In its inaugural inclusion, Hays Travel has ranked third in the UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) list of 272 highest rated online and retail organisations.

The UKCSI is the national barometer of customer satisfaction, published twice a year by The Institute of Customer Service.

First issued in 2008, the UKCSI is an independent benchmark of customer satisfaction on a consistent set of measures on 272 organisations and organisation types in 13 sectors. It provides businesses and customers a means to track and compare customer satisfaction performance across the UK economy.

Dame Irene Hays attended the launch of these latest UKCSI results and joined a panel chaired by Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service, alongside Chris Pitt CEO of first direct.

Dame Irene Hays, Owner and Chair of Hays Travel, said: “I’m very proud of all our people for their work to achieve this, 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.”

Jo Causon is CEO of The Institute of Customer Service, the UK’s independent professional customer service body, helping organisations across all sectors improve their performance by enhancing their customer experience.

Commenting on the results, Jo Causon said: “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. 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.”

Held in Leeds, on Tuesday 20 January 2026, the UKCSI launch attendees gained a detailed look at the latest figures and put questions to the business leaders.

UK Customer Satisfaction Index - January 2026 results

The January 2026 UKCSI shows that overall customer satisfaction is 78.2 (out of 100), up by 2.1 points compared to January 2025 (76.1). This is the highest UKCSI score since July 2022. All 13 UKCSI sectors are rated at least 1 point higher than in January 2025. The biggest improvements are seen in Public Services (Local), Services, Transport, and Utilities.

Alongside Banks and Building Societies (81.3), customer satisfaction in the Tourism sector (81.6) is at the highest level recorded in the UKCSI.

Each of the five dimensions of customer satisfaction (Experience, Complaint Handling, Customer Ethos, Emotional Connection, Ethics) is at least 2 points higher than January 2025. Notably, Complaint Handling improved by 5.4 points.

Highest rated organisations in the UKCSI January 2026

Hays Travel topped the list of 22 online, retail and hospitality businesses in the Tourism category of the January 2026 UK Customer Satisfaction Index, listed below:

• Airbnb
• booking.com
• British Airways Holidays
• Butlins
• Center Parcs
• easyJet Holidays
• Expedia
• Haven Holidays
• Hays Travel
• Hilton
• Holiday Inn
• Hotels.com
• Jet2holidays.com
• Loveholidays
• Marriott
• On the Beach
• P&O Cruises
• Premier Inn
• Travelodge
• Trivago
• TUI
• Virgin Holidays