Refundmore Index 2026: How we compiled the ranking
For the Refundmore Index 2026, our European airline ranking, we assessed 20 of the largest and most well-known airlines in Europe. The comparison covered a six-month period from 15 November 2025 to 14 May 2026.
The airlines were evaluated across three categories: reliability, payment behaviour, and customer opinion. Each category was rated on a scale from 1 to 5 stars, with 1 star representing the lowest rating and 5 stars representing the highest rating.
Reliability
In the reliability category, we analysed each airline’s delay and cancellation figures to identify which airlines performed particularly reliably and which did not.
Our analysis is based on Flightright’s and our internal database, which contains millions of flight data records and is updated daily. To make the results as accurate as possible, we also compare this information with databases from commercial providers.
Percentage of cancellations
Airlines that cancelled less than 0.51 percent of all scheduled departures during the six-month period received 5 stars. Airlines that cancelled more than 2.50 percent of all scheduled departures received 1 star.
Total cancellations / planned flights
0.00 % to 0.50 %: 5 stars
0.51 % to 1.00 %: 4 stars
1.01 % to 1.50 %: 3 stars
1.51 % to 2.50 %: 2 stars
Over 2.50 %: 1 star
Percentage of delays from 15 minutes
For delays, we examined all airline departures that were delayed by at least 15 minutes during the six-month period. Departures with delays of less than 15 minutes were considered reasonably punctual.
If fewer than 5.1 percent of an airline’s departures were delayed in the period analysed, the airline received 5 stars. Airlines where more than 30 percent of all departures were delayed by at least 15 minutes received 1 star.
Delays / total flights
0.00 % to 5.0 %: 5 stars
5.1 % to 10.0 %: 4 stars
10.1 % to 20.0 %: 3 stars
20.1 % to 30.0 %: 2 stars
30.1 % and more: 1 star
Payment behaviour
In this category, we reviewed how quickly the individual airlines paid us compensation owed due to flight delays and cancellations.
First, we looked at how often airlines paid the compensation owed directly to Refundmore without requiring us to send an additional payment request. Airlines that paid more than 40 percent of compensation directly to us received 5 stars. Airlines that paid less than 10 percent directly to us received 1 star.
Second, we examined how many days airlines took to transfer the relevant compensation payments to Refundmore after we had sent a payment request. Airlines that paid within less than 15 days received 5 stars. Airlines that took 101 days or longer received 1 star.
Direct payments to Refundmore
+ 40 %: 5 stars
30 % to 40 %: 4 stars
20 % to 30 %: 3 stars
10 % to 20 %: 2 stars
5 % to 10 %: 1 star
Days until payment after the payment request
0 days to 14 days: 5 stars
15 days to 30 days: 4 stars
31 days to 70 days: 3 stars
71 days to 100 days: 2 stars
101 days and longer: 1 star
Customer satisfaction
To evaluate customer satisfaction, we surveyed thousands of Refundmore customers about their experiences with different airlines. The survey focused on how satisfied customers were with the airlines’ service and how quickly and reliably air travellers’ concerns were handled.
The survey consisted of seven questions covering airline customer service availability, information policy, and support for passengers affected by flight problems. Each question had five possible answer options. The least favourable answer was rated with 1 star, while the most favourable answer was rated with 5 stars.
We asked our customers the following questions:
How satisfied were you with the availability of your airline’s customer service after you were informed of the issue (delay or cancellation)?
How would you rate the quality of the information you received from the airline after your flight was delayed or cancelled?
How quickly did the airline respond to your enquiry?
How satisfied were you with the solutions offered by the airline to mitigate the inconvenience caused by the delay/cancellation?
Did the airline offer you hotel accommodation if this was necessary?
How did you feel about the general helpfulness of the airline staff during the incident?
Based on your experience, would you recommend this airline to other travellers?