British Airways (BA) has hit rock bottom in the latest Which? survey of long-haul airlines, sharing the lowest score with Air Canada.
The fall from grace for the former “world’s favourite airline” stands in stark contrast to the high-flying performance of Gulf carriers like Emirates.
Foreign Carriers Outshine British Airways in Customer Ratings
The Which? annual airlines survey polled nearly 8,000 passengers about their experiences on over 9,000 flights, revealing a clear split between top performers and struggling airlines in the UK market.
British Airways scored a dismal 62% for long-haul flights and 57% for short-haul journeys, earning only two stars in key areas such as seat comfort, food and drink, and overall cabin environment. The airline also had the highest rate of last-minute cancellations at 2%.
In a telling sign of the times, British Airways now ranks below Irish budget airline Ryanair for customer service satisfaction when travelers need help. While Jet2 achieved an impressive +87 score for customer service contacts, BA lagged behind with +40, slightly worse than Ryanair’s +42.
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Singapore Airlines topped the long-haul rankings with 81%, followed closely by UAE’s Etihad (78%) and Emirates (77%). These carriers earned praise for their excellent service, modern cabins, and quality food and beverages.
Emirates stood out by gaining Which? Recommended Provider status due to its customer-friendly policy of not automatically cancelling return flights when passengers miss outbound journeys.
"There's a clear disparity between airlines at the top and at the bottom of the rankings," said Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel. "British Airways' poor performance in our survey shows how far it has fallen from the days when it was seen as setting the standards."
British Short-Haul Market Shows Mixed Results
In the short-haul category, Jet2 claimed the top spot for the fourth consecutive year with an 80% satisfaction score. The airline earned five stars for customer service and high marks for cleanliness, booking process, and value for money.
Scottish regional carrier Loganair took second place with 72%, also receiving five stars for customer service.
At the bottom end, Ryanair ranked last with 49%, gaining no more than two stars in any category and just one star for food, seat comfort and boarding. Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air fared slightly better with 51%.
Airlines Push Back Against Survey Findings
British Airways has challenged the survey results, claiming they are “entirely at odds with comments from hundreds of thousands of customers.” The airline points to its ongoing £7 billion investment programme aimed at turning things around.
A BA spokesperson stated: “Their feedback tells us customers are seeing the benefit of our £7bn investment programme, with operational performance improving by 18% over the last 12 months.”
Wizz Air has also taken issue with the survey, calling it misleading due to small sample sizes. "Which? only surveyed 109 Wizz Air customers - less than 0.001% of our customer base," a spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Ryanair dismissed the findings, stating none of its 200 million annual passengers want to pay higher prices as Which? “falsely claim.”
Passenger Experience Shows Wide Gap Between Best and Worst
The stark difference between top and bottom-ranked carriers was made clear through passenger stories. While Jet2 customers praised the airline’s seamless booking experience and helpful staff, BA passengers told tales of woe.
Joanne Anderson, 76, from Belfast, fought for over two months to get a refund for a cancelled flight.
"They told me in November that my refund would be with me in 7-10 days," she said. "It feels like they are making a fool of their customers. They want to frustrate them until they just give up and go away."
As airlines jostle for market share in the busy UK travel sector, this latest ranking shows the gap between best and worst is wider than ever.
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