March 3, 2025, 4:27 pm | Read time: 5 minutes

In an annual airline satisfaction survey conducted by the consumer organization “Which?”, a British airline comes in last place for long-haul flights. A German airline is also penalized for its performance on short-haul flights. TRAVELBOOK shows the results of the survey at a glance.

Why is British Airways So Unpopular with Long-Haul Passengers?

The British airline only achieved 62 out of 100 percent in the overall ranking — and shares last place in terms of long-haul flights with the Canadian airline Air Canada. British Airways’ unpopularity is probably partly due to the fact that only 65 percent of its long-haul flights are on time, with 2.2 percent even being canceled altogether. Only the Dutch KLM (3.9 percent), the unpunctual Germans of Lufthansa (3.7 percent), and the Irish Aer Lingus (2.6 percent) cancel more flights on their long-haul routes than British Airways. In addition, the seats of this British airline are somewhat smaller than those of some higher-ranked airlines and are also uncomfortable, as suggested by two out of five possible stars in this category.

The travelers surveyed were also dissatisfied with the range of food and drink on offer, the cabin environment, and the price-performance ratio. British Airways received just two stars in all three categories. One more star was awarded for the airline’s cleanliness, boarding, and customer service. The airline’s customers were apparently only satisfied with the booking process, for which British Airways received four out of five stars.

British Airways — One of the Worst Five Airlines on Short-Haul Routes

Things went somewhat better for the British airline, at least in terms of its ranking for short-haul flights. British Airways landed in twelfth place out of a total of 16, ahead of Tap Portugal, Lufthansa, Wizz Air, and Ryanair. At the same time, the airline’s result here is even worse, with British Airways scoring just 57 percent in the overall ranking, i.e., five percent lower on short-haul flights than on long-haul flights. And why? Here, too, 65 percent of flights are on time, and 2.2 percent are canceled. The seats are smaller and, if you believe the two stars, just as uncomfortable. Short-haul passengers are also dissatisfied with boarding, the food and drink on offer, and value for money. They are all rated with just two stars. Customer service, the booking process, cleanliness, and cabin climate were given a mediocre three stars, which is as good as it gets.

Lufthansa Even Worse than British Airways on Short-Haul Routes

And what’s wrong with Lufthansa? The traditional German airline is actually the third worst airline in the short-haul ranking. But why? The airline achieved just 55 percent in the overall ranking. On the one hand, this is probably due to the second-highest number of flight cancellations and 39 percent of unpunctual flights. However, customers also gave the German airline only two stars for boarding, food and beverage offerings, and value for money. In contrast, they are satisfied with the cleanliness, for which they awarded four stars. Incidentally, Lufthansa fares better in the long-haul comparison. Here, it ranks in the midfield (eleventh out of 19) at 68 percent.

More on the topic

Global comparison These are the “Most Climate-Friendly” Airlines, According to a Ranking

To increase customer satisfaction Lufthansa tests the return of free drinks on flights

Finances, quality of life This Is the Best Country in the World for Expats

These Are the Best and Other Worst Airlines in the Ranking

And what about the other airlines? In the short-haul ranking, the British low-cost airline Jet2.com comes top with 80 percent satisfied customers. This is followed by the Scottish airline Loganair, which has 72 percent, and the Scandinavian airline SAS, which has 71 percent. Ireland’s Ryanair brings up the rear with 49 percent satisfaction, which can be explained by factors such as uncomfortable seats, a poor range of food and drinks, and poor boarding procedures. The low-cost airline received just one star in all three categories, with only two stars for all others.

On long-haul routes, Singapore Airlines leads the ranking with an overall score of 81 percent and a number of five-star ratings. This is followed by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, which has 78 percent, and Dubai’s Emirates, which has 77 percent of satisfied travelers. At the lower end of the rankings are British Airways, Air Canada, Malaysia Airlines, American Airlines, and Aer Lingus.

These Are the Best and Worst Airlines on Short-Haul Routes According to “Which?”

1. Jet2.com
2. Loganair
3. SAS
4. Norwegian
5. Aegean Airlines
6. KLM
7. Aer Lingus
8. TUI Airways
9. Turkish Airlines
10. Easyjet
11. Vueling Airlines
12. British Airways
13. TAP Portugal
14. Lufthansa
15. Wizz Air
16. Ryanair

These Are the Best and Worst Long-Haul Airlines According to “Which?”

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Etihad Airways
3. Emirates
4. Qantas
5. Virgin Atlantic
6. Air France
7. Delta Airlines
8. KLM
9. United Airlines
10. Qatar Airways
11. Lufthansa
12. Turkish Airlines
13. Cathay Pacific
14. TUI Airways
15. Aer Lingus
16. American Airlines
17. Malaysia Airlines
18. Air Canada
19. British Airways