Ryanair has been rated as the least satisfying airline in the UK for customer experience, according to a survey conducted by consumer organization Which? The budget airline received the lowest score of 55%, ranking below almost 30 other airlines. It achieved only two stars out of five in categories such as 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. One customer mentioned that “The plane is dirty and the seats are awful.” In response, Ryanair criticized the survey findings, stating that neither they nor their 208 million passengers pay attention to such surveys or their results.
Wizz Air, a competitor of Ryanair, was ranked second to last, receiving two stars in every category except for value for money, where it was rated three stars. On the other hand, Jet2, a holiday airline, was rated the best for short-haul flights with a satisfaction score of 76%, praised for its generous luggage allowance.
The top-rated carrier overall was Singapore Airlines, leading in the long-haul category with a remarkable 81% satisfaction score. It received five stars for its cabin environment and customer service. British Airways scored 72% in both short-haul and long-haul categories.
The survey, based on responses from over 5,500 British adults who flew economy class for leisure from a UK airport in the previous year, revealed that budget airlines may not always be the cheapest option due to additional fees. The editor of Which? Travel, Rory Boland, criticized Ryanair and Wizz Air for disregarding their customers’ negative experiences and highlighted that including baggage and seat allocation in fares could lead to cheaper overall costs with other airlines.