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Eighteen days into the war in Iran, and the scorecard for global equity markets makes for uncomfortable reading.

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European benchmark indices have shed around 7% since hostilities began — the Euro STOXX 50 down 6.5%, Germany’s DAX off 7%, France’s CAC 40 down 7.2%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB lower by 6.4% — dwarfing the more modest 2.5% decline in the US S&P 500, which benefits from America’s status as the world’s largest oil producer and its relative insulation from the energy shock.

Yet the headline numbers tell only half the story.

Beneath the surface, an extraordinary divide has opened up — between European companies that thrive on expensive energy, and those being crushed by it.

The energy shock reshaping the continent

The conflict’s most immediate economic consequence has been a seismic repricing of energy.

Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20% of the world’s petroleum flows — caused Brent crude to surge from around $70 to nearly $120 per barrel within days.

As of Tuesday, Brent sits at approximately $105, a 42% rally from pre-war levels.

In an attempt to cap the oil price surge, the International Energy Agency coordinated a historic intervention.

More than 30 nations in Europe, North America, and northeast Asia agreed to release a combined 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves — the largest such action in the IEA’s 50-year history.

Yet the oil market has sent a clear signal that even this enormous release is nowhere near enough to address the unprecedented supply disruption, with crude prices surging more than 17% since the announcement.

Natural gas has been hit even harder. The Dutch TTF benchmark — Europe’s most important gas price reference — has surged 60% to €52 per megawatt-hour.

In a note this week, Goldman Sachs energy analyst Samantha Dart warned this week that approximately 80 million tonnes per annum of LNG supply — 19% of the global total — is currently offline following the Strait’s disruption and the shutdown of Qatar’s LNG production facilities.

Her team maintains a TTF forecast of €63/MWh for the second quarter of 2026, warning that tightening European physical balances could push prices into the gas-to-oil switching range before the conflict resolves.

The winners: Energy, renewables and fertilizer

The clearest beneficiaries have been European oil and gas producers, whose revenues move in lockstep with the commodity the war has repriced so dramatically.

Norwegian energy giant Equinor has surged 23.7% since the start of the month, as investors pile into one of the continent’s largest oil and gas producers with substantial assets well outside the conflict zone.

Fellow Norwegian producer Vår Energi is up 19.9%, while Aker BP has gained 17.1%. Italy’s Eni is up 14.7%, and Portugal’s Galp Energia has added 13.6%.

The most striking gains, however, have come from an unexpected corner: biofuels.

German renewable fuels producer Verbio SE has shot up 30.4%, and Finland’s Neste Oyj — the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel — has gained 28.1%.

As conventional fossil fuels become more expensive and supply chains more precarious, energy alternatives become dramatically more attractive to both buyers and investors.

German gas utility Uniper SE, which has spent recent years diversifying away from Russian supply, has rallied 19.1%.

The fertiliser sector has also attracted significant gains, with K+S rising 15.3% and Yara International rising 15.0%.

The moves reflect a commodity supply crisis hiding in plain sight: around one third of global seaborne fertiliser trade — roughly 16 million tonnes — passes through the Strait of Hormuz, including 43% of seaborne urea exports, 44% of sulphur, and over a quarter of traded ammonia.

The losers: Steel, airlines and construction

On the other side of the ledger, the losses have been equally dramatic. Energy-intensive industries and businesses exposed to higher costs with little pricing power have been savaged.

Airlines have taken some of the heaviest punishment. Wizz Air — the Budapest-based low-cost carrier with heavy exposure to Central and Eastern European routes — has collapsed 31.2%.

Air France-KLM has lost 22.1% and easyJet has dropped 21.8%. All three face the same brutal arithmetic: jet fuel costs have surged, hedging programmes offer only partial and temporary protection, and there is limited ability to pass costs on to passengers quickly enough to protect earnings.

Steel producers have been hit with similar force. Salzgitter has fallen 27.9%, thyssenkrupp is down 27.3%, and ArcelorMittal has shed 19.1%, joined by stainless steel specialist Aperam, which has dropped 24.5%.

Steel production ranks among the most energy-intensive industrial processes on earth, and mills operating on thin margins face an immediate profitability crisis when gas prices surge 60% in such a short period.

Spanish engineering contractor Técnicas Reunidas has dropped 23.7%, a casualty of its deep exposure to Middle Eastern energy infrastructure projects now thrown into uncertainty by the conflict.

Construction group Webuild has fallen 26.6%, reflecting broader fears that an energy-driven slowdown will freeze infrastructure investment across Europe’s most exposed economies.

Mining company Hochschild rounds out the list, down 21%, rising energy costs compress margins and risk appetite for smaller extractive names evaporates.

Europe enters this crisis in a structurally vulnerable position.

Despite having dramatically reduced its dependence on Russian pipeline gas since the invasion of Ukraine, the continent remains acutely sensitive to energy supply disruptions — and gas storage levels heading into 2026 offer less of a buffer than in prior years.

WE’VE all seen the headline of £14 flights plastered across airline websites, social media and publications – but what does a £14 flight actually look like and can you really get it for that price?

When it comes to booking a holiday, we all love a bargain.

And in the UK we aren’t short of budget airlines to choose from, such as Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air.

But the reality is that airlines actually often lose money on £14 flights if you book them without extras.

This is because the flight tends to be listed at cost or below cost to entice people in to go on the website.

According to The Flight Club, Ryanair has previously claimed that each passenger costs them about €34 (£29.55) to fly each way, excluding fuel.

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Broken down, this is about €8 (£6.95) for staff, €8 (£6.95) for airport and handling costs, €6 (£5.21) for travelling in the air space, €8 (£6.95) for aircraft ownership and maintenance and €4 (£3.48) for other expenses.

On the other hand, Wizz Air’s costs are around €52 (£45.19) per passenger per flight and easyJet’s are around €79 (£68.66) (again, both excluding fuel).

When looking at flights, once on an airline’s website you can get hooked in and before you know it you’re adding a return flight and luggage adding up to a figure far from that original £14 fare.

At the moment, the cheapest flight available is with Wizz Air to Gdansk in Poland, costing just £13.99 one-way.

But this is just one of a myriad of ‘cheap’ flights.

Other Wizz Air options include Seville in Spain for £19.99 one-way, or Barcelona and Valencia – also both in Spain – return flights for £40 each.

EasyJet has the second cheapest flight on offer, which is to Nice in France, costing £14.49 one-way.

Other cheap easyJet options include Fuerteventura in Spain for £16.99, Innsbruck in Austria for £16.99, Palma de Mallorca in Spain for £16.99 and Pisa in Italy for £16.99 – all one-way flights.

Ryanair then comes in a touch more expensive, with flights to to Alicante and Barcelona in Spain starting from £14.99 one-way.

The main issue with these flights from the offset? All of them except a handful fly out from London airports.

For those who don’t live in or near the capital, this is where your first additional cost will come in.

Either you spend money travelling to the London airports or you opt to fly from your local airport, but at the sacrifice of your ticket being more expensive.

The second cost on top of the flight price are add-ons.

These include things like cabin bags and hold luggage.

For example, to add cabin luggage to each a Wizz Air, easyJet and Ryanair flight it would cost around an additional £32.97, £17.20 and £43.98 per person, per flight respectively.

These additional costs do also include standard seat selection and ‘speedy’ boarding for each airline.

Though if you want extra legroom, then again that will come at a price.

So if you intended to take anything more than a handbag, your flight will already be costing you a lot more.

Another issue is getting a flight back.

While one-way flights can be a bargain, prices tend to rise when you book a return.

For Gdansk, for example, the return leg costs around £28.99.

So the basic flight costs you more like £42 and with cabin luggage it would sit more around the £75 return mark.

One way to get around this is by having flexible holiday dates, as then you can choose the day with the cheapest return flight.

Other hidden costs include checking in at the airport, which Wizz Air charges €40 (£34.78) to do – more than double the price of the actual flight!

If you are travelling light and able to fit your stuff into a small bag (45cm x 36cm x 20cm for easyJet or 40cm x 30cm x 20cm for Wizz Air and Ryanair), then the cheap flights are worth it.

One centimetre bigger than this though, and it could cost you an additional £70 at the gate.

But if you do choose to fly with just a handbag that fits under the seat in front of you, then perhaps opt for easyJet to make the most of those extra few centimetres allowance.

On the other hand, if you are travelling as a family with extra luggage, who want to sit together and have fixed holiday dates, then maybe this isn’t the best offer.

If we take the £75 per person price for return flights to Gdansk as an example, a family of four, with two children aged over two (under twos don’t need their own plane seat), you could be looking at £300 for return flights.

And that’s before your hotel booking.

The better option for families is to book a package holiday that includes flights.

For example, you could stay in a sea view studio at Albatros Family Hotel in Salou, Costa Dorada in Spain for four nights, flying from London Gatwick on April 20 with four 10kg cabin bags and four 22kg hold suitcases and airport transfers for £573 total or just £143 each.

And for that price, you get hold luggage, which if you booked on a flight separately, it would cost you even more.

Of course, with a holiday package you also get peace of mind in case of things going wrong, as you’ll have ATOL Protection, which helps in cases of your travel operator going bust.

The bottom line?

If you are travelling with a backpack, and live near an airport, go for it.

For those who like to pack more or are travelling as a family, perhaps book a package to avoid the headache.

For more flight tips, here are the new 2026 travel hacks you need to know about.

Plus, our travel team’s best tips for flying with budget airlines from ‘free’ legroom seats to a cheap food hack.

MORE than a thousand flights are still being cancelled a day due to the ongoing Iran conflict.

Countries in the Middle East – such as the UAE, Qatar and Oman – have been dragged into the crisis since last week.

And despite some relief flights now operating, thousands of Brits are still facing cancelled flights.

According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, 2,263 across the world have been cancelled today.

This includes more than 100 flights to and from the UK today, with 53 departing flights and 54 arriving flights.

The majority are to the UAE, so Dubai and Abu Dhabi, along with Qatar, Israel, Bahrain and Kuwait.

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They warned: “We anticipate cancellations will continue for at least a week, as reported by the airlines.”

Emirates, who operate out of Dubai, is still suspending operations, said they were offering a “reduced flight schedule until further notice”.

They warned: “These flights are open for booking, and we are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority.

“Customers transiting in Dubai will only be accepted for travel if their connecting flight is operating.”

Anyone without a confirmed flight booking is being warned not to travel to the airport.

Qatar Airways has still suspended flights from Doha due to the closure of the Qatari airspace, with another update tomorrow at 6am.

Some limited relief flights are being operated from Muscat to Europe, including a flight to London Heathrow.

However the airline also warns: “Passengers are kindly requested not to proceed to the airport unless they have received an official notification from Qatar Airways for these flights.”

All Etihad Airways flights are suspended until at least 6am tomorrow.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has launched some limited repositioning and repatriation flights, which has include the UK.

British Airways says they are “unable to operate flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Tel Aviv”.

Some limited routes are operating from Muscat.

Virgin Atlantic has relaunched flights from Dubai and Riyadh.

The Sun’s Travel Expert has answered all of your other travel questions.

We’ve also explained the latest safety advice for Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt.

March 4 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s aviation industry is on alert as rising oil prices and a weakening Korean won threaten airline profitability following the recent escalation in Middle East tensions.

The surge in global crude prices and the won-dollar exchange rate comes after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, raising fears of prolonged instability in the region.

According to the Korea Exchange on Tuesday, shares of Korean Air fell 7.94% to 23,200 won (about $16.10). The stock has dropped about 17% compared with its Feb. 27 closing price of 28,100 won (about $19.40), just before the strikes on Iran, reflecting investor concerns about rising operating costs.

Fuel expenses account for roughly 30% of airline operating costs, making the industry particularly vulnerable to oil price fluctuations. Korean Air estimates that a $1 change in oil prices per barrel can affect its operating profit by about $30.5 million.

Brent crude futures on the ICE Futures Exchange closed at $81.40 per barrel on Tuesday, up $3.66, or 4.71%, from the previous session. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $3.33, or 4.67%, to close at $74.56 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Oil prices have climbed for three consecutive trading days after tensions surrounding Iran intensified and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz – a key route for about 20% of global seaborne oil shipments – was disrupted.

Korean Air said it plans to protect profitability through hedging strategies. The airline uses fuel price option contracts under internal risk management policies, primarily employing a “zero-cost collar” hedging structure that sets upper and lower price limits for fuel purchases.

Under this system, the airline can buy jet fuel at a predetermined price even if oil prices rise, while it must purchase fuel at the agreed level if prices fall below a certain threshold.

Korean Air said it hedges up to 50% of its projected annual fuel consumption.

“Ongoing assessments of oil price risks are conducted regularly, and we apply appropriate hedging products depending on market conditions and price levels,” a Korean Air official said.

Industry analysts warn, however, that prolonged tensions in the Middle East could place additional pressure on airlines through a weaker Korean currency.

The won briefly surpassed the psychologically significant level of 1,500 per U.S. dollar early Tuesday. A weaker won typically increases overseas operating costs for airlines and can also dampen travel demand.

Low-cost carriers are expected to face greater difficulties. Jeju Air, Jin Air and T’way Air – South Korea’s major budget airlines – all reported operating losses last year amid the strong dollar and have been striving to return to profitability.

Recent signs of exchange rate stabilization had raised hopes for improved performance this year, but the Iran crisis has revived concerns across the industry.

A T’way Air official said the company is preparing contingency plans.

“When the won-dollar exchange rate rises, we respond by covering overseas operating costs with foreign currency revenues generated locally,” the official said. “We are reviewing additional measures depending on changes in the international situation.”

If you want, I can also create a short 60-90 second YouTube news script version of this story, which would fit well with your weekly global news roundup format.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260304010001116

FLYING with United Airlines should be more peaceful after it vowed to boot off selfish passengers who refuse to wear headphones.

Travelers have applauded the rule change after being infuriated by audio blasting from fellow flyers binge-watching videos.

In what is believed to be an industry-first, the carrier has issued a permanent flying ban policy over noise in cabins, according to travel sources.

United Airlines updated its contract of carriage last month to include a section on listening to personal electronic devices.

It now warns that passengers who refuse to don headphones while listening to audio or watching video can be removed from the aircraft.

The threat comes under its “breach of contract of carriage – failure by passenger to comply with the rules of the contract of carriage” section.

United said it could “remove passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.”

UA also stated it had the “right to refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis.”

The warning was published under rule 21 – one of 30 rules published for passengers, including service complaints and baggage policies.

“The contract of carriage was updated Feb. 27 to add the headphone language,” a spokeswoman confirmed to The U.S. Sun today.

She said it followed last year’s introduction of Starlink Wi-Fi with connectivity across both personal devices and inflight entertainment screens.

“We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content,” she added.

“And our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones.

“With the expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.”

United had “quietly amended its contract of carriage,” commented CBS News yesterday.

“It’s usually only a small number of folks on airplanes who are making noise by not using headphones, so this is a graceful way to handle those folks,” said travel expert Scott Keyes.

He told the broadcaster that he didn’t know of any other major U.S. airline with a similar rule.

United Airlines’ strong line has been widely applauded by flyers and travel experts.

“Some flyers have become such inconsiderate pigs,” said one man.

“If you’re one of those a***holes that blasts audio from your phone without headphones, United Airlines might just ban you from their flight,” warned another on social media.

“This is a rule I can get behind!” wrote one thrilled passenger.

“The sheer volume of people who seem to think I want to hear their phone conversations/video/music in public spaces is only growing.”

United Airlines to ban passengers who don’t wear headphones

The new rule targets travelers using personal electronic devices

Rule 21 Refusal of Transport:

“UA shall have the right to refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis or shall have the right to remove from the aircraft at any point, any passenger for the following reasons:

“Breach of contract of carriage – failure by passenger to comply with the rules of the contract of carriage.

“Passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content.”

Source: United Airlines

One travel writer, Johnny Jet, said it was one of his “pet peeves.”

He said it had become a “widespread habit” that is “inconsiderate.”

United’s “revised language specifically includes passengers who fail to use headphones,” he noted.

The rule is aimed at flyers who “violate a basic form of etiquette and common courtesy,” reported Simple Flying.

The travel website added that many carriers – including American Airlines – have quiet cabin policies.

But, the difference with United Airlines’ stance is that it’s the first to ban travelers without headphones who blast audio from their devices.

A NUMBER of airlines are starting to relaunch limited flights back to the UK from the Middle East.

Thousands of flights have been cancelled in recent days following the US-Iran conflict, which affected destinations such as Dubai and Doha.

This lead to the closure of both major airports and, being major flight hubs, resulted in hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded abroad.

While some parts of the airspace are still closed, some airlines have confirmed a few flights will start taking off.

Emirates, one of the worst affected airlines being based in Dubai, confirmed a “limited number of passenger repatriation and freighter flights” will take off today.

This includes seven flights to the UK, to London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh.

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However, they warned that this was for passengers with earlier bookings.

Otherwise the airline warned: “All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until 12pm UAE time on March 4, due to airspace closures across the region. 

“Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified directly by Emirates, or hold a confirmed booking for these flights.”

Virgin Atlantic has also launched relaunched flight from Dubai and Riyadh back to the UK.

They said: “Following our latest assessments and in line with guidance from international aviation authorities, some of our flights are now operating in the region.”

And Etihad confirmed that some repositioning and repatriation flights had taken.

But they also warned that flights were suspended until at least 2pm on March 5.

British Airways is yet to restart flights from the Middle East.

Qatar Airways confirmed flights from Doha are yet to relaunch, with another update to take place on Friday.

They confirmed: “Qatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

“Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace.

“A further update will be provided on March 6 by 9am Doha time (6am UTC).”

Despite this, hundreds of thousands of people are still stranded abroad.

Tourists in destinations such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bali are being forced to look at alternative routes home due to the ongoing Dubai and Doha closures.

The Sun’s Head of Travel answered all of your questions about any holidays you have planned.

We’ve also explained if you are covered by travel insurance if caught up in the chaos.

March 2 (UPI) — A United Airlines flight made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday after a possible engine fire was reported, authorities and the airline said.

United flight 2127 from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., departed LAX at 10:43 a.m. PST, but was diverted back to the airport about 40 minutes into the flight, according to flight traffic tracker FlightRadar24.

It landed at 11:20 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration told UPI.

After the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landed, slides deployed from its fuselage, which some passengers used to deplane. Uncorroborated video posted online shows passengers going down the slide, where firefighters met them on the tarmac before they ran from the plane.

United Airlines confirmed to UPI in a statement that the flight “safely returned to Los Angeles” and that the issue was “a possible engine fire.”

“Customers deplaned via slides and airstairs and were bused to the terminal,” the company said.

No serious injuries were reported among the 265 passengers and 12 crew, United Airlines said, adding that a second aircraft was arranged to take them to Newark.

According to a statement from the Los Angeles Fire Department, no passengers required transport to the hospital.

The FAA told UPI that it was investigating.

A passenger survey has found the short-haul airline that was ranked as the lowest for its overall customer satisfaction, including for the boarding process and value for money

The airline with the worst customer satisfaction in the UK has been revealed, and it’s not Jet2, Wizz Air or easyJet.

In a lot of circumstances, the airline we fly with can depend on the most affordable ticket available at the time of booking, with competition rife among major budget airlines like Jet2, Wizz Air, Ryanair, and easyJet for short-haul flights. But depending on the airline we choose for our journey, it can severely impact our overall travel experience, from the booking and boarding processes to the customer service onboard.

Now, an annual customer satisfaction survey of more than 5,500 travellers by Which? found that Ryanair was the worst-performing short-haul airline.

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A Ryanair spokesperson told the Mirror: “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.”

In the Which? ratings, Ryanair secured a mere one star for seat comfort, while it scored two out of five stars for its booking process, boarding, customer service and cabin environment.

When it comes to value for money on short-hauls, the airline earned a three-star rating, the same as easyJet and Wizz Air, but fell behind carriers, Jet2, Lufthansa, TUI and Aer Lingus. Overall, Ryanair received a customer satisfaction score of 55 per cent in the short-haul survey and ranked bottom on a list of 24 airlines. Just in front of Ryanair on the customer survey, with a total score of 59 per cent, was Wizz Air.

The budget carrier, which had 259 passengers included in the Which? survey, received two stars for its booking process, boarding, customer service, and cabin environment. However, it was awarded three stars for its value for money.

A Wizz Air spokesperson also shared: “Once again, Which’s survey relies on a tiny sample size. It surveyed 259 people, which is only 0.002% of the 12 million passengers carried on our UK flights in 2025. No credible organisation 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. We’re continuing to deliver against the commitments outlined in our £12 billion Customer First Compass initiative. From October 2024 to December 2025, customer satisfaction rose by eight percentage points. At the same time, our flight completion rate in the UK was 99.7% – consistently among the best in the industry – while our on-time performance increased by 14% year-on-year.

“This year, we look forward to welcoming even more passengers on board Europe’s youngest and most modern fleet, taking advantage of our low prices on our biggest ever summer leisure network to many new destinations in Spain, Greece, and France.”

In stark contrast, Jet2 topped the list with 76 per cent, receiving a four-star rating for its booking process, customer service and value for money. One customer said: “Compared with other budget airlines, they give you a generous luggage allowance, which makes such a difference.”

Have you had a complaint-worthy flight? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

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NEW data has revealed the best – and worst – airlines in the UK.

In a new Which? report, Jet2 has been named the best airline in the UK, based on the responses of 5,500 travellers.

The airline – which was the only airline with short-haul flights to be named a Which? Recommended Provider – achieved an average score of 76 per cent based on several categories including boarding, customer service and seat comfort.

Last year, Jet2 cancelled fewer flights last minute than its biggest rivals.

This helped the airline to hold on to four stars for its booking process, customer service and value for money.

One customer said: “Compared with other budget airlines they give you a generous luggage allowance, which makes such a difference.”

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And unlike other budget airlines, Jet2 allows passengers to take on board one piece of hand luggage – as long as it weighs no more than 10kg and isn’t bigger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm – free of charge, each.

And you can also bring a small, under-seat bag as long as it is not bigger than 40cm x 30cm x 20cm.

More than 76 per cent agreed they hadn’t had any problems with their flight, whilst only 63 per cent said this about Ryanair.

When it comes to other short-haul airlines that performed well, Lufthansa and Norwegian scored 73 per cent satisfaction, British Airways, TUI and KLM each scored 72 per cent, Aer Lingus scored 71 per cent and Air France scored 69 per cent.

At the other end of the table, it might not come as a surprise that Ryanair finished bottom, achieving a satisfaction score of just 55 per cent.

The airline, which is often called out for having hidden fees, scored two stars for its booking process, boarding, customer service and cabin environment.

It then also achieved just one star for seat comfort, with one customer commenting: “The plane is dirty and the seats are awful.”

And even though the airline did get three stars for value for money, another customer added: “It is billed as a budget airline but they make money from extras which far outweigh price savings on other flight companies.”

In total, over a third of Ryanair’s customers said something went wrong with their journey.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “Neither we nor our 208million 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 208million consumers chose Ryanair, while nobody reads or pays any attention to Which? fake surveys.”

Wizz Air also didn’t do too great, scoring just 59 per cent for customer satisfaction.

The budget airline achieved two stars in most categories and then three stars in the value for money category, with one customer remarking that the airline is “consistently terrible and overpriced”.

Passengers also noted how the airline has poor customer service and lack of communication around delays.

A spokesperson for Wizz Air said: “Once again, Which’s survey relies on a tiny sample size.

“While the total number of passengers surveyed was 5,500 – only 259 of those actually flew with Wizz Air.

“That’s less than five per cent of those surveyed, and only 0.002 per cent of passengers carried on WIZZ flights to and from the UK in 2025.

“This tiny sample size of Wizz customers is a point we’ve raised with Which for the last three years, which has also been echoed by other airlines.

“Despite raising our concerns about how misleading this figure is, there have been no major improvements, and the survey remains entirely unrepresentative of what the vast majority of customers have experienced – and therefore an inaccurate source of information for the British public.”

EasyJet did slightly better, scoring 67 per cent overall, with three stars for its booking process and value for money and two stars for its customer service, seat comfort and cabin environment.

The budget airline also improved its punctuality over the past two years with fewer cancelled flights.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “With around 40 per cent of our customers choosing to travel with just the fare and our customer satisfaction scores at a ten year high, it’s clear that customers continue to value this choice and our service.

“Given this survey is not weighted, it simply isn’t representative when comparing with airlines who carry far fewer passengers.”

Which? also found that the price for flights with low-cost airlines often shoots up once you add cabin bags to your booking.

And these prices usually don’t become clear until towards the end of the booking process.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “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.

“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.”

Sun Travel has also contacted the airlines mentioned for comment.

In other aviation news, two UK airports are about to be much easier and cheaper to travel to – after thousands fined £100.

Plus, another English airport introduces hugely unpopular charge for passengers.

A MAJOR UK airport has launched new flight routes to 12 different destinations.

The planned expansion will see eight different airlines join the fleet.

London Gatwick airport is set to broaden its network ahead of summer this year.

The plans to include flights to 12 new locations will see the airport serve more than 230 destinations across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

Jet2, among seven other new airlines, will be serving Gatwick airport, bringing the total up to 62.

The popular holiday company will operate 29 routes throughout the summer holiday season, including destinations in Spain, Turkiye, Portugal, and Malta.

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This will create more than 300 jobs in the airport’s region with employees needed for the flight deck, cabin crew, engineering and ground operations.

Plus, hundreds more will be required through the wider supply chain.

The airport’s expansion will also see many existing airlines expanding their services too.

Royal Air Maroc will begin flights to Tetouan, Morocco, twice weekly from March 29, with Norwegian launching a new route to Aalborg, Denmark, starting April 2.

From May 15, Air Transat will introduce a service to Ottawa, Canada, and SWISS will increase its Zurich route to twice daily from March 29.

Speaking to The Brighton Argus, Pierre-Hugues Schmit, chief executive of London Gatwick, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Jet2 to London Gatwick, marking an exciting new chapter for the airport and our passengers. 

“Jet2’s arrival brings even more choice and flexibility to passengers across the South East and beyond, strengthening London Gatwick’s vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.

“It is an exciting time for Jet2 to join London Gatwick following the recent government approval for routine use of our Northern Runway, which will further expand connectivity and economic growth.”

NEW passport rules being introduced next week are set to affect 1.26million people – but airlines could allow passengers to avoid them.

Currently, dual citizens in the UK, whose other nationality is from a country not subject to a UK visa requirement, can travel into Britain using their foreign passport.

These rules are set to change from February 25, 2026.

From next Wednesday, dual citizens will need to show either a valid British passport, or a new digital certificate of entitlement to attach to their second nationality passport.

Without one of those, travellers could face being denied travel back to the UK.

Getting a British passport costs around £100 for an adult and on average takes between three and 10 weeks to obtain.

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Meanwhile, the certificate of entitlement costs £589 and can take three to eight weeks to get.

As many as 1.26million people in England and Wales hold more than one passport and are expected to be affected.

However, the Home Office has now said that travellers may be able to enter the country with an expired British passport.

Due to the tight turnaround of the change in rules, the Home Office has now said that an expired British passport could be used as “alternative documentation.”

A Home Office official told Sun Travel: “We recognise that this is a significant change for carriers and travellers, but we have been clear on requirements for dual British citizens to travel with a valid British passport or Certificate of Entitlement, in line with those for all British citizens.

“At their own discretion, carriers can accept an expired British passport as alternative documentation. Separately, individuals who have previously had a British passport can apply for an emergency travel document if they urgently need to enter the UK.

“In line with current practice, on arrival at the UK border, Border Force will still assess a person’s suitability to enter the UK and conduct additional checks if required.”

The Home Office do “strongly recommend” travellers obtain a British passport or the Certificate of Entitlement for the “smoothest travel experience.”

One airline has heavily hinted that it will accept an expired passport as a form of ID.

Ryanair has suggested it may allow dual nationals to board if they can show other forms of proof that they are British.

It told The Independent that they had been advised by the government that “documents that can be accepted” include an expired British passport.

The airline also told The Times that they “will allow” a passenger to board a UK flight if they are “satisfied” that they are a British or Irish national – or other UK status.

This includes “passengers who hold an old stamp/vignette with indefinite leave to remain.”

Sun Travel has gone to Ryanair for additional comment.

On the GOV.UK website it says that valid documentation should be obtained before travelling to avoid problems like “being denied boarding” when travelling to the UK.

It adds that dual British citizens who don’t have valid British passport or certificate of entitlement will undergo “additional identity checks” and “will not be able to go through UK passport control until their British nationality is verified.”

On the same day of these new rules, ETAs will also become essential.

However British nationals and dual citizens with British or Irish citizenship are exempt from needing an ETA.

Here’s more on ETA rules and who is at risk from being banned from flights.

And here is the big difference between EES and ETIAS – along with everything you need to know about the new travel rules this year.

AN ENTIRE country is placing a blanket ban on the use of power banks on flights.

Japan‘s transport ministry has told airlines that the use of the popular travel item onboard flights will be banned from April.

It comes as a number of incidents have occurred where mobile batteries and power banks have caught fire on flights.

Under the new ban, passengers will not be allowed to use power banks to charge their phone onboard a flight from Japan.

They will also not be able to charge power banks using the onboard power outlets.

However, they will still be able to take power banks on in hand luggage.

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Back in July, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism banned passengers from storing any power banks in the overhead lockers on domestic and international flights.

And batteries of this kind are already not allowed in checked baggage.

Despite the new rules, passengers will still be able to carry up to two power banks with them onto a flight – it is just that they cannot be used at all throughout the flight and must be out of the overhead locker.

It comes as a number of other airlines have banned power banks over the past couple of years due to a number of incidents.

The handy and popular travel item is thought to catch fire when there is damage, a manufacturing defect or overcharging has caused it to overheat.

When a power bank does overheat, it can be made worse on a plane due to the high-altitude and low-pressure conditions.

Last January, a flight operated by Air Busan, experienced a fire on board which they believe was as a result of a defective power bank.

Even though passengers weren’t harmed, the plane was badly damaged.

Following the incident, Air Busan was the first airline to ban the use of power banks onboard.

And since, a number of other airlines have followed in its footsteps.

For example, both Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines have banned the use of power banks on board.

And back in November, Qantas and Virgin Australia announced that they would ban onboard use of power banks after one caught fire in an overhead locker onboard a Virgin Australia flight.

The changes for Virgin Australia flights came into force on December 1.

Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar then followed on December 15.

In January, Lufthansa then became the latest airline to introduce new rules on power banks.

It came into force on January 15 and means that passengers on Lufthansa flights are no longer allowed to use their power banks onboard either.

UK airlines such as British Airways and Ryanair are yet to introduce any similar rules.

In other aviation news, a major airline has axed more than 130 flights from the UK.

Plus, a UK airport is launching its biggest ever flight schedule with 19 new routes in a major £60million expansion.

WITH Heathrow Airport set to add a third runway, there are growing fears that it could increase the price of flights.

Airlines warn that the planned expansion could result in a £250 price increase for passengers on a family fare.

With the expansion set to cost £33billion, The Times has reported that airlines are “seriously worried” that Heathrow’s landing charge will increase to pay back the cost of the project for investors.

Their landing fees are already the highest in the world.

In July 2025, Heathrow Airport proposed to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to increase airport charges to fund the expansion.

The average charge over the next five years could increase to around £33.26 per passenger, up from the current average of £28.46 per passenger.

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Now, The Times added that airline bosses have pointed out that the cost of the project would add “at least” £60-£65 to average ticket prices.

This means that the additional cost for a family of four could be as much as £250.

Officials from IAG – the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus – raised their concerns to Downing Street.

Another group called ‘Heathrow Reimagined’ have written to Rachel Reeves about the expansion.

The letter raised points that going ahead with the current model will “deliver a scheme which negatively impacts connectivity, competitiveness and the wider UK economy“.

It added that increased charges that are “already the highest in the world” would undermine the “government’s commitment to reduce the cost of living.”

The letter was signed by the boss of IAG, the chief of Virgin Atlantic and the director-general of the airline trade body International Air Transport Association (Iata).

However, a Heathrow spokeswoman told The Times: “Expansion provides a rare opportunity to drive real economic growth for the UK and deliver value for future generations of passengers.

“With demand consistently outpacing supply, incumbent airlines currently compete to charge a premium and the evidence speaks for itself: airfares at Heathrow have risen by 30 per cent in real terms since 2014, whilst the airport passenger charge has decreased by 19 per cent.”

They added that the analysis has “shown fares will be lower with expansion than without it” and said that they did not “recognise those numbers nor have we seen calculations that would support them.”

The huge expansion for the UK’s busiest airport was given the green light in November 2025.

The Heathrow proposals involve building a 3,500-metre runway which will require a new M25 tunnel and bridges to be built 130 metres west of the existing motorway.

The expansion is estimated to cost £33billion which includes building a 3,500 metre runway.

It will see Heathrow’s capacity increase to 756,000 flights and 150 million passengers per year.

The project has received government backing and is moving forward, but it has not yet received final planning approval or development consent.

Heathrow Airport is making other big changes this year…

London Heathrow will undergo a series of developments this year starting with Terminal 2 and 4…

The airport will improve the passenger experience by using AI-technology and has plans to make flights more punctual along with better baggage facilities.

 Heathrow Airport revealed it will start upgrading Terminal 4 next year costing £1.3billion.

The first step will be building a new multi-storey car park and upgrading its check-in area.

The works will be phased to ensure that there’s no disruption to the running of Terminal 4 – and these are expected to be completed in 2031.

Over in Terminal 2, Heathrow has announced that work will also begin on a new baggage system that will be able to handle 31,000 bags each day.

In order to speed up flights and improve punctuality, it will install AI-powered turnaround tech. This will involve a network of cameras being installed across Heathrow.

Using AI to analyse data, the airport will speed up turnaround times between flights, which will make journeys more punctual.

Coverage is expected to be across all terminals by the end of 2026.