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
A passenger survey on airline experiences has some revealing results (Image: Getty Images)
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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