Consumer Champion Which? Publishes Comprehensive Airline Rankings
In a major study that will make uncomfortable reading for some airline executives, consumer organization Which? has revealed the best and worst airlines operating in and out of the United Kingdom. The comprehensive research, conducted over twelve months, surveyed more than 5,500 travelers about their recent flight experiences across multiple critical factors.
Methodology and Assessment Criteria
The extensive survey evaluated airlines based on numerous aspects of the passenger journey. These included value for money, cabin environment and cleanliness, food and drink quality, seat comfort, customer service efficiency, boarding procedures, booking process simplicity, seat pitch measurements, last-minute cancellations, and overall punctuality. Which? then analyzed this substantial dataset to determine customer satisfaction levels and rank carriers accordingly.
Short-Haul Airlines: The Worst Performers
Irish budget carrier Ryanair emerged as the poorest performer among short-haul airlines, achieving a dismal customer score of just 55 percent. The airline, led by CEO Michael O'Leary, received only two-star ratings for its booking process, boarding organization, customer service, and cabin environment. Most concerningly, Ryanair managed just a single star for seat comfort.
Despite its reputation for low fares, the airline scored merely three stars for value for money. One dissatisfied passenger remarked: "It is billed as a budget airline but they make money from extras which far outweigh price savings on other flight companies." Another traveler complained about the onboard experience, stating: "The plane is dirty and the seats are awful."
Hungarian carrier Wizz Air followed closely as the second-worst short-haul airline, also scoring 55 percent. The airline collected two-star ratings across multiple categories including booking process, boarding, customer service, seat comfort, and food and drink offerings. Like Ryanair, Wizz Air managed three stars for value for money.
One Wizz Air customer described the airline as "consistently terrible and overpriced," while others criticized poor customer service and insufficient communication regarding flight delays.
Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling Airlines ranked as the third-worst performer for short-haul flights with a 63 percent customer score. The airline achieved three stars on value for money but only two stars across other assessed factors.
Another major budget airline, easyJet, scored 67 percent overall, receiving two-star ratings for boarding, customer service, seat comfort, and cabin environment. The carrier managed three stars in the value for money category but placed sixth from bottom in the overall rankings.
Long-Haul Airlines: Mixed Performance Results
In the long-haul category, Irish carrier Aer Lingus performed poorly with an overall score of just 65 percent, making it the worst-rated airline for international journeys. The Dublin-based airline received three-star ratings for most categories but only two stars for cabin environment and seat comfort.
American carriers United Airlines and American Airlines followed with scores of 68 and 69 percent respectively, indicating room for improvement in their transatlantic services.
Top Performers and Industry Leaders
Jet2 claimed the top position for short-haul flights with an impressive 76 percent customer satisfaction score. The airline was followed by Lufthansa and Norwegian in the rankings. Other strong performers in the short-haul category included British Airways, KLM, TUI, Aer Lingus, and Air France.
For long-haul journeys, Singapore Airlines took the crown with the highest overall rating of 81 percent. The airline achieved the exceptional distinction of receiving five-star ratings for both customer service and cabin environment, making it the only carrier to achieve this top rating in these categories.
Emirates closely followed with 81 percent, while Virgin Atlantic scored 79 percent. Both Emirates and Virgin Atlantic, along with Jet2, have been designated as Which? Recommended Providers based on their consistently high performance.
Industry Response and Commentary
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, commented on the findings: "It's outrageous to see Ryanair and Wizz Air openly scoff at the poor experiences of their own customers. They love to blow their own trumpet about the number of passengers who fly with them, but on many routes, there is simply no other choice."
Boland continued: "Many other passengers fly with them because of the enticingly low headline fares. But ridiculously expensive charges for baggage and other add-ons mean they are no longer guaranteed to be the cheapest option. We've repeatedly found that airlines that include baggage and seat allocation in their fares can actually work out cheaper overall. Fly with anyone else, if you can."
Ryanair responded defiantly to the survey results, with a spokesperson stating: "Neither we nor our 208m passengers pay any attention to these made-up manufactured surveys or their fake results. Every passenger booking a flight has a choice and last year 208m consumers chose Ryanair, while nobody reads or pays any attention to Which? fake surveys."
Wizz Air challenged the survey's methodology, with a spokesperson commenting: "Once again, Which's survey relies on a tiny sample size. It surveyed 259 people, which is only 0.002 percent of the 12 million passengers carried on our UK flights in 2025. No credible organization can claim that such a sample is representative. Our strong passenger numbers - which rise every year - clearly show that travellers value Wizz's low prices and industry-leading operational performance."
The airline further highlighted improvements in customer satisfaction and operational metrics, noting an eight percentage point increase in customer satisfaction from October 2024 to December 2025, along with a 99.7 percent flight completion rate in the UK and a 14 percent year-on-year improvement in on-time performance.
EasyJet defended its position, with a spokesperson stating: "50 million customers in the UK will choose to fly with easyJet this year for our choice of destinations, great value fares and friendly service from our fantastic crew. We allow customers to pay for only what they want and no more which enables us to keep fares low for everyone. With around 40 percent of our customers choosing to travel with just the fare and our customer satisfaction scores at a 10-year high, it's clear that customers continue to value this choice and our service."
The spokesperson added: "Given this survey is not weighted, it simply isn't representative when comparing with airlines who carry far fewer passengers."
The Daily Mail approached Vueling Airlines, Aer Lingus, American Airlines, and United Airlines for comment regarding their positions in the rankings.
