LIFE

The best and worst airlines REVEALED

Last modified on Monday 6 March 2023

Which? asked over 8,000 adults about their flight experiences over the last 2 years, and these are the airlines that came top and bottom...

If you're planning a family holiday this summer but aren't sure which airline to go with, Which? might be able to help you out with its best and worst airlines rankings of 2023.

The consumer provider asked 8,046 adults, members of Which? Connect and members of the public, about their flying experiences over the last 2 years.

Only airlines that were rated by at least 30 people were included in the results.

The very WORST short-haul airline, and worst overall, was Wizz Air.

And the best airline?

The airline only operated 56% of its flights on time and cancelled almost 2% of them within 24 hours of departure.

It also scored 1 star for its seat comfort and cabin environment. Yikes!

At the top of the rankings, Jet2 was once again rated as the UK's best short-haul airline.

Although the airline did suffer some cancellations and delays, 72% of respondents said Jet2 staff were available to help when this did happen.

If you're looking for a long-haul flight, Emirates was rated best, with a customer score of 80%.

However, the consumer champion noted it was not eligible for a Which? Recommended Provider? status due to its 'no show clause', where it can cancel your return flight if you miss the outbound one due to no fault of your own.

The worst rated airline for long-haul flights was Lufthansa, with a customer score of just 57%, with British Airways not far behind at 59%.

The best and worst short-haul economy airlines:

Jet2 80%

Turkish Airlines 78%

Finnair 75%

Aurigny Air Service 74%

(RECOMMENDED PROVIDER) Norwegian 74%

Icelandair 71%

Aer Lingus 67%

Air Malta 65%

SAS Scandinavian Airlines 65%

Aegean Airlines 62%

KLM 61%

TAP Portugal 61%

EasyJet 59%

Tui Airways 59%

Air France 58%

Vueling Airlines 58%

Lufthansa 57%

British Airways 56%

Eurowings 53%

Ryanair 52%

Wizz Air 48%

The best and worst long-haul economy airlines:

Emirates 80%

Virgin Atlantic 78%

Etihad Airways 74%

Qatar Airways 74%

Singapore Airlines 74%

Delta Airlines 70%

Qantas 67%

Aer Lingus 65%

United Airlines 65%

Air Canada 64%

American Airlines 64%

KLM 63%

TUI Airways 60%

British Airways 59%

Lufthansa 57%

Which? Recommended Providers

According to Which? the airlines given their Recommended Provider status were those that achieved a minimum customer score of 70%, as well as meeting various other requirements.

For example, the website notes airlines which had above average cancellations, including Virgin Atlantic, did not qualify to be a WRP.

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