Ryanair has been labeled as the least satisfactory airline in the UK according to a survey conducted by the consumer group Which? The budget carrier was rated the lowest among nearly 30 airlines included in the study, receiving a 55% score. It achieved only two stars out of a potential five for its booking process, boarding, customer service, and cabin environment, and a mere one star for seat comfort.
Over 1,200 Ryanair passengers participated in the survey, with one traveler quoted by Which? stating, “The plane is dirty and the seats are awful.” In response, Ryanair dismissed the survey results, asserting that they and their 208 million passengers do not pay any attention to what they consider to be fabricated surveys and false outcomes.
Wizz Air, a rival no-frills carrier, ranked second to last with two stars in all categories except for value for money, where it received three stars. On the other hand, Jet2, a holiday airline, topped the short-haul category with a satisfaction score of 76%, earning four stars for value for money, customer service, and boarding process.
The best-rated airline overall was Singapore Airlines, scoring 81% and leading in the long-haul category. It received five stars for both its cabin environment and customer service. British Airways scored 72% in both short-haul and long-haul categories.
According to the survey conducted last year on over 5,500 British adults who flew economy class for leisure from a UK airport within the previous 12 months, budget airlines may no longer always be the most cost-effective option due to additional fees.
Wizz Air defended itself by highlighting the small sample size of the survey, emphasizing that their growing passenger numbers reflect the value travelers place on Wizz’s competitive prices and operational performance.
Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel, criticized Ryanair and Wizz Air for disregarding the negative experiences of their customers, stating that passengers often choose these airlines for their low headline fares but may end up paying more due to costly add-ons. According to Boland, airlines that include baggage and seat allocation in their fares could offer better overall value.