanning 13 distinct sectors, based on comprehensive consumer research.

Online banking provider first direct claimed the top position, with retailer John Lewis following closely in second place. Hays Travel's impressive third-place finish underscores its commitment to service excellence within a highly competitive market.

Travel Sector Well Represented in Rankings

Several other travel and holiday companies featured prominently in the latest UKCSI results, demonstrating the sector's strong focus on customer experience:

Jet2holidays.com secured fifth place.
Jet2.com attained joint 16th position.
Virgin Holidays was ranked 26th.
Trivago achieved joint 31st place.
British Airways Holidays came in at joint 41st.

Additionally, online travel agent On the Beach was highlighted as one of the country's 20 most improved organisations, indicating positive trends within the industry.

Leadership Praise for Dedicated Teams

Dame Irene Hays, owner and chair of Hays Travel, expressed immense pride in the company's achievement. 'I'm very proud of all our people for their work to achieve this,' she stated. 'Making sure our customers are cared for is at the heart of our business success. We are delighted to achieve third place in our first appearance on the UK Customer Satisfaction Index. Hays Travel has a long-held reputation for providing exceptional service and we know how important the care, professionalism and expertise of our people is to our customers.'

Institute CEO Highlights Competitive Achievement

Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service, commended Hays Travel's performance. 'Being ranked third in the January 2026 UK Customer Satisfaction Index is a strong endorsement of Hays Travel's continued commitment to putting customers at the heart of the business,' Causon remarked. 'In a highly competitive sector, this result reflects the organisation's focus on trusted advice, personal service and consistently delivering experiences that build confidence and loyalty among customers.'

Robust Methodology and Sector-Wide Improvements

The January 2026 UKCSI findings are derived from an extensive online survey encompassing more than 15,000 consumers and evaluating 59,500 individual customer experiences. The data reveals encouraging trends across the board.

Overall customer satisfaction has improved since the previous year in every sector measured, reaching its highest score since July 2022. All 13 UKCSI sectors are rated at least 1 point higher than in January 2025, with the most significant gains observed in Public Services (Local), Services, Transport, and Utilities.

Notably, the Tourism sector achieved a customer satisfaction score of 81.6 points, matching the highest level ever recorded in the UKCSI, alongside the Banks and Building Societies sector at 81.3 points. This parity highlights the travel industry's successful efforts in meeting and exceeding customer expectations.